P-GOG Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Hi guys, my '96 90 caught fire on Friday. I had driven about 50 minutes at a sensible pace to work. Parked up and within 5 minutes someone ran in and told me that black smoke was billowing from under my bonnet. I popped the latch in order to get the foam extinguisher nozzle under and got the fire inder control. Fire Brigade said an electrical fault had sparked. The main damage is around the breathers and rocker cover with the rubber muffler the main component on fire. My insurance co. Have said they will write it off - being a p reg and covered 177k. I'm doing a bit of fact finding and want to know if I should re build the engine or replace it along with a new wiring loom built off-site. My main questions; 1: how much damage to the actual lump will this fire have done? In terms of warping. Maybe I won't know until it has been stripped? 2: should I just get a re built lump put in or try and find a low mileage disco and strip that? 3: should I just walk away and buy another, let the salvage co. Find someone to restore it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orgasmic Farmer Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Depends on damage. You have given us nothing to work on really. Pics would help. From your description I reckon there is very little real damage. Nothing that a competent home mechanic couldn't fix for a few hundred quid and some free time. On the other hand it may be much worse than you make it sound. Has all the plastic on the inside of the buylkhead melted? Dash etc. Is there a hole in the aluminium of the bonnet? This would indicate a major fire and a fair bit more work. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sighnbox Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Terrible you poor thing ....Think Id still be crying now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 could be a chaffed loom behind cylinder head & over clutch housing has earthed itself after wearing the covering away then seeting the greasy/oil dirt alight, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eightpot Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 I repaired a severely fire damaged tdi a while ago, the flames were fierce enough to melt the bonnet and wings. No damage to the engine other than melted plastic clips, hoses, wires, filler cap etc. Best course of action is to remove the engine so you can check for damaged parts/gaskets etc and allow access to the engine bay to swap out your loom and any other damaged bits. Its possible the rear loom may be damaged as well, so check it thoroughly before connecting back to a battery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squaddiefox Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Small fires with plastic and rubber will make lots of smoke but actually do very little damage apart from wiring. Replace the loom and other melted bits and turn it over. See if it leaks. If it doesn't jobs a goodun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pat_pending Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Just be aware that Viton that's used to make O rings, seals and fuel lines releases hydrogen flouride when burnt. This can form Hydroflouric acid in contact with skin and it really is nasty stuff. You need to handle burnt components with care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Just be aware that Viton that's used to make O rings, seals and fuel lines releases hydrogen flouride when burnt. This can form Hydroflouric acid in contact with skin and it really is nasty stuff. You need to handle burnt components with care. This is pretty much a myth, it seems you need to be under 600psi of pressure and add just the right amount of water for this to happen. More info at http://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/fluoroelastomers.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pat_pending Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 This is pretty much a myth, it seems you need to be under 600psi of pressure and add just the right amount of water for this to happen. More info at http://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/fluoroelastomers.htm If it's a myth it's a fairly common one in the motor trade, I certainly saw plenty of warnings when I was involved with recovery work. I'll file it next to the one about mobile phones at petrol stations then . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tacr2man Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Other parts of the government take it quite seriously , its still a question when you take your vehicle to DVSA for a ViC ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 It surprised me (I seem to remember that haynes manals even had a warning about it), however I would say that the HSE would be the right people to know if this had ever happened to someone working on a fire damaged vehicle. Especially as treating the results wouldn't be something you could do with a standard first aid box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 certainly wear so form of non absorbent gloves when working on fire damaged kit, reduce the risk to ALARP [As Low As Reasonably Practicable] a term used in the aviation world Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squaddiefox Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 :/ I've never worn anything but my recovery gloves and worked with some pretty well burnt out motors and I have had no adverse symptoms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landrovernuts Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 Dapartment of Transport are up to speed with viton O rings. I can remember warnings about viton when I was working on the oil tankers, however our steam pressures and temperatures are well above the limits suggested above and can remember several people being treated for burns as this is what the viton does to the skin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.