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Disaster strikes!

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Old Oct 24, 2023 | 12:39 PM
  #1  
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Disaster strikes!

I drove to Texas again to visit family. We had a wonderful time. I was on my way back, going through the mountains just south of Staunton Virginia when my truck caught fire.



That was an original padded dash in super clean condition. All the gauges were professionally restored. Radio was converted to play MP3s. The seat cover and steering wheel look OK.
Lesson learned: ALWAYS CARRY A FIRE EXTINGUISHER!
I don't know when I'll get around to working on this truck again. I have too many other projects going right now, but someday it will live again.
 
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Old Oct 24, 2023 | 01:37 PM
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That sucks. But you're OK, machinery can be fixed. Do you know what caused it.
 
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Old Oct 24, 2023 | 02:02 PM
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Sorry to here about that. But I’ll bet you’ll bring it back to life, and we’ll get to watch an interesting story unfold.
 
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Old Oct 24, 2023 | 03:38 PM
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Dude that blows! Sorry about that, any idea of the cause?
 
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Old Oct 24, 2023 | 06:28 PM
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Originally Posted by Crop Duster
That sucks. But you're OK, machinery can be fixed. Do you know what caused it.
When I added the carb spacer I wasn't able to get the metal fuel line to thread back into both the carb and the fuel pump, so I cut it in two near the carb and added a short piece of hose to connect them together. Either a hose clamp came loose or the rubber failed due to vibration. The two steel lines didn't line up perfectly, so the hose was under stress sitting still.
 
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Old Oct 24, 2023 | 09:18 PM
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Feel for ya and glad you are ok.
 
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Old Oct 25, 2023 | 12:33 AM
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That's terrible. I'm very sorry to hear that.
 
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Old Oct 25, 2023 | 01:26 AM
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Glad you're OK! Rubber fuel lines anywhere near the engine should be avoided. Too many folks tend to rely on them and get away with it. When my 69 Camaro SS had the rubber fuel line fail I was lucky a fire extinguisher was readily available. I have always had an extinguisher on board. My 66 has 2, 1 under each end of the seat.


 
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Old Oct 25, 2023 | 11:09 AM
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Ugh. Sorry to hear about that. I once bought a car that had been through a fire. Fuel line burst and sprayed the wiring. They are just parts. Clean what you can save and replace the rest. If you want to save it, you can.
 
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Old Oct 25, 2023 | 02:45 PM
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First and foremost, glad you're safe and sorry you had to go through that, @66v8baby

To others posting about keeping an extinguisher in the cab, what's the plan for getting chemicals where they need to go? I'm assuming that opening the hood during an active fire might be tricky.
 
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Old Oct 25, 2023 | 03:30 PM
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Originally Posted by dUb100
To others posting about keeping an extinguisher in the cab, what's the plan for getting chemicals where they need to go? I'm assuming that opening the hood during an active fire might be tricky.
If the fire is electrical and under the dash, it could be helpful if you are not in traffic on the hwy. Me, I keep my gas tank right behind the seat.
 
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Old Oct 25, 2023 | 06:05 PM
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Wow, that's a real bummer.
 
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Old Oct 26, 2023 | 02:24 AM
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Originally Posted by dUb100
First and foremost, glad you're safe and sorry you had to go through that, @66v8baby

To others posting about keeping an extinguisher in the cab, what's the plan for getting chemicals where they need to go? I'm assuming that opening the hood during an active fire might be tricky.
Standing back and wringing your hands waiting for help is an option. 1st line of defense is a lot quicker. At least you gave it a try. Totally a said situation what happened here. I only posted my pics so others can be prepared.
 
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Old Oct 27, 2023 | 10:02 AM
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Dang, sorry to hear of the misfortune.
It could happen at anytime to any of us with the lifespan of today's fuel hose.
I am in the habit of lifting the hood on my '77 to visually inspect fuel hoses after first-start for the day. I lifted the hood one morning after starting, and had a fuel hose spraying a fine mist at the inline plastic filter.
 
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Old Oct 27, 2023 | 01:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Christmas
Standing back and wringing your hands waiting for help is an option. 1st line of defense is a lot quicker. At least you gave it a try.
I completely agree and wasn't being facetious - I was looking for honest fire fighting tips!
 
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