Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 08:21:03 -0500
Reply-To: Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Another Vanagon Burns Up
In-Reply-To: <4756d7805033104316b5f5fc0@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
I don't know what they look like, I went to the link and didn't see a
picture. The clamps that come in our kits have raised ridges so as to
not cut into the hose. They are stainless. Ask yourself a question
would Ken tell you to buy a hose clamp from another list vendor? By the
way here is a link to my site and the part number for the kit is fuel1
http://www.vanagain.com/
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com
Brien Dews wrote:
>Ken,
>Do you mean these?
>http://www.volkscafe.com/vanagonparts.jsp?pa=p&p=1860358319&pct=680049311&ct=595981676
>
>Or were you refering to something else? I'm in the mids of replacing
>my lines now and don't want to use a poor choice of clamp.
>Thanks,
>Brien
>
>
>On Thu, 31 Mar 2005 07:10:23 -0500, Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>
>>This is why I list in my fuel line kit instructions to eliminate this
>>plastic fitting. They are seriously dangerous and can break at any
>>time. One of my customers had installed a remote starter. He was
>>sitting in a diner getting done with his coffee and thought he would
>>start the van and warm it up (winter). He could watch it from where he
>>was sitting. He saw it start and run for a while but by the time he got
>>out to the parking lot the van had stalled. He could smell gas and
>>looked underneath. There was a huge puddle of gas under the van. The
>>plastic fitting on the firewall had broken and the van ran long enough
>>afterwards to drench the hot engine with gas and put about a 2 gallon
>>puddle on the ground. Fortunately it didn't start a fire, but you may
>>not be that lucky.
>>
>>Here is an easy check for fuel line replacement. Go out to your Vanagon
>>and look under the engine lid. Do you see really old and rusty clamps
>>at the injectors? They are original and you need to replace the line
>>and clamps. Do you see nice looking blue spring clamps? They are crap
>>and leak worse then the old rusty ones, replace them now! If you don't
>>believe me about the blue clamps, just run your finger under the bottom
>>of the fuel rail where the rubber lines meet the plastic fuel rail. Do
>>you feel something sticky? It is residue from gas leaking out and then
>>drying up over a long period of time. Replace fuel lines now!
>>
>>Ken Wilford
>>John 3:16
>>www.vanagain.com
>>
>>Don in North Carolina wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>I tend to be suspect of any plastic fitting in the fuel system, simply
>>>because the fuel the engineers designed it for no longer exists. In ~20
>>>years, we have some totally new additives (MTBE comes to mind) that the
>>>existing plastics were never tested with. This may explain the fact that
>>>they are now very delicate and fragile.
>>>
>>>And I'll stay with my fiberglass hatch cover. Fiberglass is an
>>>insulator,
>>>and should help keep the interior damage down (providing the fire doesn't
>>>burn too long!). I think the reason people wanted to get rid of the
>>>fiberglass covers is the misconception that they were plastic. A plastic
>>>cover would be a very BAD idea...
>>>
>>>Don in Reidsville, NC
>>>1988 Vanagon GL (Sylvia)
>>>"I reject your reality and substitute my own." - Adam Savage
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>From: "MilosKitchen" <sagmoore@ZOOMINTERNET.NET>
>>>To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>>>Sent: Wed 30 March 2005 19:26
>>>Subject: Re: Another Vanagon Burns Up
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Hi Budd,
>>>>
>>>>Along with the fuel lines, please don't forget the nylon firewall
>>>>fitting
>>>>(white, or now yellow, it points down at the engine at a 45 degree
>>>>angle,
>>>>mounted about the mid span of the firewall) with the fuel supply
>>>>pressure
>>>>hoses attached. It really can be broken with the greatest of ease :(
>>>>as I
>>>>found out doing my engine conversion. Please change it too.
>>>>
>>>>Dave Milo
>>>>
>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On
>>>>Behalf Of
>>>>Budd Premack
>>>>Sent: Wednesday, March 30, 2005 7:02 PM
>>>>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>>>Subject: Re: Another Vanagon Burns Up
>>>>
>>>>As long as you are replacing the fuel lines, or even if you don't,
>>>>replace
>>>>the fiberglass engine cover with a metal one. AFAIK, all of the air
>>>>cooled
>>>>Vanagons had metal engine covers, so if you can find a 1980-3 Vanagon
>>>>(which
>>>>is not owned by a fellow Listee), you can get a metal cover.
>>>>
>>>>If a fire does start, it should stay in the engine compartment, or at
>>>>least
>>>>spread slowly enough that you get a chance to use your fire
>>>>extinguisher.
>>>>(You all do have one of those on board, don't you?)
>>>>
>>>>Keep your original fiberglass cover to reuse when (if) you ever shift
>>>>into
>>>>another van.
>>>>
>>>>We had a 73 Bug with an engine fire, which burned for 5-10 minutes
>>>>before
>>>>the Big Red Truck arrived to extinguish it. The metal firewall
>>>>behind the
>>>>rear seat kept the conflagration away from the passenger compartment.
>>>>After
>>>>the engine wiring and all engine compartment plastic and rubber items
>>>>were
>>>>replaced, it was almost as good as new. Even the smoke smell disipated
>>>>after a few months. It could have used a bit of soot cleaning on the
>>>>rear
>>>>paint, though.
>>>>
>>>>Budd Premack
>>>>88 Wolfsburg, etc.
>>>>Land of Sky-Blue Waters (and yellow flames)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>
>
>
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