There have seemed to be a lot of posts lately about engine fires. I would like to start this thread and maybe even make it a sticky about hot to combat them.

*Do most fuel fires start from the primary fuel rail or the secondary fuel rail?
*What can I do to run braided lines to the primary fuel rail? (Have to keep the
Pulsation Damper if I have fuel regulator and upgraded secondary rail?)
*Do most fires start around the injectors due to old o-rings?


These are some question that I have/had when I started on my FD. Lets try to keep any more from burning to the ground.

Thanks

First post to help:

http://www.banzairacing.net/pd_elimination_how-to.htm

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...+braided+lines

 

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...+braided+lines

 

Most fires are caused by fuel leaks, plain and simple. You have to spend the extra effort to INSURE the system is leak-free, and really take your time with assembling. IMHO, most fuel-related fires are due to laziness and sloppiness.

After building the fuel system, it's easy to jumper the FP pin in the diagnostics connector to run the fuel pump. Run it for a good minute or so, looking, feeling for, and smelling for fuel leaks.

Braided lines IMHO are something you really have to be cautious with. They are highly abrasive, and will rub through most anything given enough time, including themselves. How they're routed, what they're touching, etc. has to be done carefully. Using brackets to locate the lines to keep them in place is an excellent idea.

With the stock fuel rails, replacing all the lines with the fuel recall kit is a really good idea if you're rebuilding the motor or re-doing the fuel system somehow. That kit is pretty cheap, and comes with all new lines. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER use bobo parts store fuel line! The Mazda line is high-temp rated very high quality stuff. Again, this is where cheaping out on the FD will seriously bite you in the ***.

If you smell fuel, investigate the problem NOW, and DO NOT drive the car until you fix the problem. "I'll fix it later" is a sure way to burn the car to the ground.

Dale

 

Any suggestions on what fire extinguisher to get for the car, including size, cost. and best product?

I think I've seen a thread about this sometime before, but at the moment I don't have too much time to search. Any quick help would be highly appreciated. Doesn't need to be a long detailed answer just straight to the point works best for me. Thanks in advance.

 

Halon- check out ebay

 

*Do most fires start around the injectors due to old o-rings?

The expert I talked to said the injector O-rings aren't usually the problem.

 

Kraggen has Goodyear high temp silica based hoses, are they ok?

 

There's no need for braided lines, the stock lines just need to be replaced when they harden. I agree with Dale in that building aftermarket lines will most likely cause more problems than they solve. The stock lines are not bad pieces, but they like everything else under the hood will harden over time from the extreme heat. Stainless braided hoses are not some sort of miracle cure all. In fact looking at the braid tricks people into thinking the hose is always in good shape. If you're running braided hoses you still need to replace them every few years (just like race teams do) because you can't tell what condition the hose is in just by looking at it.

I had a small engine fire when the short rubber fuel hose between the primary and secondary fuel rails split. My car had had the fuel recall done and I noticed that hose seemed hardened when I put the new motor in. I should have replaced it and didn't. A year or so later a pinhole opened up and started a fire. If I didn't have an extinguisher the car would have been a complete loss. As it was I still had a $5000 insurance claim as everything under the UIM was basically toast (fuel system, all solenoids and sensors, wiring harness, etc) and the fire didn't burn but 10 seconds at the most. It was just getting ready to take off when I put it out.

For insurance my recommendation would be to replace the fuel system hoses under the UIM every 5 years along with the FPD; this should be plenty overkill. If I were to buy another FD today and didn't know if the fuel hoses were fresh the first thing I would do is replace them along with every coolant hose.

 

Damon,

here is the parts fische diagram. I was about to put the rats nest back together and thought that maybe I should replace these lines.

The only thing, is that short fuel hose from the primary to secondary rail is not attached with spring clamps like the other but crimped ends. Have you changed this before or ordered a replacement part yet?

 

yow! That little part 13-496 or part number N3A1-12-496 is coming up as $100 on mazdacomps site!!

45-125 or part number 99359-0814 isn't coming up.

 

That part 13-496 is one that is replaced in the fuel line recall kit. Plus many others. I don't know the kit part number, but it's around $100.

Dave

 

That's the hose I suspect caused my problem. I believe it's part of the $70 kit malloy has. The fpd is $115.

 

I bought the whole fuel line kit from Ray at Malloy late last year for around $145.00, that did not include the FPD. Came with the line you mentioned and the copper washers, abrasion sleaves new clamps etc. Well worth the price. I heard parts have gone up some, but you just can't scrimp here.

Terry7

 

where does the copper washer go?

ugh....I guess I'll call Ray tomorrow and take the rats nest back out :P

 

Which pin do I need to jumper the fuel pump pin to?

GND?

 

to sum up the FD in two words:

replace (or at minimum upgrade) everything

 

I would like to say that I was neither sloppy nor lazy. I was Ignorant, and everybody knows ignorance is no excuse!

 

My understanding is that this was part of the fuel recall. This hose came with clamped ends from the factory but the fuel recall changed this part to a hose with permanently crimped ends. That's how you tell if the recall has been performed.

The Mazda fuel recall kit is still available and it's cheap. It includes all the fuel lines and new clamps.

 

well look at that!!

Ray has the fuel kits on sale for $75