Fire extinquisher ??

I sure expected to read that you ran back there with your fire extinguisher.
there's a low you know..
on 20 + year old VW's people should carry TWO fire extinguishers.

Probably mare VW vehicles..
particularily rear-engine vans have caught on fire than any other brand
or configuration of vehicle.

Pretty dang lucky about that coolant putting out the fire.
First example of that I have ever heard of..
so that went in your favor !

a totally burnt up to nothing interior is not unusual in vanagon engine
fires.

it would be interesting to see how your fuel hoses and lines look.
I wouldn't expect a little brake fluid to cause a very big fire...
gasoline fires are fairly commonon vanagons unfortunately.

since you may need another engineanyway , .
have you been following that thread about how inline 5 engines in Syncro
Vanagons are eating transmissions ?

it's on the Syncro list.

glad you're safe !
scott
www.turbovans.com

On 12/16/2012 3:36 PM, Dick Wong wrote:
> I'm okay.
>
> Early November I bought my first Vanagon.  1987 GL Syncro with a Audi/VW
> 2.5L I5 conversion.
>
> Today I had an engine fire.
>
> Coming to a stop on a freeway off ramp the clutch pedal goes to the floor
> without disengaging.  Step on it again and same results.  Van is lurching
> forward because the clutch won't release.  Hitting the brake slowed it but I
> can feel the engine pushing forward. I shut off the ignition to bring it to
> a stop.  I look in my mirrors and see smoke coming from the rear air
> intakes.  I hop out in the middle of the road and run to the back hoping it
> might only be steam.  No luck, it's stinky smoke and starting to turn black.
> I get my cell phone and dial 911.  I stand there and watch flames starting
> to come from the bottom of the engine.  More black smoke.  I think to
> myself, I am going to watch my "new" Syncro burn to the ground.  All of a
> sudden there is a loud hiss and the smoke turns to white steam and water is
> streaming from the engine.  The coolant tank melted and sprayed coolant on
> to the fire and put it out.  Shortly after an highway patrol pull up.  A few
> minutes later the fire truck arrives.
>
> Not a nice day.
>
> My theory is:  Clutch hose or the slave had a catastrophic failure and when
> I stepped on the clutch, the brake fluid sprayed out on to the exhaust
> piping (exhaust runs forward on the driver side).  The fluid flashed and
> started burning.
>
> It's sitting in my driveway now.  I'll start looking at the damages another
> day.  I'm too depressed to do anything now.  Fireman said that it might be a
> total loss.
>
> -Dick Wong-
> 78 Scirocco
> Original Owner
> 87 Syncro 2.5
> Third Owner
> 12 Golf TDI
> Original Co-Owner
>