Topic: Just caught everything on fire!!!

[Burnboy]

Holy #$%*!! Guys im warning everyone be very very careful when working on these bikes! Im a very cautious person who almost never makes these stupid mistakes so it can happen to anyone. Was working on my bike, getting it started for the first time after my rebuild. Rebuild has gone without a hitch, till now. Carb was leaking just a tiny bit of gas. I wiped it up with a rag and went on my way. Started the bike up and it went ablaze!. Oily rags everywhere caught on fire, went up to the tank. I grabbed the tank and threw it out the door of my shop. Luckily I had a bucket of water hand and was 5 feet from a water spigot. It was pretty damn scary, so guys always be careful!!!! Im off to go buy a fire extinguisher.

[Gordon]

Glad you got it put out quickly, and quick thinking on tossing out the tank!


Perhaps you were tempting fate a little too much with the forum name.

[HondaMan]

Wow, Burnboy!
What the heck started it? (I'm a trained Forensics Enineer, tracing these things down on occasion). Was it a backfire that touched off the leftover fuel in the carb?

Those oily rags will go up like a pop bottle rocket, that's for sure.

Glad you didn't get hurt!

[Burnboy]

To be honest im not sure. Something arced somewhere but not sure. Gas was near the starter cover, just a tiny bit maybe a few cc's. Im guessing the starter. It could have easily gone the other way. I could have ran and my house would have been on fire in minutes. The tank didnt want to go out! Fire was coming from the petcock and the cap vent. I sprayed down the petcock and reached to turn it off. Then had to spray the top of the gas tank for a good 30 seconds (felt like an eternity) to get it to go out. suprisingly, besides cleaning up the water, the only thing that is damaged is the outer covering of the wiring harness. and my polished valve cover is nice and toasty. The tank is still in great condition haha! gotta love rustoleum

[Burnboy]

haha just noticed my turn signal was blinking this whole time. That proves it im old and senile.

[mystic_1]

With gasoline it's the fumes that ignite, not the liquid.  So if you had some gas spillage and the vapors built up it only takes a tiny spark to set it off.

Glad you're ok and that the damage is relatively minor.  Find that arc source!

mystic_1

[TheHun]

glad no one got hurt..check your coils make sure they are not shorting out on the cylinder head causing sparks

[Hush]

So you have plenty of spark and air mixture, add compression and the bike should fire er start.

[fuzzybutt]

glad no one got hurt..check your coils make sure they are not shorting out on the cylinder head causing sparks

so, i'm not the only one thats happened to eh? 

[Spanner 1]

I bet it was gas vapors in the starter compartment..the starter brushes make micro-sparks as the motor spins.....

[Frankencake]

I don't believe that I can put a bike or car back on the road without catching it on fire at least once.  It's sort of like an annealing process that I have.  One time I........

[WFO]

great user name 

[Burnboy]

This is another reason not to use plastic tubing as fuel line. its the only thing that realy burned, making things much worse. I had it from the pet cock to my inline filter. The rest was rubber fuel line it still looks brand new.

[Spanner 1]

A good lesson for everyone...get a Fire Extinguisher and keep it handy wherever you work on your bike.....I'm getting one in the morning, lots of gas tank work to do !!

[bunghole]

A good lesson for everyone...get a Fire Extinguisher and keep it handy wherever you work on your bike.....I'm getting one in the morning, lots of gas tank work to do !!

Buy one for each entry or exit from your workshop.

Scary story.

[Retro Rocket]

There's a lot to be said for working in a well ventilated area, especially when fuel is involved.
Glad no one was injured.

Mick

[Queeg]

[/quote]

so, i'm not the only one that's happened to eh? 
[/quote]

 WELL .. there is now at least 5 of us.  me and my Buddy's always catch them on fire when working on a new bike. its like a christening of the bike.  but its kinda not a suprise with some of the bikes we pick up.

  glad you and the house are fine. its scary the first time. after the fourth time you get used to it and have a fire extinguisher and heavy tarp handy.
 

[Gordon]

Didn't realize this was such a common occurrence.  

It hasn't happened to me yet, but I've still always kept a fire extinguisher handy in the garage.  Lots and lots of flammable chemicals and oily rags out there.

[HondaMan]

Didn't realize this was such a common occurrence.  

It hasn't happened to me yet, but I've still always kept a fire extinguisher handy in the garage.  Lots and lots of flammable chemicals and oily rags out there.

Good idea! 

[bender01]

Glad no one was hurt. Now please post pics of this fiasco. Thanks

[Gordon]

Didn't realize this was such a common occurrence.  

It hasn't happened to me yet, but I've still always kept a fire extinguisher handy in the garage.  Lots and lots of flammable chemicals and oily rags out there.

Good idea! 

Wait... what's the good idea?  
The flammable chemicals and oily rags, or the fire extinguisher?

Keeping the fire extinguisher handy started back when I had an old VW bus.  I always had this feeling like that thing was one errant spark away from turning into a mushroom cloud.

I kept one extinguisher in the garage, and one right behind the driver's seat.  Never had to use them, but it was comforting knowing they were there.  

[fuzzybutt]

Didn't realize this was such a common occurrence.  

It hasn't happened to me yet, but I've still always kept a fire extinguisher handy in the garage.  Lots and lots of flammable chemicals and oily rags out there.

Good idea! 

Wait... what's the good idea?  
The flammable chemicals and oily rags, or the fire extinguisher?

Keeping the fire extinguisher handy started back when I had an old VW bus.  I always had this feeling like that thing was one errant spark away from turning into a mushroom cloud.

I kept one extinguisher in the garage, and one right behind the driver's seat.  Never had to use them, but it was comforting knowing they were there.  

yeah, what with the gas tank over the motor and the battery. i lost my 62' bus about 5 miles after leaving a dead show at sullivan stadium. burned up on the side of the road lol.

[Gordon]

yeah, what with the gas tank over the motor and the battery. i lost my 62' bus about 5 miles after leaving a dead show at sullivan stadium. burned up on the side of the road lol.

That sucks, Fuzzy.

Please tell me you at least lit one up off of the flames.

[Sporkfly]

A similar thing happened to me the first time I fired my bike up last year. My #1 carb burst into flames and was tickling the bottom of the tank. I did the same exact thing, I yanked the tank and ran it to the other side of the garage (stupid me left the petcock on though!). I had nothing to extinguish the fire with except a can of compressed air, the kind you'd use to spray off electronics. That stuff is flammable, by the way. I managed to keep my distance with that can though and blew the fire out. I got lucky and I'm glad you got lucky as well.

Be safe everybody!

[martino1972]

amazed that spikey didn't visit this thread yet.....poor guy can tell ya a burning story,i tell ya.....

[Frankenkit]

it's happened to me, too, except with ether.

[Burnboy]

ya i was reminded of the pics of the spikybike

[manjisann]

Crotch rocket anyone 

Seriously, glad you are ok. I've read enough of these threads (one was enough) that installed a fire extinguisher right next to my work bench. I've had enough fuel spills to make me wary.

Not trying to jack the thread, but oily rags have been mentioned. I can't remember, is it the ones that are exposed to oxygen or deprived of oxygen that will spontaneously combust? Just trying to figure out the best way of disposing of them without catching the side of the house on fire.

Thanks,

Brandon

[Gordon]

Not trying to jack the thread, but oily rags have been mentioned. I can't remember, is it the ones that are exposed to oxygen or deprived of oxygen that will spontaneously combust? Just trying to figure out the best way of disposing of them without catching the side of the house on fire.

Thanks,

Brandon

They need sufficient air to oxidize, so you're supposed to store them in a sealed container.  I'm not sure about disposing of them, though.  I wash mine and reuse them. 

[HondaMan]

In recent years I've switched to the paper-towel type (Scotch blue seems best), so I don't keep the rags around anymore. It costs a bit more, to be sure, but it is safer, and I have a small metal trash can outside, with a plastic garbage bag inside like a liner, where I dispose of them until it is full. Then I take it to the curb with the garbage, and hope the trash truck picks it up and makes it to the dump before they combust...

[Sparked]

Not trying to jack the thread, but oily rags have been mentioned. I can't remember, is it the ones that are exposed to oxygen or deprived of oxygen that will spontaneously combust? Just trying to figure out the best way of disposing of them without catching the side of the house on fire.

Thanks,

Brandon

They need sufficient air to oxidize, so you're supposed to store them in a sealed container.  I'm not sure about disposing of them, though.  I wash mine and reuse them. 

If you wash your oily rags make sure you air dry them.  DO NOT dry them in a dryer or if you do leave them in a pile. if they are warm, and piled together they can and probably will start on fire after a couple of hours once you've gone in the house and gone to bed. And if they do light up, it's going to be one hot fire.  I've seen it happen where kitchen rags (used with PAM then washed) light up a restaurant.

[manjisann]

Thanks everyone for the explanation! I will have to get hold of a metal garbage container with a sealing lid. I mainly use heavy paper towels so I don't have to worry about washing them, but I would rather they don't catch on fire 

Thanks,

Brandon