Down In A Blaze Of Unglory - 914s on FIRE!, It can be pretty common, unfortunately. What causes the 914 to catch fire so easily, how to prevent it from happening and what to do if it does happen Options

[montoya 73 2.0]

I replaced my home extinguishers (powder) to CO2. I was talking with the local fire extinguisher place and he was telling me that halon is still available but is twice as much as CO2 these days. A 5lb. CO2 cost me 150.00 bucks and it should also work for gasoline fires as well as electrical.

[Dr Evil]

CO2 removes O2 and heat from the equation so as long as there is no constant heat source you can put out a class B fire. You can also use it to put out electrical fires, and it wont ruin what is left like the powder ones will.

[Drums66]

.....Pass me another hotdog.......mine got burned!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/bye1.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/poke.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/poke.gif)(&&&...the halon)

[gaspump]

Now you guys have me all shook up. I'm going to look at my first 914 tomorrow and it might catch fire. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) What plastic lines are we talking about? One's from the gas tank to the carbs or FI, or not? Or from the fuel pump to them? Oh well, I've got a lot to learn about these cars. If I get it, I'll post some pics. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

[Porschef]

The factory fuel lines are a combination of nylon and steel. Somewhere in the tunnel they transition from steel to plastic. They head out the firewall, make a left (go to the right as you face the car from the back), pop up out of the right side engine shelf through two black rubber grommets, feed the fuel system, and return excess fuel back to the tank.

It is just as they exit that shelf where the problem lies, right under the battery. I replaced mine with Tangerine's excellent kit, and it wasn't until I removed the factory units that I saw how rough and BRITTLE they were at that spot. How? During the removal process I had to bend the plastic there just a bit. It kinked easily, and upon restraightening, cracked. Did I figure if it was the feed or the return that was really shot? No.

Sometimes, when I'm wondering if something is worthwhile doing, I'll ask myself "would I give (in this case, about 215 bux for SS lines and enough R9 to do the job) to have my car not catch on fire and possibly be completely destroyed? To have it back the way it was for the sake of not doing a relatively easy job as a precaution?...

Why even waste time talking about how you'd extinguish a fire?

Pretty simple answer, especially when you see the possible effects. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/hissyfit.gif)

It's a nearly 40 year old German car. Expect it to need some updating.

Joe

[jim_hoyland]

Some fires look like there's nothing that will put it out.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads/post-643-1286303790.jpg)

[tumamilhem]

Damn. That's heartbreaking.

[Katmanken]

I really hope nobody is using cable ties to secure fuel lines.

First, they can't tighten as much as a screw clamp.

Second, there is this little thing called "creep" with plastics. Creep is where you load a plastic part and it deforms or 'creeps" over time to a relaxed shape. For clamped cable ties tightened on fuel lines, that means they elongate until the tension in them reaches ZERO.

Once you hit zero tension, you might as well have left them off for all the good they will do you.

As a cable bundler they work great. As a high pressure hose clamp, they suck.

[john_g]

Somebody send a photo of a good quality clamp, please?

[Katmanken]

Here is the one supplied in the factory recall to fix the flaming 914 problem.

Note that unlike regualr hose clamps that have flat sharp edges, these have rolled edges.

Seems that the combo of clamping the the old style sharp edged hose clamps into place embedded the sharp edges into the fuel hose, and as the factory fuel hoses expanded from pressure and time, the old style sharp edges cut the fuel hose resulting in fuel sprays and fire.

Here is a link to another thread.HOSE CLAMP LINKY

[nathansnathan]

I really hope nobody is using cable ties to secure fuel lines.

First, they can't tighten as much as a screw clamp.

Second, there is this little thing called "creep" with plastics. Creep is where you load a plastic part and it deforms or 'creeps" over time to a relaxed shape. For clamped cable ties tightened on fuel lines, that means they elongate until the tension in them reaches ZERO.

Once you hit zero tension, you might as well have left them off for all the good they will do you.

As a cable bundler they work great. As a high pressure hose clamp, they suck.

By "secure" I mean attaching them so a they aren't flopping around in the middle. For the ends, yes, I would use something metal.

[tumamilhem]

Not a good use of a 914 fire, but certainly more preferable than an unintended one. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif)

[tumamilhem]

Maybe he could part out the rest. Look like it's in good shape, save the George Foreman. :/

[Jgilliam914]

I had a 72 with a 1.7 go up in smoke and flames in my garage in 1986. The magnesium was put out by a foam fire suppressant. The sparks and the color of the magnesium burning was pretty and it popped like popcorn. I am thankful the car had only had a gallon of gas in it. It was up on stands at the time. The fire Marshall was called in due to the insurance co. thinking I torched it. I had issues with the starter not disengaging and he thought that the heat from that with the fuel lines so close one ignited the other. Until then I had a 9 yr old nephew who had been known to light fires staying with me I thought he may have playing with matches. What was funny about this is that the Insurance investigator who thought I may have torched it ended up being my father in law 26 years later

[914_teener]

I had a 72 with a 1.7 go up in smoke and flames in my garage in 1986. The magnesium was put out by a foam fire suppressant. The sparks and the color of the magnesium burning was pretty and it popped like popcorn. I am thankful the car had only had a gallon of gas in it. It was up on stands at the time. The fire Marshall was called in due to the insurance co. thinking I torched it. I had issues with the starter not disengaging and he thought that the heat from that with the fuel lines so close one ignited the other. Until then I had a 9 yr old nephew who had been known to light fires staying with me I thought he may have playing with matches. What was funny about this is that the Insurance investigator who thought I may have torched it ended up being my father in law 26 years later

Now that is a story so unbelievable it has to be true!

[tumamilhem]

I had a 72 with a 1.7 go up in smoke and flames in my garage in 1986. The magnesium was put out by a foam fire suppressant. The sparks and the color of the magnesium burning was pretty and it popped like popcorn. I am thankful the car had only had a gallon of gas in it. It was up on stands at the time. The fire Marshall was called in due to the insurance co. thinking I torched it. I had issues with the starter not disengaging and he thought that the heat from that with the fuel lines so close one ignited the other. Until then I had a 9 yr old nephew who had been known to light fires staying with me I thought he may have playing with matches. What was funny about this is that the Insurance investigator who thought I may have torched it ended up being my father in law 26 years later

Yeah, I've been wondering about this scenario. How does a car catch fire being parked and not on? Even if there is a fuel leak, there's nothing to ignite it. Concerned about mine in the garage now....

[VaccaRabite]

I had a 72 with a 1.7 go up in smoke and flames in my garage in 1986. The magnesium was put out by a foam fire suppressant. The sparks and the color of the magnesium burning was pretty and it popped like popcorn. I am thankful the car had only had a gallon of gas in it. It was up on stands at the time. The fire Marshall was called in due to the insurance co. thinking I torched it. I had issues with the starter not disengaging and he thought that the heat from that with the fuel lines so close one ignited the other. Until then I had a 9 yr old nephew who had been known to light fires staying with me I thought he may have playing with matches. What was funny about this is that the Insurance investigator who thought I may have torched it ended up being my father in law 26 years later

Yeah, I've been wondering about this scenario. How does a car catch fire being parked and not on? Even if there is a fuel leak, there's nothing to ignite it. Concerned about mine in the garage now....

Electrical short.
cracked insulators. Mice. Storm damage, etc. Hot wire touched ground and makes a nice spark or shorts and holds and heats up till it melts to slag. Hot enough to catch paper or foam or insulation on fire. Poof, car goes up.

Easy to keep that from happening though. Unplug the battery when you are storing it for a long time. no battery, no issues.

Compared to leaky gas lines, big electrical fires are rare. The gas lines are what you really have to take care of.

Zach