MattG

iTrader: (2)

I had a scare of my life yesterday. I stoped at the gas station to shake the dew of my lily(pee). I come out feeling good I hear the whole station laughing and see them all pressed against the window looking at some sort of smoke. I hear a man say move the eclipse. To my shock and horror smoke is pouring out from under my hood. Thinking the worst I make my way to the front to see my brand spanking new rebuild rx7 being the cause of this smoke storm. I cant believe my eyes not wanting to watch my hours of labor and blood and sweat go in to flames. I slowly make my way to the back and say a prayer for my lil baby. Finally after what seems like forever I build up the ***** to go see the damage. My 83 limited edition paint is now a shade of pastel yellow from the fire extinguisher. I say to the guy who put it out dear god what happened here! He says my exhaust manifold was on fire. So after letting out a tear for my baby I see the collent spraying out from where it melted the hose. I Tow truck was on site how nice. So they ask how am I going to get it home. So I get the tow tow truck to take me got a good deal to well on a tow 100 bucks for almost 40 miles. Now I need to know how in the world was that much oil getting on my manifold. What do I do to fix it. So far the only damage I see is the manifold being a toasty black and my hose melted.
Please help What do I need to do?

jays83gsl

You need to find out how the coolant got so hot it melted the hose!

You also need to find out if there were any kind of leak whatsoever.

rxseven07

i bet your OMP was leaking and it got on the exhaust manifold, and jays 83, the freaking fire probally melted the hose. but im willing to guess that an omp line broke and leaked all over your exhaust mani...you need an oil pressure guauge my friend

Feds

Coolant leaks can catch fire too. Alcohol is flamable.

H4Inf

Ouch that is hard! LIM gasket not leaking? I would go with oil lines too perhaps.. thinking of that, mine are quite dodgy, I've broken them a few times and joined them up, might get some new ones...

Whenever I stop I always have a smell under the hood just to check it smells normal. On the plus side it doesn't sound like too much damage. Let us know what you find...

speedracer_not

Check for a gasoline leak, a pinhole in the fuel line to be safe. If the coolant got hot enough for spontanous combustion, why didn't the radiator cap blow, also you would have gotten an overheat alarm audio? Optimistically thinking, the radiator hose blew, and spewed coolant on the exhaust manifold. It makes a made a huge amount of steam. If there was a fire, the plastic and rubber lines would have burnt.

The hot box around the exhaust manifold and exhaust manifold had been caked with burnt oil deposits for at least a decade. OMP spewed oil on the exhaust manifold for 300 miles after my rebuild. And there wasn't a fire. Maybe I was going to fast?

If it smelled sweet like maple syrup, it was your coolant.

Towing was smart. You don't want fire suppressant inside a newly rebuilt engine.

Good luck!

MattG

iTrader: (2)

Well I know it was oil on the manifold that caught fire and as a result melted the lower rad hose. I can see where the rubber dripped. I know during the rebuild i broke one of the OMP lines but I Patched it. I got new ones on the way from atkins now. But would it leak oil from where the OMP pump meets the block or where the lines hook up to the nipples? Is it ok to remove that the hot box from around the manifold because there is like speedracer said oil caked up in there from years of use? Let you know more when I get down in there and my lines come in. My oil pressure gauge never droped or anything But I am using the OEM one so that could be why. Thanks for your help Ill let you know what happens. She will rise again!!

evil_motors

iTrader: (3)

sorry for your loss man....

Darknephlim2003

Dude. Finally someone knows what I'm talking about (not that I'm rejoicing about your loss) But I have an oil leak on my 82, and if I run it long enough, my exhaust manifold catches on fire and I have to extinguish it QUICK. This has happened 2 times, and thank God it has damaged nothing. But do 82s have OMPs?? Probably a stupid question. If so, where would it be at? I'm sick and tired of this leak, the engine is PERFECT, and I can't even drive it more than 15 or so miles without my manifold smoking. I feel your pain, bro...

MattG

iTrader: (2)

Man at least im not the only one that this has happened too. I think it is my OMP lines the rubber boots are cracked I think. I got some on the way but I dont know if that is what is my fire starter. Or is it the OMP itself like the seal or gasket on it. I have been busy with prom and all that bullSh*t that goes along with it. Got to borrow a car now to go. Was gonna take my freshly rebuilt baby, but the GF is a little scared of it now.

speedracer_not

I removed the exhaust manifold hot box inorder to the drain the oil w/o jacking the car up. I lived in New Jersey at the time, and figured once the engine is started, it is started.

My experience has been that the engine oil leak is a good thing. It prevented underbody rust. Ran it with a smokey oil leak from 1996 until 2000. So smokey that the toll booth attendants on the NJ turnpike would cough, another good thing. I still hazard a guess that you have a fuel leak, if you really had a fire, evidenced by significant rubber and plastic hose damage. How did that black plastic tray that sits under the carburator's right look ??

Does anyone know if the plastic white tubes on top of the carburator carry gasoline?

speedracer_not

Atkins OMP lines costed how much? Does he rip?

MattG

iTrader: (2)

they cost me 40 with ship. for front and back OMP lines as they say.