HELP! FIRE!

[Sensei]

Yesterday I was driving and my alternator belt bit the big one and took the other belts with it. I got it home and this morning went out to replace the belts. The engine was a bit dirty so I cleaned it first (Simple green and a hose, dried it with compressed air), then I replaced the belts. I walked into work this afternoon and about five minutes later someone tells me my car is smoking! I run out, open the hood and my #6 spark plug wire is literally ablaze. It had also set a vacuum hose on fire. I got the fire out and disconnected the wire at the distributor. This was about all I could do because I am at work, dressed in all white. Anyone care to guess what would cause this before I start into it? God bless, Sensei

 

[Peer81]

You're a lucky man she didn't burn down to the ground!
Sorry can think of anything that could have caused the problem. Good luck,

Groeten Peter

 

[SIXFOOTER]

You must have moved the plug wire against the header. Once you shut it down and there was no air moving around it flamed up.

 

[fine69]

Whew close call! Thank goodness everything turned out okay.

So when you cleaned your engine, wasn't it cooled off?... or certainly by the time you walked to work? Without the ambient heat, I can't understand what would cause the fire.

Ralph

 

[big2bird]

Anybodys guess Cris. Maybe the loosened oil/grease dripped down to a low point on that plug wire.

 

[big2bird]

Any updates on this?

 

[Sensei]

I still have no idea what happened. I just replaced the burnt wire and plug and have been driving ever since. I'm taking a trip out of state in the car over the weekend, so I guess I'm not too concerned at this point. If I have any trouble on the road, I'll write about it when I get back. God bless, Sensei

 

[big2bird]

Good to hear. Pack a fire estinguisher.

 

[GerryLP]

Chris,

I was wearing my see-into-the-future/past goggles this morning, and I wonder if perhaps you had something land on top of the auxiliary cooling fan thermo-switch, and IT closed the circuit, and it overloaded, and it overheated to a point where fire was created....