OK, here's part of a long story but bottom line is that the high temperature coating that Chris puts on the Tangerine headers may have saved my life & my car.
Huge fuel leak at speed on back straight at VIR was streaming fuel from the engine tin right down over the driver's side header. Got into the paddock unaware of the problem & pit lane worker was waving his hands behind me--"Shut off, disconnect battery--you're pouring fuel..."
As I exited the car & pushing up with my left hand on the sill it came up wet with gas--looked under the car & sure enough, steady stream of fuel pouring over the header pipe. Popped the engine lid & drivers side hell hole has 2 quarts of gas in it--full to the brim and overflowing--later discovered an errant cheese head screw with washer was perfectly blocking the drain hole.
OK, towed car off the pavement to the dirt in paddock & started investigating--injector o-ring on cylinder #2 was popped loose--more on this later with pics, but back to the point of this part of the story.
The point that the fuel was on the header is maybe 6 inches downstream from my EGT probe which was showing about 1300F at speed. Gasoline will auto-ignite at about 600F. I've noticed before that the coating on these headers really keeps the heat inside them compared to uncoated pipes. I'm speculating that it turned out to be a lifesaver for me in this case.

Do you have a dual EGT probe?

If so, shouldnt you have seen the diff in temps from the two sides?
I was just looking at Dual EGTs last night.

Glad it worked out OK!

Stu

I'm glad you didn't

Thanks for the reminder to check the fuel system often and have all the safety gear in good order.

Lucky lucky lucky...

I've got a 4-channel EGT--probe in each header --see the pics.
Probes are upstream from the leak area and anyway, no time to look at temps at VIR entering the "roller coaster" section with the engine sputtering--left hand out the window fist up to let folks know I'm pitting....

Ceramic coating is like magic.
I had my eurorace headers ceraminc coated and they could be touched while the car had been idling without immediately loosing skin to a burn. They got warm but did not pour off heat- and these were only coated on the outside. Chris coats inside and outside.

When I switched to uncoated exchangers the fist thing I noticed was the big increase in heat radiating under the car from the stainless pipes. the second thing i noticed was the blister when a wrench slipped and my finger touched the pipe.

Ceramic coated vs plain is a night and day difference for keeping heat in the pipe and not just warming up your engine bay.

Zach

Wow, scary. Glad it all turned out okay.

Those MGL gauges are cool. I installed one in a Type IV 912 with quad CHT.

"Those MGL gauges are cool."

I agree! I just looked and there is also a engine monitor model that does and extra temp send & a oil pressure.
All for not that much more than the Dual EGTs from the car places.

Scroll down to "E3 Universal Engine monitor"

http://www.mglavionics.com/html/infinity.html

It even mentions "914 engine monitor mode" I suppose that is because homebuilt airplane builders use 914 engines??

I wouldnt even need to buy the temp probes.
I can make those at work ;-)

Sorry for the Hijack


BTW - wndsrfr, do you have a fire bottle?
I was planning on one with three nozzles: One on the fuel cell, one in the engine bay, and one pointing at my crotch.
Now after reading your story, maybe TWO in the engine bay, one on each side? I'll have dual carbs so less threat of fuel all over the place.

Stu

A fine idea...especially getting a shot in the crotch!....have to look into one if I'm going to continue my manic DE affliction....

Integrated fire suppression is one feature I'll be adding to my car. Not really complicated and could save a bunch of $$ on a bad day.

I was going to put the fire bottle where my gas tank used to be.
(Fuel cell is where the spare used to be)



https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productde....asp?RecID=3431

$300 for peace of mind...

But still have the little hand bottle in the passenger compartment with me
That way if it is trivial, I dont have to waste a charge.

Stu

I think you had a narrow miss there, thank goodness.

Don't everyone else think you are safe if you have carbs. I have had a float stick open when reassembling a carb and had it pour fuel out the top when I switched it on. Fortunately, I always test the system when I have been playing with the carbs by turning the key to fuel pumps on and then check the engine before cranking. I also only do this kind of work outside and not in the garage.

Had I cranked it who knows what would have happened.

John

[quote name='FourBlades' date='Nov 29 2011, 02:30 PM' post='1580621']
I think you had a narrow miss there, thank goodness.

Don't everyone else think you are safe if you have carbs.

ALSO......BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR HELLHOLE DRAINS!! Keep 'em open--I don't think the fuel would have been getting on the headers if that drain hadn't been plugged by an errant screw that got loose during the assembly of the tin....

I used to agree with you. Now I'd rather spend 10 hours cleaning and be safe, rather than trying a small bottle, it doesn't work, and by then it's too late.

I remember the time I accidentally set a Pop tart on fire in the toaster oven and grabbed the dry chemical extinguisher. Filled the whole house with dust, and the toaster was trash. Mom was not happy. Halotron is the solution to that, no residue.

It is pricey to buy the extinguisher but only cost me $15 to get it filled. You've got to get an extinguisher with a brass or aluminum nozzle; the plastic-nozzled ones are not refillable.