Engine Compartment Fire
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New User
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 16
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From: Saint Joseph, Missouri
Engine Compartment Fire
This morning I was on my way to a neighboring town in my 1991 F-150 5.0, running fine. Then the check engine light flashed on & off once. I pulled over shut it off & opened the hood. I found a small engine compartment fire. All I had was one gallon of water for emergency use. That put out the fire. I got it towed home. All the driver side plug wires are burned so are a couple of vacuum hoses. Still trying to find the cause, and looking for ideas.
Cargo Master
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 2,171
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From: Denton, TX
My fuzzy recollection is that my Dad's alternator failed electrically. Which let the battery backfeed into it while he was indoors running an errand. Most of the damage was caused by the plastic piece drizzling down onto other things. And mostly in the middle and towards the passenger's side.
The location and damage of your fire sounds like an oil leak (valve cover?) onto a hot manifold. Or maybe a leak in a fuel line along that side?
I don't know how far back the recall for the cruise control deactivation switch on the master cylinder went...but it may be a suspect too.
Keep us updated!
The location and damage of your fire sounds like an oil leak (valve cover?) onto a hot manifold. Or maybe a leak in a fuel line along that side?
I don't know how far back the recall for the cruise control deactivation switch on the master cylinder went...but it may be a suspect too.
Keep us updated!
Freshman User
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 30
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From: Canadian Rockies
You have a 2G alternator in your truck, and they are hazards and prone to overheating, melting the plugs, and catching on fire. The swap to a 3G alternator is pretty easy, if that is indeed what happened.
That said, the location of the fire doesn't really match up with the alternator.
On the driver's side, there would be a fuse box and quite a few plugs/harnesses that could have been the source of an electrical fire. The power steering assembly is also there, and power steering fluid is flammable. Not comprehensive, just some thoughts on finding the source of the fire.
Though, to be honest, I've had power steering fluid poured right on hot exhaust manifolds, and never had it actually flame up.
That said, the location of the fire doesn't really match up with the alternator.
On the driver's side, there would be a fuse box and quite a few plugs/harnesses that could have been the source of an electrical fire. The power steering assembly is also there, and power steering fluid is flammable. Not comprehensive, just some thoughts on finding the source of the fire.
Though, to be honest, I've had power steering fluid poured right on hot exhaust manifolds, and never had it actually flame up.
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New User
Joined: May 2015
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From: Saint Joseph, Missouri
Thanks for the thoughts. Right now a friend and I are thinking that it looks like the hottest area would have been around the ignition coil. We think it may have shorted out/sparked and got an oil blow back fire started. I'll be going for parts shortly. Then I'll see if that was right.
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New User
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 16
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From: Saint Joseph, Missouri
Took it apart and replace burned parts. It stated right up idled rough and died. Wouldn't restart. Tried again about an hour it did the same thing. Started idled rough & died. I gt a friend coming over to look at it in the morning.
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New User
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 16
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From: Saint Joseph, Missouri
Ignition coil, spark plugs & wires vacuum hoses (everything that burned) have all been replaced. Adjusted the idle. I thought the truck was good to go. Took it for a test drive and the temperature gauge started climbing I made it back to the house, shut it down and walked to the front of it. Where I saw the water dripping I thought the water pump was done. When I got down and looked I saw the pin hole leak in my heater hose. I'll take care of that in the morning after one more trip to the parts store.
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More Turbo
Joined: Jun 2012
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From: Deepwater Mo.
If you plan on the 3G swap I would recommend getting the 3G alternator bracket off truck that has a 3G all ready mounted to it.....
I rigged my existing 2G bracket to support the 3G alternator and it is starting to wobble out the upper alternator bolt hole.
I rigged my existing 2G bracket to support the 3G alternator and it is starting to wobble out the upper alternator bolt hole.
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