Did you see that bronco on fire...oh, wait, it was mine!

[plothead]

this is a little long, but i must complete the grieving cycle.....<br>friday the 13th.....<br>some may consider this laymans justice, but a wacky tale none the less. <br>truck was running rough, changed the plugs and wires, cleaned the distributo cap. fuel pump was leaking and the fuel filter was old, so i got new ones. took those two items to the mechanic a couple blocks away because, in the end, work was too busy and it cost me less in time and money to have them throw these parts on than to do it myself. <br>around 3:30 PST, i went by and started her up, ran a little better, but not great. the mechanic then decided to adjust the carb and give it a little kick by puitting the ebrake on and holding down the break while giving it a lot of gas in drive. i cant say i loved that idea, but he felt the power was good and the problem was the carb was getting flooded and the engine was chocking a little. he made some adjustments to the carb and told me i probaly should rebuild it but also look for a new or proffesionally rebuilt one. after his power test, the truck kept dying and didnt idle well. i didnt like this either, and asked him if i should just get a carb now and throw it on, or if i could wait a week or so. he felt it was fine.<br>"are you sure its ok to drive?"<br>"yeah."<br>"so its ok to drive and deal with the carb later?"<br>"yeah."<br>"so i can drive it without a problem 'till i get a rebuilt or new carb?<br>"yeah."<br>uh, no.<br>so i got my reciept and went....about a block.<br>sure enough, the truck dies.<br>damn it. <br>turn it over. <br>nothing.<br>turn it over and give it gas.<br>noth...wait, is that smoke coming out my hood vents?<br>yeah.<br>hop out, pop the hood, FIRE.<br>and lots of it.<br>whole carb and intake manifold are aflame!<br>first thought, ugh, that isnt going out.<br>second thought, drop the hood and run. (i've seen WAY too many action films)<br>third thought, grab my keys before she blows.<br>grabbed the keys thru the window and ran about half a block away and called 911 (despite not having programmed the number, my cell phone was flashing emergency on the screen...uh, yeah, i knew that)<br>fire department is on the way, a crowd is starting to gather, and the smoke is getting blacker and little snippets of parts..errr, fire, are falling from the engine compartment onto the road...if they just get here in time to keep it from totally going up.....POP!<br>fire shoots out the grill, wheel wells, hood vents and up the dash!<br>conflagration!<br>now i am bummed. i've seen a car totaly on fire before...a complete fire ball. <br>my first break, suddenly its no longer flaming, just billowing smoke. <br>call the mechanic...<br>"yeah, my trucks on fire"<br>"what?!"<br>"on fire"<br>"where?!"<br>"on the corner (told him the street names)"<br>"i'll be right over"<br>i will say this. he came, he saw, and he felt bad, he was scared...<br>fire department arrives, the men hop out, and start...walking?<br>i understand being meticulous and assesing the situation, but walking?<br>soon enough they are spraying it down and they cant get the hood open...and out comes the axe!<br>i sprint over and say "NO! open the hood!"<br>after a little confusion and brief introductions i explain the hood latch. <br>they pop it open, put out the fire.<br><br>have it towed to the parents, and asses the damage.<br>pretty bad, but i'm ok and thats all that counts, right?<br>all wiring and dash eqiupment..gone.<br>carb, ignition, hoses, anything not metal and some metal, crispy.<br>hood, warped and schorched like the ghosts you find in the boneyard...<br>and the smell. all of it, terrible.<br><br>well, i needed to purge, sorry it was so long.<br>please see my following topic i am going to post about insurance claims...the man comes tommorow...i am covered for fire under comprehensive, my second break.<br>ty<br>cd

 

[Madgyver]

Sorry dude!! I feel you!

You're not the only one, someone here had their EB burn a couple of months ago and he even posted pics...

 

[rflud]

Wow - that mechanics going to pay. <br><br>I'm very sorry to hear about your loss. You tell the story very well. Well look at it this way, you can get new electronic gauges, a Centech harness, new MSD electronic ignition, glass hood with scoop and many other things for free. Just inform the mechanic it's cheaper than going to court.<br>

 

[DPM77]

Plothead, sorry to hear about that, and really sorry you had to watch it. <br><br>I had a Plymouth Duster that was prone to stack fires, had two of them. I have been carrying a fire extinguisher since.<br><br>Then last year, my father-in-laws chebby 3/4 ton puller had an alternator seize up and burn, he got the fire out with the help of a good samaritan and his fire extinguisher. It started up again. Took two whole extinguishers to put the damn thing out.<br><br>Armed with that info, I carry TWO fire extinguishers in the daily driver, and one lives in the EB. When I go 'wheeling I take the DD's second along with. <br><br>The small bottle FE's are cheap guys, get at least one, and put it somewhere easy to reach. They make clamp mounts that fit on rollbars really easy.<br><br>Good luck with the rebuild!<br><br>Dan

 

[Broncobowsher]

The mechanic may hold back a little, but most of them carry some business insurence in case of things like that. <br><br>Years ago we had a car stolen from the mechanic, we never paid for that tune up.

 

[broncoswede61]

Dang,there sure has been a lot of bad news on the board today.<br>I'm sorry about your rig

 

[71bronco]

sorry to hear it!!!! been there done that, and don't want to repair it again!! two amens on keeping a fire bottle handy. i know you realize it now, but alot of us probably take it for granted as a must need safety item. anyone who's seen the paint bubble up has learned that lesson......

 

[Guest]

this was in san diego? where? and what mechanic?

 

[YellowBronc]

I do feel for ya. Fire extinguishers are usually not thought of until needed. I too fell into that group some time ago. My damage wasn't as bad as you describe mainly from others close by with the FE. But I know how it wrenches at your gut when you can't do anything about what you see happening in front of you.<br><br>Good luck on the rebuild!

 

[jasondemitri]

one lesson my dad taught me was to carry a fire extinguisher in carbed vehicles. actually, he didnt "teach" me, i learned from his mistakes. lol. the extinguisher was the first thing i bought for the bronco.

 

[thesnake]

Sorry to hear about the loss. I had one a couple of years ago. Fired up the van for it's quarterly start and next thing I know, I have flames licking up to the windshield (dog house was off), mice had nibbled on the gas line and I'd dumped gas all over the carb while trying to start it and when it started then backfired, "fire"...got it out with no problem, but that makes you pucker a bit.<br><br>snake

 

[broncoswede61]

"Honey.....I've got something to add to my Christmas list....."

 

[74bronc]

Everyone who reads this thread, GO DOWN TO THE LOCAL WAL-MART AND PICK YOURSELF UP A FIRE EXTINGUISHER or ask santa for one. I don't go anywhere without my extinguisher. Fire=lots-o-money

 

[Jeep Slayer]

Man that sucks My heart go's out to ya, but like you said your ok the truck you can rebuild.<br>Good luck

 

[Blueoval4me]

A couple of years ago I had a similar thing happen to the 65 fastback mustang I then owned. Instead of running I opened the hood, grabbed a shirt and started beating the fire (stupid I know) Luckly for me a gas station attandant across the street ran over with an extinguisher. minimal damage. <br><br>Since then I carry an extinguisher in all old vechicles. In my bronco I have 2. One under the pasenger seat. A second small one in the original jack clamp under the hood. The small one has a plastic valve. If there is a fire it will go off and hopefully buy me time.<br><br>Somthing I learned in an airplane engine course I took. If a fire starts in the barrels of the carb (NOT A FUEL LEAK, a backfire) the best thing you can do is try and start the motor which will pull the fire into the cylinders where it belongs. It saves your carb, and it works.<br><br>Eric

 

[desertrat302]

Dude,that definitely sucks!! I can relate,mine caught fire Dec. 2nd,not as bad as yours though.I posted the story on my fire under the "You could call my Bronco a Blazer" thread. Good luck with yours bro,I'm going through the same thing,if I can help let me know.