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My outlook on fire extinguishers.
I was going through an engine startup 2 weeks ago. It was a fresh race 454 build in a fresh race chassis (70 LS-5) I pulled a Holley 750 carb off the shelf pulled it apart and put new gaskets in it. Started the engine, fuel leaking all over from the rear bowl needle. Shut it down quickly tightened up the needle and didn't think much of it. Restarted the engine still leaking bad, put new gaskets under the needle and seat. Dummy me didn't clean it up.Figured problem solved. Started it again and fuel shot everywhere including right across the HEI dist. Instant flames everywhere !! I was using an open container with the fuel line in it to feed the engine and it caught on fire too. I knew I was in trouble and had seconds to deal with what could have been a major loss. Grabbed the gas can (still burning) and ran outside with it hoping it wouldnt explode. Thank God it didn't. Then ran for a close by ABC extinguisher. By then the flames were spreading , even the linoleum floor was burning under the chassis. Swept the flames with the extinguisher from the bottom up and the fire was out. Then I ran outside and sprayed the still burning gas can ! Whew !!
Yes, I had a mess to clean up from the dry chemicals . The engine and chassis were white along with everything else. Yes, I had burns on my hand. But disaster averted. I could have lost a years work on the chassis and engine , plus the garage , tools , parts ,etc.
I found out later after I treated my hand and the smoke cleared the carb had been dropped or had something dropped on it and jammed the needle slightly sideways in the threads. Didn't matter how much I tightened it , it was never going to seal.
An ABC fire extinguisher saved my butt, and that's what I carry in my car . Always , always, always keep a fire ext handy in the garage (and kitchen). And learn from my mistakes. Be careful out there guys.
I have a 1996 LT1 in my 67 Coupe with side pipes. It was an unfinished project that I bought so I didn't even know if the engine ran. I was told it was a low millage motor so I figured I would stick with it. I didn't know how long the motor had been sitting before I got it so I didn't know what to expect. I was careful checking and rechecking everything before I started it because I had no one with me at the time.
It started but ran like crap. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. Hooked up my OBD2 reader and I could see that it was running very rich on the drivers side. So while it's running outside and I'm trying to figure out what's wrong I decide to pull it back in the garage, shut it off, and do some research.
All of a sudden I see smoke coming from the right front fender. Flames were coming up from the side pipe cover. I grabbed the fire extinguisher, which I had brought home from my shop just for this start up, and managed to put out the fire with no serious damages but it could have turned into a disaster.
I was prepared for a fuel fire. I never expected the side pipe insulation to catch on fire. Now I have extinguishers in my house and garage at the ready.
Glad each of you are OK! I'm **** about fire extingushers. I have three readily available ABC units in my garage. Small, med, and large along with one in the car. Dennis
I'm just about to turn my engine on the project car over for the very first time and was already thinking I'd need at least another person standing by with a second fire extinguisher and now after reading the OP and others' experiences, it is definitely a good idea to do all this outdoors until I'm sure the car runs fine w/ no leaks of any kind and nothing in the engine bay can catch fire. Thank you for posting Pop as we can't really be reminded of being safe (while working on the car or driving the car) often enough.
Good on you guys for having extinguishers handy! I keep 2 larger ones in the garage and another big one under the kitchen sink...We also keep a smaller one in each car. I'd hate to lose something to a fire if I can avoid it...
My son recently had a similar experience, cleaning a small antique engine. He was using gasoline rather than kerosene in a plastic bucket, and the gasoline lit off with the engine partially disassembled (I think he was using a battery drill motor with a wire wheel, not thinking about armature sparks). He pulled the engine out of the flaming bucket, and dumped it on to the gravel on the side of the outside cleaning table.
His next move was a learning experience because in his haste he grabbed a water hose and thought it would put out the gasoline fire. The water atomized into steam diffused with gasoline, resulting in a fireball. The fireball mushroom cloud rising off the fire was not expected, even after years of Scouts and other safety training advising not to put water on a gasoline fire (they never explain what to expect).
His next move was for the dry chemical ABC fire extinguisher in the garage. He returned just in time to see the plastic bucket instantaneously melt and fall through the expanded metal table into the gravel below. The fire extinguisher quickly put out the fire.
The clean up and sorting through the gravel and plastic bucket blob to retrieve missing parts took much longer than the time saved by not getting safety solvent or kerosene (as opposed to the much closer gasoline can). Lucky, no more than minor 1st degree burns, a steam fireball shock, bruised pride, a long clean up, and a lecture (a continuing "listen up kid" lecture opportunity ).
Learn by doing, or by observing others, including mistakes.
My son was working on his fuel injected Camaro in my unheated garage in the winter time with a kerosene heater in front of the car (Illinois winter).
He unhooked the fuel line and turned on the ignition to check the fuel pressure. Blew a hose off of the gauge and fuel hit the heater. FIRE everywhere.
Yelled at the wife to call the fire department. Went back and pushed the burning car out of the garage. Finally found the fire extinguisher and put out the rafters in the unfinished garage. Outside to the car and got it out before the fire department showed up.
He lost the hood and wiring harness on the car.
I am not sure he learned anything.
I learned the hard way on a 67. Left the air cleaner off after a tune up. Jumped in to go to work and it back fired and then I saw the smoke. Lost the paint on the hood only.
A fire extinguisher is a poor investment if you never have to use it, but the best investment you will ever make if you need it. Also, learn the right way to use it.
This had become a very hot topic here. The basic rule is that you should never be more than 50 feet from the fire extinguisher in your garage. That means one extinguisher may not be enough.
2 crazy stories,
I was going to rebuild the engine on a fueling truck (about 6,000 gal). They brought the truck to the shop with the 6K tank empty. My son and his wife came over to get something out of the shop that was behind the truck so I said I would move the truck outside, it was about 9PM. I started the truck and was backing it out when it back fired and flames were going up on all 4 sides of the cab. I opened the door and jumped out, grabbed a fire extinguisher and ran towards the truck before the empty 6K tank had a chance to blow. Shot the extinguisher under the front end and the fire instantly went out. Another shop owner raced up in his truck with a extinguisher, but the fire was out. the fire only lasted about 10 seconds and was said that the flames went about 30 feet high.
Well I didn't check under the hood to see if anyone started to remove the engine. The fuel line to the carb was off and when the carb ran the bowl empty while the fuel pump was squirting fuel everywhere, it back fired because the carb ran all the gas out of the bowl and leaned out causing the back fire. I learned a big lesson that night. My cars (Vetts), machines, bikes, everything could have been blown to another town.
Other was a guy working under a car removing the gas tank with about 5 gallons in it. He brought a shop light under to see what he was doing and when he loosened the tank the fuel came out and hit the shop light and blew the bulb igniting the gas. Believe it or not, there was no damage both times because of the extinguishers.
10-26-2016, 02:21 PM
Fire !
Glad each of you are OK! I'm **** about fire extingushers. I have three readily available ABC units in my garage. Small, med, and large along with one in the car. 
Dennis
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