A Lark for Jeff Rice?

Cute lil' bugger.... Jeff

"Pat Drnec" wrote...

About as interesting as our find this weekend on my truck

The heater hoses aren't going to the heater core... they're going to the air conditioning. Lee

I see you have the Jim Turner grounding system on that truck Jeff

"Lee Aanderud" wrote..

Can't have too many ground wires... and make sure they're red so they're easy to find.

The best thing we can do with this truck is... "start over". We've found some interesting things in this truck... best so far is the fiberglass saddle tanks that sat on top of and were partially supported by the exhaust pipes... one burned/melted through.

Lee

Good idea? Handled a total loss motorhome fire at a Shell station in Canmore, Alberta. California family rolled up to the pumps in a large Dodge chassis'd motorhome. The 12yr old son wanted to fill the tanks up so dad said ok and departed for the store/checkout. Son started to holler, mother came running out of the motorhome. Here was junior holding the pump hose to the filler pipe with a blue flame around his hands. Mother smartly tells him to stop pumping and get away from the hose.

Motorhome catches fire and is destroyed right down to the pavement. Pump island destroyed too but luckily the FD got there to prevent the spread of fire to other pumps or the building. The tank was a fibreglass saddle tank unit.

In the course of my investigation found out that the FTSA in the US specified only that gas tanks had to survive a rollover accident that would preclude rupture of the tank. I checked a number of motorhome manufacturers and that's all they had to adhere to for regulations.

The cause of the fire was a spark. The spark came from static electricity that built up as the fuel was pumped into the f/g tank. The static rose to the filler pipe entry and jumped to the nearest ground - the pump handle. That ignited the fumes and bye-bye motorhome. There was no requirement by the FTSA to ground fibreglass tanks. Most saddle tanks in p/u trucks are f/g and you should make sure they are grounded!!

Brooksie

I think that I might repaint the T-Cab yellow... I have some paint left from the old International project.

Yeah... That's the ticket!

JT

Pat Drnec wrote:

How do you ground fiberglas???

JT

You don't - you ground a metal filler pipe so static can be controlled and not travel up to the filler neck where the gas fumes will ignite. My point was that fibreglass tanks should not be used at all but the FTSA said it only had to survive a rollover and not rupture. Since you can't ground the tank, the static travels to the nearest ground which is the metal nozzle on the pump hose. Mixed with a little air and the fumes - POOF!! a fire.

Brooksie

HHMMMMMM

Walt came down to Tucs>

I think that most new cars have plastic gas tanks these days. Is this so in Canada?

JT

(Who prefers good ol' iron anytime!)

Brooksie wrote:

Plastic &/or fiberglass are used for saddle tanks (auxiliary) but most tanks are still metal AFAIR but I haven't been under a new car in years. The last time was trying to find out why the transmission in our 97 Sebring was spread all over the parking lot. Pinion shaft right through the case. Chrysler denied there was any problem with those units but then they're the same outfit that told me they'd cancel my warranty if I didn't allow the dealership to "dust" my disc brakes. Yeah, right.

Brooksie

I had an '81 Jeep Grand Wagoneer, and it had a plastic fuel tank, factory installed. Tank never rusted, but the frame next to it sure did!

Gord Richmond

installed. Tank

I guess plastic/fiberglass eliminates some of the ignition risks but still, I feel better with steel. Just call me old fashioned..

JT