>In a message dated 6/25/00 11:58:37 AM Central Daylight Time,
>
> > I also want to get rid of the engine cover screws, and install
> > quarter-turn compression latches so I can get the cover off faster.
>Believe
> > me, when there is smoke pouring out of the engine compartment, and you
> are
> > trying to get the cover screws out, you would swear they are a 6 inches
>long,
> >
> > and fine thread to boot!
>
>Erv
>
>IMHO I would not do that. Please I am not trying to tell you what to do.
>Here are my thoughts. As long as the hatch is down the fire cant get a
>lot of air it is trapped. Once you open the hatch the heat rises and brings
>in the fresh oxygen to the fire. If there is an excess of unburned fuel you
>will have a flash fire like you will not believe. Leave the hatch cover down
>go outside and fight it.
While in college I worked firing various types of ammunition into armored
personnel carriers, tanks, aircraft fuselages, and many other pieces of
equipment. Pretty uniformly we had big fireballs happen when we opened
engine hatches, or other semi-enclosed spaces that had a fire inside (we
had to put out the fire before it destroyed the damage from the penetrating
round too much.)
My plan (do what you feel is right for you):
1. pull off the road
2. shutdown the engine
3. leave the coach ASAP (right behind my wife) and leave everything inside
the coach.
4. call fire dept
5. fight the fire from outside
I've singed my eyebrows off numerous times putting out engine room fires
when a flashback occurred. Got the "sunburn" too. And all of that happened
with knowledge about how the fires behaved, staying in a "safe" location
when the hatch was opened, and having plenty of water to put out the fire
(don't ask why a federally licensed test facility had to use water - it's a
long and silly tale). FWIW, most of the fires were diesel - much easier to
deal with. The gasoline and av gas fires were no picnic.
Henry
(Who's looking forward to Darren's comments)
>
> > I also want to get rid of the engine cover screws, and install
> > quarter-turn compression latches so I can get the cover off faster.
>Believe
> > me, when there is smoke pouring out of the engine compartment, and you
> are
> > trying to get the cover screws out, you would swear they are a 6 inches
>long,
> >
> > and fine thread to boot!
>
>Erv
>
>IMHO I would not do that. Please I am not trying to tell you what to do.
>Here are my thoughts. As long as the hatch is down the fire cant get a
>lot of air it is trapped. Once you open the hatch the heat rises and brings
>in the fresh oxygen to the fire. If there is an excess of unburned fuel you
>will have a flash fire like you will not believe. Leave the hatch cover down
>go outside and fight it.
While in college I worked firing various types of ammunition into armored
personnel carriers, tanks, aircraft fuselages, and many other pieces of
equipment. Pretty uniformly we had big fireballs happen when we opened
engine hatches, or other semi-enclosed spaces that had a fire inside (we
had to put out the fire before it destroyed the damage from the penetrating
round too much.)
My plan (do what you feel is right for you):
1. pull off the road
2. shutdown the engine
3. leave the coach ASAP (right behind my wife) and leave everything inside
the coach.
4. call fire dept
5. fight the fire from outside
I've singed my eyebrows off numerous times putting out engine room fires
when a flashback occurred. Got the "sunburn" too. And all of that happened
with knowledge about how the fires behaved, staying in a "safe" location
when the hatch was opened, and having plenty of water to put out the fire
(don't ask why a federally licensed test facility had to use water - it's a
long and silly tale). FWIW, most of the fires were diesel - much easier to
deal with. The gasoline and av gas fires were no picnic.
Henry
(Who's looking forward to Darren's comments)
