Engine Fire...seriously!

[DanteICE 72]

I wasn't going to post this but I thought it was worth letting you know of a possible problem.

 

Whilst driving home yesterday I had a continues amount of white smoke appear behind me, so I pulled off the A19 into a near and very convenient layby, stopped the car and popped the bonnet to be greeted by a small fire on the exhaust manifold. Now my car hasn't got the original air filter system and therefore there was nothing really there to burn or melt, so no damage caused (managed to put the fire out with an old seat cover I had laid about in the boot).

 

"How was it caused?" I hear you ask. Well the middle bolt on the cam cover was noticed to be too big ( I reckon that's because it's not holding the air filter box any more) and spitting oil out when any revs were applied so it was swapped for a bolt with a better fit. However after +2 weeks the bolt has unwound itself, and with help from the canter of the engine, oil dripped and sprayed onto the exhaust manifold and kindly set alight.

 

Any thoughts? I don't know what I want here, just though it needs to be said.

 

Oh it currently has a rubber washer, so I intend to add a shake proof washer and maybe a little loctite to the washers & bolt to hold them together.

 

P.S. after posting my fire experience on Twitter, the first response was: "Why didn't you take a photo of the fire?" to which my reply was "Because I was too busy putting it out, you f**king moron!". Seriously people are 'mad stupid' these days. (Felt the need for a little Ghetto lingo in there).

 

Geoff

[ORB 227 1 Cars]

Any pics?

 

 

 

 

 

[DanteICE 72]

I'll restart the fire shall I?

Edited March 6, 2013 by DanteICE

[ORB 227 1 Cars]

An I correct in saying you don't need this bolt, as in, it does not penetrate the manifold?

[chipstick 382 1 Cars]

Artists impression required.

 

On a serious note - Thankfully you managed to pull over in time and stop it before it was too late. A friend of mine had a 306 ignite with his daughter strapped in and by the time he had stopped and got her out, the blaze was too large to tackle.

[ORB 227 1 Cars]

Ahh, hold on, cam cover?

 

I'm confused.

 

8v ?

[DanteICE 72]

Yeah I am VERY luck, no damage after all.

 

Erm yes I do need the bolt, it's the middle bolt which holds the cam cover on.

 

Yes 1.9 8v

Edited March 6, 2013 by DanteICE

[Richie-Van-GTi 70 2 Cars]

Amazing how quick you react when your car sets on fire. I had a loom ignite in a 306 dt when it rubbed through on the accelerator cable.

Isnt the bolt in question a 2 way job as standard where one side is longer for the air assembly. Decent length bolt with a serated washer will keep it secure for future.

Check the threads in the cam cap under the cover. Not uncommon to be stripped of thread from over tightening hence the bolts wearing loose easily.

Edited March 6, 2013 by Richie-Van-GTi

[base-1 17]

Good effort putting it out, don't feel too bad - I had a (mint, very, very low milage) 1.9 a few years back that caught fire in a similar way while I was sat in traffic. I thought the white smoke was steam and pulled into the petrol station I was stuck next to!

[lemmingzappa 75 1 Cars]

Reminds me of the time me and my bro were driving on the motorway in the 205 leaving a trail of smoke behind us when the cam cover gasket failed >.<

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

I had my alternator catch fire on my rover turbo once. Had nothing to hand to put it out with.

 

Luckily some bloke in a van had a bottle of evian spare.

 

Scary really but at least all is well

[welshpug 1,626]

there should be a copper or fibre washer and a steel washer under a bolt that has a stud poking out the top for the ignition lead holder, NOT the air filter canister, which just bolts on the rear of the head not the cam cover.