[T2] Fwd: Safety Valve

[Erik Burtis]

That's a good story to remind us all to keep careful watch over our fuel
systems!  Glad it turned out OK.  The motorcycle valve is a great option
for fire control with no wires or extra brackets needed.

Erik
71 Westy

On Sun, Jul 29, 2018 at 12:36 AM, c.dreike <c.dreike at verizon.net> wrote:

> From Ron Dunn,
> Thought I should forward to the list.
> Chris
> 64DD Kamper Kit
>
>
> Try this on for size.
>
>
> A Safety Valve
>
> I stepped out the door on my way to work one frosty morning to the
> unpleasant surprise of a flat tire on my squareback. I thought about
> changing the tire, but decided to fire up Old Snoopy, my camper. It's nice
> to have a Plan B available in the driveway.
>
> Snoop hadn't been run in over a month, so I knew it would take a lot of
> starter grinding to fill the carburetor bowl. After a lengthy crank, with
> no response, I decided to look for a problem in the engine compartment.
> When I opened the door I was greeted by smoke, heat and a bright orange
> glow like a Saddamized oil well. I really had fired up Old Snoopy.
>
> The garden hose was only a car length away, how handy. You aren't supposed
> to pour water on a gasoline fire, but a fine spray will cool the fire, and
> reduce the amount of oxygen, taking away two of the three elements
> necessary for combustion. It worked at basic training in the Navy long
> before this car was born, it should work again. The hose was frozen, time
> for another Plan B, a small fire extinguisher mounted under the dashboard.
>
> A blast of white powder aimed at the fuel pump put out the fire, or so I
> thought. Some burning gas had dripped to the ground and was doing its best
> to set everything above it on fire. It took the rest of the powder to put
> that out. An anxious look in the engine compartment confirmed my worst
> fear; a small parcel of flame surrounded the fuel pump. It was time to use
> Plan C. With my hands over my face, I poked my head toward the base of the
> fire and blew for all I was worth. A cautious look between my fingers
> proved what the backs of my hands told me. The fire was out.
>
> A quick check of the engine revealed no serious problems, only burned
> ignition wiring and some smoke damage. I was lucky, Old Snoopy; my faithful
> companion for twenty-one years would live on.
>
> The cause of the fire was a break in the line from the fuel pump to the
> carburetor. The fuel supply was limited to what pumped out while cranking.
> If the line from the tank had broken, fourteen gallons of gas would have
> fed a fire way beyond the capabilities of any portable fire extinguisher.
> The cremation of an old friend would have been inevitable.
>
> The idea of a force-fed fire really bothered me. My thoughts centered
> about sitting around a campfire with the camper parked a short distance
> away. A small leak in the fuel line sends gas vapors slithering across the
> ground, below nose level, unnoticed—until they reach the fire. I had to
> find a way to prevent such a holocaust.I remembered seeing an automatic
> fuel shutoff valve on my neighbor’s motorcycle, a Honda 650 Nighthawk. I
> wondered if such a valve would work since the Japanese also use metric
> threads. It was an easy job to try a test fit, sure enough; the mounting
> threads are the same as those on my ‘70 model. A vacuum line opens the
> valve; fuel can only flow while the engine is turning. Opening suction is
> about one pound per square inch. There is a sump and a manual three
> position control, off, on, and reserve. The on position leaves about a
> gallon on call at the turn of a handle. With the valve in any position, you
> can clean the sump and lose only the fuel in the sump. The off position can
> be used as a security feature. No gas—no go.
>
> I found a used valve at a motorcycle salvage yard for $15.00. The part
> number for a new Honda unit is 16950-MA6-025; list price is about $110.00.
> That's a lot of money for a small part, but it's cheap insurance against a
> total loss.
>
> Mounting is a simple process since the valve just threads into the tank.
> Place the valve with the handle facing the front of the wheel-well and it
> can be reached without crawling under the car. A vacuum line from the
> intake manifold to the valve is the only additional installation required.
>
> The fire extinguisher was in my camper by chance. Several years ago I
> bought an old fastback for spare parts, the previous owner left the
> extinguisher in the trunk. The most logical place to put it was in my
> camper. There is plenty of room for a small extinguisher in the engine
> compartment, but you can't reach it if there is an engine fire. I mounted
> mine under the dash, the least likely place for a fire. There are now two
> extinguishers under the dash, on purpose, just in case...
>
> On Sat, 28 Jul 2018 17:02:50 -0700 "c.dreike" <c.dreike at verizon.net
> <mailto:c.dreike at verizon.net>> writes:
> > Bob,
> > You should have a valve with at least a 3/16" opening so as to not
> > restrict the gas flow.
> >
> > Chris
> > 64DD Kamper Kit
> >
> >
> > On 7/28/2018 4:50 PM, Bob Pratt wrote:
> > > Thanks Erik,
> > > What kind of shut off valve do you use? I saw one at the FLAPS
> > near by., but it was for a lawn mower. Do you think that's heavy
> > enough?
> > > Thanks again.
> > >
> > > Bob
> > >
> > >> On Jul 28, 2018, at 4:53 PM, Erik Burtis <ewdb92 at gmail.com <mailto:
> ewdb92 at gmail.com>>
> > wrote:
> > >>
> > >> I put the fuel filter and shutoff right near the tank outlet
> > using a bracket attached to the frame.  This limits the run of fuel
> > line that can leak uncontrollably.
> > >>
> > >>> On Fri, Jul 27, 2018 at 6:17 PM, Bob Pratt <ka1dza at verizon.net
> <mailto:ka1dza at verizon.net>>
> > wrote:
> > >>> Hi all!
> > >>> I finally got the engine changed from generator to alternator!
> > >>> The problem I ran into was when I pulled the generator out, I
> > noticed that there was only one thick spacer and two thin spacers
> > behind the fan.
> > >>> When I installed the two thick spacers the way it's supposed to
> > be, the fan bounded up tight against the back of the doghouse.
> > >>> I installed washers between the alternator mounting tin and the
> > doghouse.everything is turning the way it's supposed to now. I used
> > blue gasket material to seal the gap left over.
> > >>> Has anyone run into this problem?
> > >>> Also, does anyone have any thoughts about the placement of the
> > fuel filter and a fuel shutoff valve. I'm thinking about putting
> > them under the the bus up in the frame.
> > >>> Any suggestions?
> > >>> Thanks all.
> > >>>
> > >>> Bob
> > >>> _______________________________________________
> > >>> type2 mailing list
> > >>> type2 at type2.com <mailto:type2 at type2.com>
> > >>> https://www.type2.com/lists/type2/listinfo
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > type2 mailing list
> > > type2 at type2.com <mailto:type2 at type2.com>
> > > https://www.type2.com/lists/type2/listinfo
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > type2 mailing list
> > type2 at type2.com <mailto:type2 at type2.com>
> > //www.type2.com/lists/type2/listinfo
> _______________________________________________
> type2 mailing list
> type2 at type2.com
> https://www.type2.com/lists/type2/listinfo