Re: In-the-tank fuel pumps cause death and destruction

The intank fuel pumps I've worked on are totally wet, with fuel flowing right through the motor.

And none of the fuel pumps I've worked on were gear pumps.

Lock washers don't always work either. If I am bolting something that needs to stay bolted I'll use a lock nut with a deformed thread section, or take a standard nut and turn it into a locknut with a deformed section with a hammer and punch.

Ted

If you REALLY want it to stay put, do as the aviation folks do and drill and safety wire it.

Matt

WAAAAAAAAA!!!!! WAAAAAAA!!!! STUpid cry babies! :)

News Story One:

Thursday, October 28, 2004 · Last updated 4:11 a.m. PT

Inhalation of toxins blamed for Des Moines fire death

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DES MOINES, Wash. -- A man who died in a garage fire after gasoline spilled out of a truck that was being repaired died partly from inhaling toxic fumes, investigators said.

David E. Russ, 61, identified Wednesday as the dead man, also had burns on more than 90 percent of his body, investigators in the King County medical examiner's office said.

Russ and two other men was trying to replace the fuel pump on a pickup truck Monday when the leaking fuel caught fire as the trio tried to push the truck out of a detached garage.

All three ran outside, but Russ went back in and was trapped when the roof collapsed, Fire Battalion Chief Victor Pennington said.

News Story Two:

Local auto dealership heavily damaged in fire By Virgil Cochran Lamar Daily News

Thursday, October 28, 2004 -

Tri-County Ford on Highway 50-287 north of Lamar was severely damaged by a midmorning fire yesterday, but the manager Jeff Travis said the business will be up and running again in just a few days.

Travis and Prowers County Rural Fire Chief Marvin Rosencrans said the fire began when mechanics were attempting to drain a fuel tank on a vehicle in the mechanic shop to replace a fuel pump. A fuel transfer pump developed an electrical short, which triggered the blaze.

It rapidly engulfed the shop area of the building, but everyone managed to get out safely, Travis said.

Tri-County will have temporary office trailers set up on the lot by next week, Travis said, and will be open for sales of new and used vehicles. In the meantime, all automobiles for sale will remain on the lot, and customers are welcome to drop by and shop, and even negotiate deals. But the business won't be able to finalize deals until the temporary offices are set up and computer equipment is up and running again next week.

Travis said Tri-County is also negotiating for temporary headquarters for its mechanic shops, but it may be a few more days before the shop functions of the business are up and running.

Eight cars in the service area were destroyed and the service garage itself was heavily damaged if not totally destroyed, but Rosencrans said damage to the office and parts storage area was limited to mostly smoke and water damage.

Local firefighters were called to the scene about 10:40 a.m. yesterday, and the Prowers Rural Fire Department was assisted by the Lamar, Wiley, and Holly Fire Departments.

As for the existing building, Travis said the business was well insured and that he would meet with insurance adjusters sometime today.

Called a "stover nut". Acceptable under the cowl on a plane, where nylocls and peletted bolts don't pass muster.

If I recall correctly quite a few with the gas heaters used that system for the heaters. But I wouldn't doubt but that there's regional differences & my memory may be cloudy as virtually all original beetle's in this area have returned to mother nature many many years ago.

The gas heaters were mounted above the fuel tank and had their own electric fuel pump. H

Not true. For example, the Chrysler LH vehicles have an access panel in the trunk floor that allows the fuel pump module to be pulled out the top of the tank. Niether draining the tank nor removing the tank is required. However, the intelligence not to do something idiotic like use an open-bulb drop light, smoke, or strike a match while working on it is required. Something that seems beyond the capability of entirely too many people these days....

And yes, most PICKUP TRUCKS with electric in-tank pumps do require dropping the tank or removing the bed from the chassis... however this article doesn't say whether it was an in-tank pump or a 1965 pickup with a conventional fuel pump. If you are stupid in replacing an old-style fuel pump, you can wind up with a garage full of fuel just as easily as you can if you're stupid with an in-tank pump. The key word is STUPID...

Not only that, but in all modern cars with the epa-mandated evap collection system, if there is a leak detected by a loss in tank pressure, an idiot lamp will come on in the dash, letting you know that something is wrong. Same is true if you drive away from the gas station without putting your gas cap on tight... after about 35 miles or so, the ECM will see that as a leak in the system, and an SES lamp will come on.

And you DO get your car checked out when you have an indication that something is wrong... right?

Well, nearly every occurrence of an airbag deployment that I've heard of is unintended... most people, unless they intend to commit suicide or ditch a car and fraudulently claim insurance, do not intend to crash and trigger the airbags. :)

However, there have been a couple of *unwarranted* airbag deployments that I've heard of.

Guess the two that I'd seen on had identical aftermarket units put on then. Luckily I've not "had the pleasure" of working on an old Beetle in over 15 years. :-)

I try to keep gas in my fuel tank, mainly to avoid the inconvenience of running out of gas. I guess I get the added benefit of not having my fuel pump explode. It actually works out not too bad.

No, all gas heaters were mounted above the fuel tanks and had their own small electric fuel pu to spray the fuel into the fire-box. Basically a low presure fuel injector.

Jes make sure you've *always* got them hands at 9 and 3 o'clock in case it does go off. 8^)

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my adddress with the letter 'x')

Don't forget Corvairs had gas heaters also.

It also increases the longetivity of your pump as the gas is it's cooling system. H

No..... The two that I had experience with had no electrical fuel pump. Which is why I mentioned them.