>List -
>I was the proud owner of an 81 air-cooled Westy - for about 8 hours.
It
>caught on fire on its maiden voyage and was destoyed. We had a fire
expert
>look at it, and he says it was probably a fuel injection hose failure,
>although I'm not sure he knows VWs well.

This JUST HAPPENED to someone else on the list.  Everyone needs to pay
attention to this kind of thing and learn from it.

>2. Are there known problems with fuel system hoses, components?

Only owners who don't replace the fuel lines.

>3. I've heard that there also may be known probs with the fuel supply
lines
>and fuel tank. Thanks ... and don't leave home without your fire
extinquisher.

If the fire started in your engine bay, it was not related to a fuel
tank problem!  Likely what happened is that you had old dried out rubber
fuel lines in the engine compartment.  You failed to inspect them upon
purchase and/or replace them and failed to carry a fire extinguisher.  A
hose burst and gasoline was sprayed into the engine compartment at
28psi.  It touched something hot and ignited, and that was it.
Unfortunately this happens all too often and there is no one to blame
but yourself.
:-(

Sean Bartnik
Fairfax, Virginia
============================
'81 Vanagon L Westfalia
'74 Karmann Ghia convertible
http://www.type2.com/bartnik/tech.htm

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