The "Smokin' Deal 57" thread surfaced a basic fear: a Corvette fire. We all know how poorly our plastic cars hold up to flame.
I found this webpage that offers one mechanic's perspective about car fires in general:Car Fires: Causes, Prevention and What to Do
This looks like good advice, but tapping into the considerable experience on this Forum, what have you seen to be the top causes of Corvette fires? Are there risks unique to Corvette we should know about?
I'm not a professional automotive tech nor an expert, but here are causes of Corvette fires (or close calls) I've seen over the years:
- Fuel leaks caused by poor maintenance or modifications:
- Wheel bearing failure, due to lack of maintenance, wear, or improper adjustment/set-up.
- Over-heated catalytic converter, caused by internal restriction or engine misfire.
- Gassing battery caused by malfunctioning charging system or defective battery, and exacerbated in C3s when the battery compartment isn’t properly vented.
- Hazardous garage. Two examples that come in mind involved improperly stored gasoline and sub-standard electrical wiring. Garage fires spread quickly because a lot of our man cave stuff is also good kindling for our Corvette.
But other than maybe trailing arm bearings and enclosed C3 batteries, none of the above are really unique to Corvette.
What have you seen?
I found this webpage that offers one mechanic's perspective about car fires in general:Car Fires: Causes, Prevention and What to Do
This looks like good advice, but tapping into the considerable experience on this Forum, what have you seen to be the top causes of Corvette fires? Are there risks unique to Corvette we should know about?
I'm not a professional automotive tech nor an expert, but here are causes of Corvette fires (or close calls) I've seen over the years:
- Fuel leaks caused by poor maintenance or modifications:
- Unsafe fuel line mods, especially the pressurized segment downstream from the pump. That’s why I cringe when I see a carbureted engine with the factory steel fuel line cut/spliced to add an aftermarket in-line filter. There's a reason the factory avoids rubber fuel line downstream of the pump- they seem to rupture, leak or come loose too easily.
- Leaking fuel line connections, especially at the carb inlet. I've seen incorrect, missing, or re-used gaskets; threads damaged from being over tightened; flares poorly seated because sealer or tape is used. Plus they’re easy to cross-thread.
- Ruptured or leaking factory rubber fuel lines. The rubber connector lines near the fuel tank and pump are often unnoticed and neglected.
- Needle, seat, float failure from age, using the wrong part, improper installation/adjustment.
- Wheel bearing failure, due to lack of maintenance, wear, or improper adjustment/set-up.
- Over-heated catalytic converter, caused by internal restriction or engine misfire.
- Gassing battery caused by malfunctioning charging system or defective battery, and exacerbated in C3s when the battery compartment isn’t properly vented.
- Hazardous garage. Two examples that come in mind involved improperly stored gasoline and sub-standard electrical wiring. Garage fires spread quickly because a lot of our man cave stuff is also good kindling for our Corvette.
But other than maybe trailing arm bearings and enclosed C3 batteries, none of the above are really unique to Corvette.
What have you seen?
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