&^*&
I caused a fire while working on my Paso and in putting it out some water (about 1/2 a cup perhaps) went down the carb throats.-------------------------------------------
Background: I was working on the electrics to get the bike turning over. I put on Dyna Coils wired to the wring cylinders (stupid). So, in the process I had the airbox off to check fuel coming through carb.
---------------------
Okay, the reason for the fire was stupidity on my part, but I better explain so others don't do the same.
The main thing is the Paso is okay :-)
I just melted the mini tank I was using and the odd bit of tape. Bigger problem I think is the water that went down the carb throats!My stupidity
goes like this:I was rushed, so slopped petrol into mini tank without a funnel, so some petrol was down the side of bike and on floor. Then I had a rag near the carb throats that also then has some of this petrol on. The air box was off and the mini tank didn't have a cap on it. I had had this setup before but this time I had been sloppy with the petrol and had that wet rag near the carb throats. When turning the engine over some backfire flames come up the carb throats. Even though not firing properly, kept trying and the rag caught fire, then I flicked the rag away wrongly and the fire spread down the bike and to the petrol puddle on the floor - suddenly Whoosh! The bike was engulfed in flames! I remember looking at it in disbelief and thinking %#%^& this is out of control!
The next problem is that I had no fire extinguisher! First thing I did was call the fire brigade (via shouting to my wife, who shouted to the next door neighbours to call because she couldn't remember the emergency number (since new to Australia). The next door neighbours daughter heard my wife shouting "spider", but then her mum asked if there was a problem and they phoned the fire brigade). Drama ^*&*(.
Then after a bit of panic on my part wondering where the where the
&^&^^ was a hose (because new to this rental house and in panic) and thinking the %%%$# taps were so slow i would never get a bucket full.
Who got me thinking straight? My six year son bought me a bottle of water. So then my brain started working, as I looked down into the garage full of dark smoke with a fire glowing - so I went down there and tried that bottle of water and sure enough it did something - even though water on petrol. My brain now working I remembered the hose round the corner of the garage. First... I grabbed the mini tank which was also flaming (out of instinct), ripped it off the bike (burning my hand (&*()&^% while I fell over %&^%) and threw it out the garage into a bush, which then caught fire) at the same time some petrol had spilt on me so I was putting the fire out that was on me too. Then i got the hose and hosed it down and great the fire was out! The Paso was saved.
I then went to the kitchen to put my burned hand under water and my next door neighbour discovered the bush on fire and put that out with "their" fire extinguisher. then the fire engine turned up!
The only good thing in this seems to be that the garage door was open, so i could get to the hose and the smoke was escaping.
I hope you liked the story. Sorry, I don't have it on video. See pics below :-)
Problem now:
I got some water down the carb throats, so what do i do? My guess, is
- change the oil
just in case, also:
- change the filter to the carb
- clean the carb
Do you agree? Anything else?
Here are some pics:
drawing with my finger on the garage door that was over the fire:
Here is the remains of the mini fuel tank and the remains of my hand:
here is a pic of the melted mini fuel tank against the bush i threw it into - notice where the bush caught fire:
Here is the poor Paso with soot on it and on the ground (it did clean up okay:
I did that 20 years back when I sprayed fuel in the carbs of my Alfa to start it up. It backfired so hard that it set the little gas on fire that had run in the airbox pan. All I had to extinguish the fire was an oily rag which was not the best idea as the consequences were similar to yours. Luckily I didn`t do that in the garage and ìt didn`t set anything else on fire. I also managed to extinguish the small fire without dumping anything on it.