You better get you a fire extinguisher!!!!

[jkade]

Took the truck around the block yesterday to see if the fans where working right and to see how the new exhaust sounded, pulled back up in front of the shop and flames where coming out from under the hood. I jumped out and the grass was on fire from front to back of the truck. Luckly the water hose was laying next to it so I ran behind the shop and cut it on and ran back and put out the flames under the truck. After everything was put out I got to scratching my head and couldn't figure out why this happend, got my old man to watch while I cranked it up and he saw fluid coming from the front of the motor. The damn power steering hose had blew out of the compression fitting and was spraying fluid all over the header. If this would have happend while I was out on the road the truck would have brunt to the ground becasue I didn't have a extinguisher in the truck. I am going to get on today for both my trucks. Just a heads up guys, i don't want anyones trucks to burn up because your were dumb like me.

[Orange]

I think I have a picture of it somewhere, but the original spare tire jack spring will hold a fire extinguisher wonderfully.

Just wrap it with a small piece of heater hose to hold it tight, and then clamp the extinguisher with it.

(Assuming you don't have one like me).

DLB

[lpaine]

You were'nt being dumb, most of us would have taken our truck out same as you did and I can pretty much gaurantee most of us on here(myself included) wouldn't have an extinguisher in their own truck, either. Lesson learned, you probably wouldn't do that again-glad you didn't lose your truck.

[grayw0lf]

I have a fire extinguisher in each vehicle & each house & each garage.

I once sat on the side of I-65 trying to blow a fire out when the 2.5 burned a piston & threw oil everywhere on my old S-10. Now I have a 5lb extinguisher in the glove box of my C-10 & trunk of the Neon.

(This makes me think though, I should probably replace the oil pan gasket, as my headers are always coated in fresh oil).

My 1000th Post!!!!!

[dan42]

Make sure you know how to put the fire out under the hood as well - I tried to put a fire out under the hood of a truck that was by the side of the road, the fire wasn't very big but I couldn't get it out, and the truck burnt to the ground. There is a way to do it; I probably didn't do it right.

[Brock]

it might be over-kill but having a truck/car bar-b-que would cost more...Summit/Jegs (there are a few on Ebay that are cheaper) have a halon system used on race cars where you mount the extinguisher, run lines and install nozzels in the engine compartment that can be triggered by a pull handle in the cab. Pull the knob and the extinguisher goes off spraying the engine compartment NO MORE FIRE!!! I think they run between $200-$300.

[cdowns]

an extinguisher is a good thing to have but they are very limited in what they can do in thier 30-45second lifespan bigger is always better// something like a busted rubber fuel line you get the fire out and if the fuel continues to come out due to siphoning it will reignite and now the extinguisher is empty

[jkade]

Yep I am going to get one before I tear out again in the truck. I guess haveing one will be better than not having one. I just wanted to give you guys that don't have one something to think about because this could happen to any of us.

[Sequoyah]

Originally Posted by cdowns

an extinguisher is a good thing to have but they are very limited in what they can do in thier 30-45second lifespan bigger is always better// something like a busted rubber fuel line you get the fire out and if the fuel continues to come out due to siphoning it will reignite and now the extinguisher is empty

I think the point is that having one is better than not having one. You can't prepare for every possibility though...I'll give you that

I'll have one in my truck when it's on the road for sure.

[crzngmychvy]

Originally Posted by cdowns

...something like a busted rubber fuel line...

This happened to me about 6 years ago and I've carried an extinguisher ever since.

[Jerry Jones]

I have one in both of mine. May not be enough for the big fire, but I will give it all I got before it goes to the ground.

[72armyswbtruck]

Mine came with the original dealer optioned fire extinguisher, I replaced the fire extinguisher with a newer charged one and kept the old original one for later.

[72armyswbtruck]

Here is the Dealer brochure on the Fire Extinguisher

[AH619]

Thanks For Turning On The Light Bulb. Picked 1 Up Last Night And Installed Under Jack Handle Spring. Holds It Very Tight. Great Idea

[bouncytruck]

I've always carried one in my truck. I have it mounted to the kick panel on the passenger side. People always ask why I have one and I just remind them it's an old truck and it's better to be safe than sorry.

[michael bustamante]

same deal with me. I wanted to show off the truck to some guys at work. pulled up under the awning and saw flames shooting from the hood. ran inside grabbed the extinguisher on the wall.( thank goodness for osha regs for once) and put out the small fire. turns out my alternator was going out and shooting sparks. sparks landed on an old oil check rag tucked in the fender under the battery and cought fire. Take out them oily rags boys!!!

[Rokcrln]

Yes this is a very good idea! For the last 13yrs I have had one in my work truck and have used it several time on other vehicals. I am one of those guys that stops and changes tires and that sort of stuff but their is nothing like seeing a flame under a vehical in front of you on the freeway and being able to help out just in time. I would not have had one if it was not required by my company.

Now 13yrs later and I have been testing out Low Buck for a few days when I pop the hood in front of my house and see a small amount of gas sitting in the pockets of the intake manifold. So I reach inside teh cab and fire it up to see if I can find teh leak to fix it. Guess what I find it allright as teh entire engine flames up and sine this is not my work truck I don't have an extinguser. I run accross the lawn and grab teh hose and put it out. I then walk back to the shop and grab one of the FE I have all over the shop and put it in teh truck before I even looked for the leak. It has beed their ever since.
Don't learn the hard way like us, learn from us instead!

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[jkade]

Yep I went to wal-mart and bought a automotive one for like 9 bucks. Money well spent if you ever need it.

[Longhorn Man]

I don't have one in the burb yet, but I always have one in every car/truck I've ever owned.
Don't put it in the jack holder, that's a bad place. when there's a fire, you don't wanna be buisy farting around moving the seat, it'll jam up and waste time when ever second counts.
The passenger kick panel is a good place, as it the tranny hump in front of the seat, but i like mine on the floor, by the seat, on the drivers side, right inside the door.



Inspect them often too.

[ChevLoRay]

The old saying "Where there's smoke, there's fire" doesn't always mean what it says.

I fired my truck up one morning and it ran for about 5 seconds and died. It was strange. I popped the hood open, only to see smoke coming from the wiring harness on the radiator support. It was obvious that it was electrical and I didn't want it to become more involved. What to do, what to do....

The wire from the battery to the terminal on the right fender was glowing red. I knew it came from the battery, so it had to be a short. So, I started pulling on it by hand. Yeah, it was hot, but the scars healed and I saved my '69.

So, keep a good pair of pliers plus a fire extinguisher. In this case, an extinguisher would have been no help. As long as the electrical short continues to exist, wires keep smoking.

If I had seen that the battery wire from the alternator was grounding out on my header, I could have moved it and stopped the short. But my eyes were glued to the glowing wire and pondering how much wiring could be smoked.

A new harness for the lighting was all it took to fix that part. And a little touch-up paint. Oh, and the check from my insurance company was nice, too. They paid me to do my own work, minus the deductible of $50.

[Boog]

[The wire from the battery to the terminal on the right fender was glowing red. I knew it came from the battery, so it had to be a short. So, I started pulling on it by hand. Yeah, it was hot, but the scars healed and I saved my '69. ]

Yeah boy. I did that too. Once.

A man that loves his vehicle will use what ever he can find to put out a blaze be it fire extinguisher, dirt or the shirt off his back.
For an electrical short one of those battery cable ends with the cut off switch on it might be a real good idea. It would be far easier and faster to raise the hood and turn the power off there than to run around looking for a wrench to take the cable off. And there's the possible theft prevention.
Just for my piece of mind I disconnect the positive cable when I'm done with the truck for the night or weekend, etc. If it goes up so does my shop.
There are a number of things we all can do to help prevent the loss of our trucks, cars and homes.
Prevention should come first.

[vtblazer]

Originally Posted by jkade

Took the truck around the block yesterday to see if the fans where working right and to see how the new exhaust sounded, pulled back up in front of the shop and flames where coming out from under the hood. I jumped out and the grass was on fire from front to back of the truck. Luckly the water hose was laying next to it so I ran behind the shop and cut it on and ran back and put out the flames under the truck. After everything was put out I got to scratching my head and couldn't figure out why this happend, got my old man to watch while I cranked it up and he saw fluid coming from the front of the motor. The damn power steering hose had blew out of the compression fitting and was spraying fluid all over the header. If this would have happend while I was out on the road the truck would have brunt to the ground becasue I didn't have a extinguisher in the truck. I am going to get on today for both my trucks. Just a heads up guys, i don't want anyones trucks to burn up because your were dumb like me.

Good thing to remind everyone about.

Every old truck I drive has one, even if I have to steal it from another truck for the test drive.

I rember forgetting once...
Got so nervous I turned around and went home.

[xshadow]

fire can be hard on an engine

[xshadow]