Plasticman

When I was about 12, I had a Whizzer (gas motored bike) that was not in the best of shape. It had a small carb leak (which was located below the gas tank, which was just forward of your crotch). The carb leak was due to a partially stripped fitting and the gas would pool on the top of the engine (until the engine got hot enough and vaporized it off - at least that is what it normally did).

Well, one fine hot summer day, riding along in motorized bliss, the ignition wire comes off the plug, and arcs to the pool of gas on the engine. Instant fire just where you don't want it (under the gas tank and in front of aforementioned crotch). I immediattely stop the bike, get off, and since the fire is not really very big, I try patting it out (a glove or rag would of done wonders), burn my hand. Fire is still going, see a water sprinkler on a nearby lawn (I know, last thing you want to use on a gas fire), so I lay the bike down and go get the sprinkler. Big mistake! Gas comes out of the filler cap when I laid the bike down, and now the fire really has fuel. We (guy who was doing the sprinkling and I) just watched it fry until the FD showed up 10 minutes later. Just a pile of trash after that.

Live and learn,
Plasticman

JohnZ

I had a Whizzer too (remember the "Sportsman"?) when I was a kid, and in later years ('60-'61) when I was running my fueler, I saw a guy at Motor City Dragway (New Baltimore, Michigan) running his Whizzer on NITRO . He made one run, and it blew up big-time at about 300 feet, with great flames; he escaped with singed clothes, minor burns, and no eyebrows

magicv8

John - they don't make Halon anymore but you can still buy it. My supplier sells it cheaper than the substitutes, but cannot ship it. It has to be picked up - or if you live in central IL he may deliver.

Companies with large computer sites routinely stored several tons of halon for automatic dispersal. When they switched off halon because of resupply problems, all that material became available for small extinguishers at (what should be) reduced prices. You can't just convert it into something else, so we hobbyists might as well enjoy the surplus. There is enough to last for years.

dennis1964

In '66 a buddy of mine had a '57 belair convt, that we beat the **** out of(if we only knew!) I was the only one sober and one of the girls had to leave so I drove her home. When I got back from the delivery, I pulled in and shut off the engine. It diesled and backfired through the carb. Of course no air cleaner! I tried to suck it out by cranking and got no help. I yelled for the band of drunks that the car was on fire and one ran out with his mother's sugar canister and just as I yelled NO! he dumped about 3 lbs of sugar over , and into the carb. It took me about 3 hours to pull the carb and manifold to clean out the sugar! It was 4am before the old chev cranked over to run? again and get the drunks home and the car to my dad's garage to do a proper cleanout and tune-up. As the song says, Oh What a Night!

Glad I can still remember though!

dennis

rgs

In one of my hobbies, I'm an SCCA corner worker. I've handled many car and carb fires and the wet rag is the first thing to try if you can quickly and easily reach the carb. I've seen way too many race cars that had small fuel fires sprayed with dry chem only to destroy an expensive race motor. In the CART series, they only use water, even on non-alcahol cars such as the Atlantics and Trans-Ams.
Since it is cheaper to recharge, I keep 2 CO2 extinguishers in the shop and always handy whenever there is potential for fire. They aren't as effective as dry chemical, but keep from making a mess. I also have several dry chemical bottles around the shop, just in case.

L79vette

I certainly can't top the pee pee story, but do recall a carb fire. Ran out of gas. Put gas in tank and some prime down the carb, dumb-a**edly tried starting without the air filter. Merry little fire, thankfully only in the carb throat. I'm thinking in a hurry, since this is a pickup borrowed from my Dad's employer. Tore my shirt off and quickly smothered the flames. Worked like a charm, but cost me a very fashionable (!) velour shirt. Hard to believe people are paying actual money these days for retro '70s clothes. I doubt anyone who wore them the first time has any desire to go back.