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Glad to hear you got the fire out and it didn't comsume your car. A couple weeks ago, I posted a message on the ramva newsgroup about a bug I had seen. I'll repost it here as it seems approiate. About 2 months ago I parked in a lot next to a '71 Super Beetle. I parked next to it so I could check it out before going into the resturaunt. It was pretty nice, obviously loved by it's owner. Has the blue and white two-tone style paint job that seems popular now. One piece windows, fold back sun roof top, custom interior, and other things. Point is, someone spent some time/bucks on this car. Now, enter me, again, about 1 month ago. I went to the 'auto recycler' (read:junkyard) to look for some parts for my Fastback (the T3 tie-in here). On my way out guess what I saw just coming in the gate?? That very same bug. It had suffered an engine fire and was a total loss. It was apparent it had started in the engine compartment right around the carb as that whole area was a melted glob of metal now. The paint was black and brown and burnt and the entire interior was gone. It was truly a sad sight. I'd have to say a fuel line split and sprayed all over the engine causing the fire. The title of my post was: CHECK THOSE FUEL LINES! Just thought I'd reinforce the importance of replacing worn and old fuel lines. Your car's life might just depend on it. Regards, Tom Cloud '69 Fastback! '69 Bug >From type3-request@vwtype3.org Tue Oct 20 18:54:56 1998 >Received: from maria.yourwebhost.com (maria.yourwebhost.com [209.239.45.2] (may be forged)) > by smtp.yourwebhost.com (8.8.7/8.8.4) with ESMTP > id JAA11085; Wed, 21 Oct 1998 09:54:40 -0400 >Received: (from gregm@localhost) > by maria.yourwebhost.com (8.8.7/8.8.4) > id VAA07843; Tue, 20 Oct 1998 21:53:20 -0400 >Resent-Date: Tue, 20 Oct 1998 21:53:20 -0400 >X-Authentication-Warning: maria.yourwebhost.com: gregm set sender to type3-request@vwtype3.org using -f >X-AirNote: 1 >X-AIGTO: type3@vwtype3.org >Message-ID: <011501bdfc93$52039340$8b19dfd1@default> >From: "trainwreck" <trainwreck@pdq.net> >To: <type3@vwtype3.org> >Date: Tue, 20 Oct 1998 20:37:08 -0500 >X-Priority: 3 >X-MSMail-Priority: Normal >X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 >X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 >Subject: [T3] bar-b-que, Texas style >Resent-Message-ID: <"V3mo82.0.Yu1.rvJBs"@maria.yourwebhost.com> >Resent-From: type3@vwtype3.org >X-Mailing-List: <type3@vwtype3.org> archive/latest/5164 >X-Loop: type3@vwtype3.org >Precedence: list >Resent-Sender: type3-request@vwtype3.org > >OK this one does tend to ramble, be warned > >I went over to my sister's to fix the ignition switch on her bug. on the >way home I decided to take a little journey off the beaten path. I rounded >a corner and stepped on the gas and felt a horrible loss of power. I >glanced in the rear view to see white smoke coming out the back of the car, >and started thinking burnt piston,valve,bearing or something along those >lines.. but as I stopped the interior filled with black smoke . I grabbed >my daughter out of the seat next to me, got out and ran to the back of the >car, where I opened the hatch and the engine compartment lid. Flame shot >out, licking my headliner and driving me back from the car. we're out >sortof in the country and the ditches are pretty full, it's been raining >alot lately.. so I grabbed an old ammo box out of the back, dumped it's >contents out and started bailing, thinking to myself "don't throw water on a >grease/oil fire"(SPLASH) " you're gonna spread the fire and burn up the >whole car"(SPLASH) "Why oh why is my fire extinguisher at home in my >garage"(SPLASH) and then it was out. > the whole thing burned for maybe 45 seconds, but it seems like five minutes >when I look back >Mostly melted damage, a few wires, distributor cap, PCV hoses. my main >concern is the foam type air cleaner melted away and I can only assume it >got sucked down the carb. > to add insult to injury the wrecker driver dropped the car while backing >it in to my driveway, crumpling my right front fender.. so he only charged >me $40 for the tow (Christian wrecker service my ass) > > The culprit : there's a three inch rip in the fuel line between the Y and >the right carb. the other fuel lines were cracked( or maybe just baked) so >they all get replaced.. aside from a few wires not much was damaged that I >wouldn't have replaced in a major tune up except the plastic plugs on the >top of the breather box( as bastardized as my engine is I don't know if they >are FI leftover or if I really need this breather box) speaking of things I >don't need, why do I need the plastic spacers between the carb and the >manifold? if I lost them it would drop the carbs down about 5/16" and this >would shurely help with the fitting of an aftermarket paper type filter.. > >I think every thing is going to be OK, there doesn't appear to be any >meltings in the manifold, but the inside of the carb was a nasty mess. >cleaned up really well, so I'm going to try it , but I bought a rebuild kit, >just in case.. new wires and a steam cleaning and we'll see how it goes > >sorry about the ramble, but I feel better getting it out(cyber therapy) > >brandon > > >------------------------------------------------------------------- >List info at http://www.vwtype3.org/list or mailto:help@vwtype3.org > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com