[Guest]

Has anyone else noticed a number of CJs have experienced engine fires? Mine happened in 1985 on a bone-stock 81' CJ7 - carb fire that melted every bit of plastic and rubber under the hood. I keep reading about people having these fires on CJs and have seen a number of them with the tell-tail charred spot on the hood. Does anyone know what the primary cause of these fires may be so that I can prevent it from happening?

 

[Guest]

From what I've seen in the junkyard, fires under the hood AND under the vehicle, my guess would be from the extreme heat, combined with oil and/or gas leaking, and under the right circumstance you could have a fire. I personally make sure my stuff does not leak at all and I pressure wash the motor at least once a month to keep it clean. If you don't run a good air cleaner assembly with a good filter, an engine can backfire up thru the carb will start a fire, I've seen it blow an air cleaner right off, AND start a fire.

Bird

 

[Guest]

It can't help that there's miles of vacuum hoses next to an hot engine. That's why I always carry a fire extinguisher and marshmallows.

'83 CJ7 258 i6 31x10.5 3in. lift? /wwwthreads_images/icons/cool.gif

 

[13337]

I said something about that just a little while back...
I'm seeing an alarming amount of Jeeps, mostly wagons, burned crispy in the junk yards.
Some of them look like they might be under hood fires, but most look like wiring fires in the passenger compartment...

Most of the CJ burnouts look like they are engine bay fires.
That still doesn't mean it isn't electrical fires most of the time...

I have no clue, but I do carry a fire extinguisher, and lots of insurance...

Later folks, Aaron.

"I Have The Body Of A God... Buddha"

 

[083]

My 84 CJ-7 had an engine fire before i owned it. I got a great deal on it because the hood and driver side fender were charred and had bubbly paint due to the fire. Most of the underhood stuff was replaced before I bought it, and I never did ask what started the fire....oh well. My guess would be the crappy plastic valve cover leaking oil onto the exhaust manifold.

Dan 84 CJ-7,Weber,HEI. 95 ZJ,V8. http://netnow.micron.net/~wdohrn/

 

[Guest]

I had a 66 Pontiac GTO that I swapped in a mmmhhhehhmmm 360 and the carb blew a gasket and spewed gass on the exhaust and it caught. I put it out with a floor mat but that might tell you something about the carbs.
Aaron

 

[Guest]

I experienced a fire in my '85 CJ7 engine compartment. I had a back fire when I shut it off at a McDonalds, went in to get a bite for breakfast to go (drive thru was backed -up) when I came out a kid was looking at my jeep kind of funny. I notice the light smoke coming out from under the hood and carefully opened the hood and saw flames licking up around the air cleaner. I freaked! Ran inside and begged the manager for a fire extinguisher (mine was discharged)nd he ran out and sprayed down my engine compartment and put out the fire. Damage done: melted all the wires in the harness on top of the intake manifold and put a hole in the stupid plastic valve cover. Repair shop fixed it but laid the new wiring next to the engine block and promptly melted them all together ten miles down the road. At least the McDonalds manager gave me a free meal while waiting for a tow truck. I never travel without a charged exstinguisher anymore.
-Will
'85 CJ7 same one still going strong

.

 

[Guest]

That sounds like a great anti-theft device...a would-be thief gets in and smoke starts pouring out from under the hood.../wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif

Evolution of tools: stone, hammer, wrench, socket, impact, really big hammer, blue wrench.

 

[LEVE]

My 84 JGW caught fire on the wife when she parked it at a doctors office. PVC or Blowby from the 360 was the culprit, it was drippin out the air cleaner intake and onto the sparkplugs and wiring. 2 hours and $8 worth of parts and I was able to drive it home.... and put in a new engine 3 weeks later. IMHO it's most often, on the 258's the stock OEM valve cover leaking oil on the side of the engine and catching fire on the spark plugs or the exhaust manifold.

Good Jeepin'

Larry

 

[elusive]

this is a very good point.. there is NOTHING i fear more than fire.. a rollover is nothing.. i still have axles,engine,tranny... everything i put soo much $$$ into.. a good fire and you have NOTHING.....i carry a fire extingusher and i have used it TWICE...carb firs both time.. once on a carter 600 on a race 258 and once on a different 258.. once was by myself with a hunk o crap jeep.. once was about 2 weeks after the pearl paint on my new fiberglass hood with my wife and daughter in the jeep.. i drove it home both times

~~Elusive~~
it's sort of still a cj thingy....see it at www.jeepgod.net

 

[Guest]

I had my wiring harness light up on me while driving down the road. Appearently there was a short in the twenty year old harness. It melted all the wires and had to be towed home. Luckily it didn't damage the engine or my fiberglass body just the wiring harness. After that scare the wires under my dash bother me. I had them smoke on day after getting hit by lightning. Luckily they weren't destroyed and nether were my gages, but it did destroy my radio. Fires are scary and I don't want to deal with another.

Tim Springer
1980 CJ7
WALSTIB/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif

 

[Dirt Dog]

My 85 has the 1' CJ scab on the hood too.
Somebody who owned it before me was good enough to wipe off the charcoal and shhot paint right over it./wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif

"No officer I haven't been drinking , Thats just how my Jeep drives"