Flaming hell!

[Ext User(sgam@hotmail.com)]

Had a bit of trouble starting my old car today. Got a funny electrical
drain somewhere. So I popped the bonnet, hooked up the jump starter -
and I'm glad I did. Pumped the throttle a couple of times, kicked her
over, and....

Whoomph! Rear carbie catches on fire!

Gets the heart racing to see that, I can tell you! Good thing the
bonnet was open!

Fortunately, I remembered a Jack Absolom show where he recommended warm
beer as a fire extinguisher - four stubbies later it was out, and
virtually no damage done. Thanks Jack, where ever you are!

Cheers,
Steve
(but PHH Solexes are *supposed* to leak - a little bit) ;)

[Ext User(D Walford)]

sgam@hotmail.com wrote:
> Had a bit of trouble starting my old car today. Got a funny electrical
> drain somewhere. So I popped the bonnet, hooked up the jump starter -
> and I'm glad I did. Pumped the throttle a couple of times, kicked her
> over, and....
>
> Whoomph! Rear carbie catches on fire!
>
> Gets the heart racing to see that, I can tell you! Good thing the
> bonnet was open!
>
> Fortunately, I remembered a Jack Absolom show where he recommended warm
> beer as a fire extinguisher - four stubbies later it was out, and
> virtually no damage done. Thanks Jack, where ever you are!
>

Good that there wasn't any damage but I bet it stinks:-)
I think you'll agree that fire extinguishers are a good thing to carry
in your car especially the red ones:-)



Daryl

[Ext User(OzOne)]

On Wed, 26 Apr 2006 19:27:55 +1000, D Walford <walford@iprimus.com.au>
scribbled thusly:

>sgam@hotmail.com wrote:
>> Had a bit of trouble starting my old car today. Got a funny electrical
>> drain somewhere. So I popped the bonnet, hooked up the jump starter -
>> and I'm glad I did. Pumped the throttle a couple of times, kicked her
>> over, and....
>>
>> Whoomph! Rear carbie catches on fire!
>>
>> Gets the heart racing to see that, I can tell you! Good thing the
>> bonnet was open!
>>
>> Fortunately, I remembered a Jack Absolom show where he recommended warm
>> beer as a fire extinguisher - four stubbies later it was out, and
>> virtually no damage done. Thanks Jack, where ever you are!
>>
>
>Good that there wasn't any damage but I bet it stinks:-)
>I think you'll agree that fire extinguishers are a good thing to carry
>in your car especially the red ones:-)
>
>
>
>Daryl
And especially with Solex and Webers.


Oz1...of the 3 twins.

I welcome you to crackerbox palace,We've been expecting you.

[Ext User(sgam@hotmail.com)]

Yeah, I love Coopers Sparkling!

Cheers,
Steve

[Ext User(Michael C)]

<sgam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1146042721.724152.110870@y43g2000cwc.googlegr oups.com...
> Had a bit of trouble starting my old car today. Got a funny electrical
> drain somewhere. So I popped the bonnet, hooked up the jump starter -
> and I'm glad I did. Pumped the throttle a couple of times, kicked her
> over, and....
>
> Whoomph! Rear carbie catches on fire!
>
> Gets the heart racing to see that, I can tell you! Good thing the
> bonnet was open!
>
> Fortunately, I remembered a Jack Absolom show where he recommended warm
> beer as a fire extinguisher - four stubbies later it was out, and
> virtually no damage done. Thanks Jack, where ever you are!

Surely beer would be the worse thing to put this out with.

Michael

[Ext User(eeviil inc.)]

Michael C wrote:
> <sgam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1146042721.724152.110870@y43g2000cwc.googlegr oups.com...
>
>>Had a bit of trouble starting my old car today. Got a funny electrical
>>drain somewhere. So I popped the bonnet, hooked up the jump starter -
>>and I'm glad I did. Pumped the throttle a couple of times, kicked her
>>over, and....
>>
>>Whoomph! Rear carbie catches on fire!
>>
>>Gets the heart racing to see that, I can tell you! Good thing the
>>bonnet was open!
>>
>>Fortunately, I remembered a Jack Absolom show where he recommended warm
>>beer as a fire extinguisher - four stubbies later it was out, and
>>virtually no damage done. Thanks Jack, where ever you are!
>
>
> Surely beer would be the worse thing to put this out with.
>
> Michael
>
>
But it would definitely be the best thing to drown your sorrows with
after watching your car burn to the ground.

Adam

[Ext User(sgam@hotmail.com)]

Well, you have to shake it up before opening. The carbon dioxide in
the foam does the rest. Trust me, it works - I still have a car.

Cheers,
Steve

[Ext User(Michael C)]

<sgam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1146099470.489875.313720@u72g2000cwu.googlegr oups.com...
> Well, you have to shake it up before opening. The carbon dioxide in
> the foam does the rest. Trust me, it works - I still have a car.

I saw a guy get his hair caught on fire up at bathurst when he got hit by a
flaming dunny roll soaked in petrol. His mates all emptied their beers onto
his head which did put out the fire. Still, I reckon a blanket would do a
better job with the carby.

Michael

[Ext User(ant)]

Michael C wrote:
> <sgam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1146099470.489875.313720@u72g2000cwu.googlegr oups.com...
>> Well, you have to shake it up before opening. The carbon dioxide in
>> the foam does the rest. Trust me, it works - I still have a car.
>
> I saw a guy get his hair caught on fire up at bathurst when he got
> hit by a flaming dunny roll soaked in petrol. His mates all emptied
> their beers onto his head which did put out the fire. Still, I reckon
> a blanket would do a better job with the carby.

beer is good for the hair, too, apparently.

--
ant
Vote in this year's Fugly Awards (better than the Logies!)
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[Ext User(Fraser Johnston)]

<OzOne> wrote in message news:q8gu4253cl1ja0q7qfor25c0c8rr9sqoo7@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 26 Apr 2006 19:27:55 +1000, D Walford <walford@iprimus.com.au>
> scribbled thusly:
>
>>sgam@hotmail.com wrote:
>>> Had a bit of trouble starting my old car today. Got a funny electrical
>>> drain somewhere. So I popped the bonnet, hooked up the jump starter -
>>> and I'm glad I did. Pumped the throttle a couple of times, kicked her
>>> over, and....
>>>
>>> Whoomph! Rear carbie catches on fire!
>>>
>>> Gets the heart racing to see that, I can tell you! Good thing the
>>> bonnet was open!
>>>
>>> Fortunately, I remembered a Jack Absolom show where he recommended warm
>>> beer as a fire extinguisher - four stubbies later it was out, and
>>> virtually no damage done. Thanks Jack, where ever you are!
>>>
>>
>>Good that there wasn't any damage but I bet it stinks:-)
>>I think you'll agree that fire extinguishers are a good thing to carry
>>in your car especially the red ones:-)
>>
>>
>>
>>Daryl
> And especially with Solex and Webers.

Or in anything Italian or England over 5 years old.

Fraser

[Ext User(Kev)]

sgam@hotmail.com wrote:

> Had a bit of trouble starting my old car today. Got a funny electrical
> drain somewhere. So I popped the bonnet, hooked up the jump starter -
> and I'm glad I did. Pumped the throttle a couple of times, kicked her
> over, and....
>
> Whoomph! Rear carbie catches on fire!
>
> Gets the heart racing to see that, I can tell you! Good thing the
> bonnet was open!
>
> Fortunately, I remembered a Jack Absolom show where he recommended warm
> beer as a fire extinguisher - four stubbies later it was out, and
> virtually no damage done. Thanks Jack, where ever you are!
>
> Cheers,
> Steve
> (but PHH Solexes are *supposed* to leak - a little bit) ;)
>


Of course if you had just dropped the bonnet closed the fire would have
gone out and you would still have beer to drink


Oh well


Kev

[Ext User(sgam@hotmail.com)]

Dunno about that. There's a fair bit of ventilation around the motor,
and I wasn't willing to hope that the fire wouldn't spread. $17,000
worth of Datto vs. $3.00 worth of beer...

Cheers,
Steve

[Ext User(Allan)]

<sgam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1146177810.970226.139370@v46g2000cwv.googlegr oups.com...
> Dunno about that. There's a fair bit of ventilation around the motor,
> and I wasn't willing to hope that the fire wouldn't spread. $17,000
> worth of Datto vs. $3.00 worth of beer...
>
> Cheers,
> Steve
>

I reckon you did the best thing, and thanks for the info about using Beer,
You never know when it can happen to you..
I don't even think a blanket would have done , i.e. is it was a side draft
carbie, like mine..
Well done Steve

[Ext User(Kev)]

Allan wrote:

> <sgam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1146177810.970226.139370@v46g2000cwv.googlegr oups.com...
>
>>Dunno about that. There's a fair bit of ventilation around the motor,
>>and I wasn't willing to hope that the fire wouldn't spread. $17,000
>>worth of Datto vs. $3.00 worth of beer...
>>
>>Cheers,
>>Steve
>>
>
>
> I reckon you did the best thing, and thanks for the info about using Beer,
> You never know when it can happen to you..
> I don't even think a blanket would have done , i.e. is it was a side draft
> carbie, like mine..
> Well done Steve
>
>


OK
a fire needs three things

fuel
source of ignition
and Oxygen/air
called the Fire Triangle

take any one of those away and there will be no fire

a blanket would snuff the fire immediately
closing the bonnet would work on a new car, but maybe not an old car
with a small engine in a large engine bay


shaking the beer would have done two things, cooled the seat of the fire
and smothered it so it couldn't get air

but the blanket would have been the fastest way

Kev

[Ext User(sgam@hotmail.com)]

Had I a blanket to hand, you're probably right. Except with the
sidedraughts, the fire got *under* the carbie, so dunno if I could have
smothered it that way.

Besides, in hindsight, the beer makes a better story anyway...

Cheers,
Steve

[Ext User(ant)]

Kev wrote:

> shaking the beer would have done two things, cooled the seat of the
> fire and smothered it so it couldn't get air
>
> but the blanket would have been the fastest way

but it would've wrecked the blanket.
So long as the beer was FourX or similar, it was a much less destructive
method.



--
ant
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