Shop Safety (and Stude Safety).......... Are You Ready?

[DEEPNHOCK]

(I write this with a little trepidation.....)

Why is there a fire extinguisher in this picture from an hour ago?

Just had an 'event' while working on the Yellow POS.

Let's just say that there was a fuel leak....and a spark....and a fire.
It was a BIG fire (well, it sure looked big when it was 18" in front of my face.
The whole backside of the engine and firewall went up in flames.
I moved faster than I have in a long, long time.
Right to post#1 in the shop.
Never unlatched the fire extinguisher. Just ripped it right off the post.
Took the whole thing to get the fire knocked down and put out.
Then the hose came out and washing all the powder started.
After cleaning everything off the search started for the gas leak.

Now, I had just test started it to see how it ran with bigger new jets and rods in the new 1403 Edelbrock carb.
Ran great until it blew up...

In searching, I found out one of the two banjo bolt washers for the fuel line to the carb had broken and it folded over a little bit.
This allowed gas to spray out against the carb body.
I didn't see it or smell it as I was setting in the drivers seat.
But it must have leaked bad enough to get gas on the bellhousing, as that's where most of the fire was coming up from.

In retrospect (now that my heart rate and blood pressure has settled down) I am not real mad.
Not mad because there is very little damage.
Some burned wires down by the starter. A burned wire by the intake manifold.
The plug wires are nasty looking.
There's some soot damage to the underside of the hood.
The one cross bar burned the paint pretty good.

It's all fixable.

But it happened in the blink of an eye.
If it had happened on a test drive down at the end of the driveway? Who knows.
But it happened at the shop door.
And there are six fire extinguishers all at the ready.

One lucky guy. But being ready is part of it.
Are you ready?
Food for thought....
Jeff

[sweetolbob]

Lucky maybe but the old saying is "Luck is when planning meets opportunity" and it sure fits here.

Glad that not much damage was done and you survived without a Jim M. moment. Good deal.

In answer to your question, I have three in the pole barn, large like yours and three in the house.

Thanks for the reminder.

Bob

[mbstude]

Just ask Jim McCuan how fast and unexpectedly a fire can get out of control..

Glad you got it out and the CE only has burnt paint and wires. Could've been a lot worse.

[dean pearson]

Another good thing to have for such an occasion is a water extinguisher, the type you pressurise with air.
Add an 8oz.bottle of dish soap and you have foam.

Sorry for any damage to that beautiful POS truck Jeff

Dean.

[Noxnabaker]

WOWOWOW!... Like the hippies would say: "it's a sign, karma" or some sucha stuff...
But I only say "you're one lucky guy!!!"

[Chucks Stude]

So glad nothing happened to you! The yellow POS can be fixed, you not so much. You would look pretty strange without any eyebrows!! Ask me how I know..............

[COMMANDERPINK1]

Glad to hear things are mostly Ok. Another good advise is to check your fire extinguishers regularly to see if they are fully charged!
Tom

[DEEPNHOCK]

Well... Here's the worst damage, besides a few torched wires.
The spark plug wires are nasty, so they are going to be replaced.
The cross bar was surrounded by the fire and it is lightweight, so it got hotter, and the paint took the hit.
At least removableveable and can be re-painted.
Still need to clean up a lot of the firewall. cowl, and under the hood.
Lucky boy.... That's all I can say...

[mbstude]

Should've let the Chevy burn. Maybe this is your excuse for a Stude V8 swap?

[junior]

[QUOTE=DEEPNHOCK;692868]Lucky boy.... That's all I can say...

well, as my wife would say, don`t bother buying a lottery ticket today `cause you `bout used up all your luck. So good you`re not hurt and the CE is still basically intact. You can never be too prepared. Junior.

[Corvanti]

glad you're ok, and the POS isn't too bad.

when i pulled the '51 into the cave yesterday evening for the first time, i pulled one of my "car" fire extinguishers off the shelf - checked it was pressurized - and mounted it behind the driver seat (velcro will hold its frame)... i have always had one in my vehicles, old or new.

i never "planned" on having to use it - but used one on a engine fire on someone's '68 mustang around 15 years ago.

there is NO reason not to have one in your vehicle in a location you can get to it easily and away from wiring!!!

[Pancho]

This fire happenedin my engine compartment while driving down my street. I jumped out and quickly disconnected the battery. I fortunately had installed marine type disconnects with wing nuts on them. Ran back to the cab of my truck and grabbed the fire extinguisher and put out the fire. When I took the extinguisher in to be refilled the guy said it had to be pressure tested. They stamp the date on the bottle and this one had a stamp from 1968. I'm very lucky not to have lost my 1967 GMC truck. Don't leave home without one.

[Pat Dilling]

Thanks for the reminder Jeff, glad you and the truck are OK. In addition to home and shop, I keep an extinguisher in all our vehicles, where I can get at them quickly.

Pat

[parts2]

I also keep one in the Stude and the Jaguar..also have two in garage. You never know so I make sure they are recent and charged..

[63 R2 Hawk]

You made me go out and check all my fire extinguishers to make sure they are charged up, accessable and mainly, to remember where they are. Also made me think about the fact that I usually run 100LL aviation gas.........