Whoa, check this out! - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

Jebb1978 · 03-15-2010, 03:15 AM

So I'm driving to work yesterday and if I haven't mention it before my truck's suspension rides like a diving board. Anyways in the middle of down town Phoenix rush hour in the far left lane I hit a pot hole, which of course rattled the entire truck like crazy. Well I guess the ol battery tray must have been a bit on the rusty side becaue it gave out completely. As it crumbled it sent the battery in to the fan at driving RPM which caused a sort of explosion. It took me about 2 minuets to get pulled off the road with a cab full of toxic burning battery acid smoke. I was able to pop the hood and let the smoke clear, then limp it to work. It even started after work to drive home slowly and carefully (those die hards really do die hard). This is the carnage, the engine compartment is decomposing before my eyes. I sprayed it with water and baking soda to stop it for now, I guess we will be detailing the engine compartment earlier than I had anticiapted.

petey-pablo · 03-15-2010, 04:33 AM

Wow your lucky thats all that happen. It could have been a lot worse maybe even cought on fire.

72armyswbtruck · 03-15-2010, 04:38 AM

Oh wow, what a wonderful time your gonna have cleaing it all up.

68Stepbed · 03-15-2010, 08:49 AM

Shyguy · 03-15-2010, 10:01 AM

Darn the luck! I am glad that is all the damage that happened and that you are ok.

I better check the battery trays in my trucks to be safe.

Danny

Hellbent · 03-15-2010, 10:09 AM

No doubt! I'm rechecking my tray tonight... Sorry this happened to you, man that sucks.

pmpski_1 · 03-15-2010, 10:49 AM

wow.

big_al_71 · 03-15-2010, 12:22 PM

OMG!!!!!! I have seen some stuff in my lifetime but never something like this....

**Boog** · 03-15-2010, 12:57 PM

I remember a guy who once bungie strapped a battery to the top of is stock air cleaner lid. Drove it for months like that. If I'd done that it would have been a disaster.

Yessir you've got some cleanup to do on that one. As far as I know baking soda is about the best thing to neutralize acid.

ShredSled · 03-15-2010, 03:44 PM

Yikes! what a fiasco! Glad you're alright though!

I've seen batteries explode in the shop and blast giant dents into the hoods of newer cars, but never while driving!

Longhorn Man · 03-15-2010, 04:31 PM

You'll want to clean every part there is under there. Don't forget to clean between the outer sheet metal and the inner sheet metal, like the hood and hood braces, fender and inner fender, then the cross member... you'll need to spend a solid 2 days to get it all properly.

Sinister · 03-15-2010, 04:57 PM

That's pretty gnarly. Good luck with the clean up.

big mike71 · 03-15-2010, 07:29 PM

Will you have to change your belt and hoses?

Jebb1978 · 03-18-2010, 12:26 AM

The plan is to pull the entire front end appart and call it "an oppertunity" to clean up the engine compartment. On the list of things to replace is valve covers, air cleaner, belts and hoses. I was going to replace the quadrajet before emmisions time anyways, it's green now so, I guess that is another "oppertunity". It was on the list of thing to do but way down the list. We are moving in a couple weeks so packing everything I own has to come first. After that I think I am going to just tear the front fenders and all off it. I may even yank the motor. I do plan to stip everything to bare metal and do it right. Maybe I will add on to this thread when I do it and update with pics and everything. It sure could have been worse, I feel blessed that it didn't catch fire.

spinem · 03-18-2010, 12:54 AM

wow sorry to hear that man. i feel for ya. doller store/99c store sells baking soda! haha

Jacfourteen · 03-18-2010, 01:57 AM

I had something similar happen to mine. I was driving up a steep dirt road and hit a pot hole, I heard a bang and didn't think much of it. I parked my truck for about 30 minutes then started to drive home. At every stop sign when I hit the gas it would cut out for a second and the tach would start jumping around. About the 5th stop sign it did the same and then made a huge backfire, died and started smoking. I jumped out and popped the hood and the battery was laying upside down with the pos terminal on the header. It was throwing sparks and the cables were melted and smoking. I realized that I never put the hold down back in after swapping batteries. This happened around new years and it's still running with the melted cables and the same battery....I need to change all that out and put the hold down on now that I think of it.

AusTx68 · 03-18-2010, 10:50 AM

Might was well use this opportunity to move the battery to the frame under the bed.

03-15-2010, 03:15 AM	#1
Jebb1978 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Mesa,Az Posts: 3,713	Whoa, check this out! So I'm driving to work yesterday and if I haven't mention it before my truck's suspension rides like a diving board. Anyways in the middle of down town Phoenix rush hour in the far left lane I hit a pot hole, which of course rattled the entire truck like crazy. Well I guess the ol battery tray must have been a bit on the rusty side becaue it gave out completely. As it crumbled it sent the battery in to the fan at driving RPM which caused a sort of explosion. It took me about 2 minuets to get pulled off the road with a cab full of toxic burning battery acid smoke. I was able to pop the hood and let the smoke clear, then limp it to work. It even started after work to drive home slowly and carefully (those die hards really do die hard). This is the carnage, the engine compartment is decomposing before my eyes. I sprayed it with water and baking soda to stop it for now, I guess we will be detailing the engine compartment earlier than I had anticiapted. __________________ 1959 GMC project

03-15-2010, 04:33 AM	#2
petey-pablo "THE GREEN GOBLIN" Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Fremont Ca. Posts: 1,025	Re: Whoa, check this out! Wow your lucky thats all that happen. It could have been a lot worse maybe even cought on fire. __________________ Petey-pablo "THE GREEN GOBLIN" 1972 Cheyenne 10 Short Fleet Side Front 2.5inch Spindles with 2inch Springs Rear 4inch drop Springs. 454BBC TH400,Posi 1971 Cheyenne 10 Long Fleet Side 454BBC TH350,Posi Sold Drive it like you stole it! Petey-pablo@sbcglobal.net

03-15-2010, 04:38 AM	#3
72armyswbtruck Registered User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Idaho Posts: 4,033	Re: Whoa, check this out! Oh wow, what a wonderful time your gonna have cleaing it all up. __________________ "Remember, They can Kill You, but they can't eat You, That's against the law!!!!!!!!!"

03-15-2010, 08:49 AM	#4
68Stepbed Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: 10-Uh-See Posts: 5,609	Re: Whoa, check this out! __________________ Matt 68 C10 stepside, LS1/700R4, TCI Engineering suspension system

03-15-2010, 10:01 AM	#5
Shyguy Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Southeast Missouri Posts: 2,436	Re: Whoa, check this out! Darn the luck! I am glad that is all the damage that happened and that you are ok. I better check the battery trays in my trucks to be safe. Danny __________________ '67 Chevy C-20 short stepper - build complete, 454/SM-465. '75 C-30 Single Cab DRW-350 small block/NP-435. '77 GMC-6500 Dump Truck, 427 Tall Deck. '92 GMC K-3500 Duallie, 454/4L80E.

03-15-2010, 10:09 AM	#6
Hellbent Don't blame the messenger Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Summerville, SC Posts: 318	Re: Whoa, check this out! No doubt! I'm rechecking my tray tonight... Sorry this happened to you, man that sucks. __________________ On the Level Just a guy with a hammer and a grinder. OH!, and an HOA- enough said...: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=372525 "Some drink from the fountain of knowledge while others just gargle."

03-15-2010, 10:49 AM	#7
pmpski_1 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Seattle WA Posts: 505	Re: Whoa, check this out! wow. __________________ Curry in a Hurry: SB rebuild for my 71 C20

03-15-2010, 12:22 PM	#8
big_al_71 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: South Florida Posts: 11,375	Re: Whoa, check this out! OMG!!!!!! I have seen some stuff in my lifetime but never something like this.... __________________ Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please!!!!!. Sylvester's build thread >>>http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...ht=big+rebuild

03-15-2010, 12:57 PM	#9
Boog laying low Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Searcy, Ark. USA Posts: 13,531	Re: Whoa, check this out! I remember a guy who once bungie strapped a battery to the top of is stock air cleaner lid. Drove it for months like that. If I'd done that it would have been a disaster. Yessir you've got some cleanup to do on that one. As far as I know baking soda is about the best thing to neutralize acid. __________________ Boog 69 Chevy stepside, 358/T350, 4.11 posi, 4.5/4 drop, rallys, poboy driver primer is finer 91 Chevy sportside, Tahoe, Yukon & GMC Crewcab All GM..'nuff said. I stand for the flag and kneel at the cross

03-15-2010, 03:44 PM	#10
ShredSled Registered User Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Michigan Posts: 159	Re: Whoa, check this out! Yikes! what a fiasco! Glad you're alright though! I've seen batteries explode in the shop and blast giant dents into the hoods of newer cars, but never while driving! __________________ get it!

03-15-2010, 04:31 PM	#11
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,690	Re: Whoa, check this out! You'll want to clean every part there is under there. Don't forget to clean between the outer sheet metal and the inner sheet metal, like the hood and hood braces, fender and inner fender, then the cross member... you'll need to spend a solid 2 days to get it all properly.

03-15-2010, 04:57 PM	#12
Sinister Between Trucks... Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA. Posts: 3,830	Re: Whoa, check this out! That's pretty gnarly. Good luck with the clean up. __________________ Beat it to fit, Paint it to match...

03-15-2010, 07:29 PM	#13
big mike71 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: independence mo Posts: 2,111	Re: Whoa, check this out! Will you have to change your belt and hoses? __________________ I'm not as good as I once was, But I'm as good once as I ever was.

03-18-2010, 12:26 AM	#14
Jebb1978 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Mesa,Az Posts: 3,713	Re: Whoa, check this out! The plan is to pull the entire front end appart and call it "an oppertunity" to clean up the engine compartment. On the list of things to replace is valve covers, air cleaner, belts and hoses. I was going to replace the quadrajet before emmisions time anyways, it's green now so, I guess that is another "oppertunity". It was on the list of thing to do but way down the list. We are moving in a couple weeks so packing everything I own has to come first. After that I think I am going to just tear the front fenders and all off it. I may even yank the motor. I do plan to stip everything to bare metal and do it right. Maybe I will add on to this thread when I do it and update with pics and everything. It sure could have been worse, I feel blessed that it didn't catch fire. __________________ 1959 GMC project

03-18-2010, 12:54 AM	#15
spinem haha, ford guys... Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Visalia, CA Posts: 576	Re: Whoa, check this out! wow sorry to hear that man. i feel for ya. doller store/99c store sells baking soda! haha



Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.

03-18-2010, 01:57 AM	#16
Jacfourteen Big Red - Now its a SWB! Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Oroville, Ca Posts: 1,624	Re: Whoa, check this out! I had something similar happen to mine. I was driving up a steep dirt road and hit a pot hole, I heard a bang and didn't think much of it. I parked my truck for about 30 minutes then started to drive home. At every stop sign when I hit the gas it would cut out for a second and the tach would start jumping around. About the 5th stop sign it did the same and then made a huge backfire, died and started smoking. I jumped out and popped the hood and the battery was laying upside down with the pos terminal on the header. It was throwing sparks and the cables were melted and smoking. I realized that I never put the hold down back in after swapping batteries. This happened around new years and it's still running with the melted cables and the same battery....I need to change all that out and put the hold down on now that I think of it. __________________ 68 3/4 ton (Project)-350 Small Block, .030 over, 10:1 comp, 3998993 heads, C3BX edelbrock intake, comp cams XE268, Holley 670 SA, long tube headers, dual flow 40's, E-fan, Alum rad, currently under the knife getting shortened and bagged build thread 41 3/4 ton (wife's)-flatbed, fully restored to original 01 Tahoe LT 4WD (my daily driver)-Magnaflow Muffler, Rollin on 22's 02 Ford Mustang Convertable (Wife's Car)-Flowmaster 50, Clear corners, Intake, sittin on 18's

03-18-2010, 10:50 AM	#17
AusTx68 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Italy Posts: 1,278	Re: Whoa, check this out! Might was well use this opportunity to move the battery to the frame under the bed. __________________ '68 C-10 SWB 383 Stroker (Sold 3/2/2013) '87 R2500 LWB 454 TBI converted to Carb

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.