How many times have you caught your Subie on fire in one day?

 

So......I'm working on a Secretmobile which all I can say is....it involved cutting the inside of my old Hatch with a grinder. All the upholstry, dash, panels, carpet, insulation is out of the car. There is nothing to burn, just yellow paint and rust inside my car.

 

I'm happily making a cut inside the car near the rear seat foot well/seat area. It has a rust hole there. As I get close to the rusty area.....a spark from the grinder (and there are lots of them) hits the rusty area and bursts into flames?

 

The flames are bright pink/red. It's a small fire that seems to be burning from one spot. The flames are giving off a bunch of silver/white smoke. About as quick as it started it went out?

 

Needless to say I quit working on that area and moved to a different area....a spark from the grinder shot to the same area and POOF! The same area is on fire over a larger area this time and goes out about as fast as it started?

 

Besides being confused now I'm gettin scared. What the heck is happening:confused:

 

Long story short...it caught fire in a similar manner two more times in the same spot? I looked to see if something was spilled on the floor boards but found nothing except smoke coated metal?

 

Why is my Subie catching on fire?

 

Glenn,

82 The Flaming Hatch!

01 Forester

i got an idear, cut out that peace of metal that lights on fire, put it on a table and have a bunch of kids come over and sit on the ground, the spark it so it ignites and saw MAGIC!! then charge them $5 a head. Shean

Hey Bud....

 

What your describing is most likely an area that has been treated with electro-galvinization it is Sheet alum or steel with a galvie coat over it to keep it from rusting so fast...Lol

 

What is happening is with the Rust,Galvi,Heat , and Oxygen your getting just the right combo to get a flash fire going, but as soon as you run out of Hot area, it goes back out.....The White Smoke you see is the Galvinization burning off..IT IS NOT GOOD TO BREATH IT..!!!!

 

Makes you feel like puking.. if you get too much......I know this From experience....

 

Might be time to invest in a Harbor Freight Sawzall...... the 8 inch blade on those makes quick work of a Car body..

 

Hope this enlightens you......

 

Later, Your Bud in Oregon....

Here is some info on the dangers of heating up galvanized metal:

 

http://www.ballarat.edu.au/vfed/manufacturing/ssc/Newsletter23.pdf

 

I could not find anything relating to it causing a flame. Magnesium dust can burn the way you describe, although it usually is a white flame.

Got H.F. Sawzall and I have a 8" demolition/rescue blade. That's how I got the engine/tranny/suspension/tires and wheels out in one Big piece. LOL

 

I've been known to shoot tracers??? The ones with the bright red/pink glow at night. I've also been known to use phosphoric acid to treat rust problems.

 

Putting two and two together, is it possible for old phosphoric acid to burn like phosphors? I don't recall treating this area of the Sub with acid in the past, but I could have?

 

Being a pyro at heart, I think I may pull some rust out and gather the kids around (for $5, at a safe distance) and see if metal will burn?

 

Armed with a fresh change of underware and my sawzall I plan on making another attempt at the cut tonight.

Poof!

 

Yep it happend again...... Smoke and flames were more white this time.

 

Using a grinder to cut the rear floor/hatch area and you guessed it.......

 

I hate this! I think my car is possessed!

 

I has got to be the galvanized metal thing. Nothing else could explain the wide spread area that has a propensity to combust.

 

Now, badly in need of fresh underware, my cutting is finished:brow:

 

What a strange experience.......

 

Glenn,

Shaken but not deturred

Is it possible that during a saty with a previous owner, a rear seat passenger spilled something all over the floor, and it soaked through the carpet, and onto the metal floor?

 

 

We used to burn our trash, and I remember seeing all sorts of different colors of flame from various stuff burning.

 

I'll bet somebody spilled some kind of drink, and it left a residue that is catching fire.

 

RedLance

I doubt that it was something spilt on the carpet..

Steel wool burns so that proves that metal will burn. Rust oxidizes and the start makes it catch on fire..

Some metal's do burn - Magnesium for example. Titanium too, although you have to get it really hot. It's classified as a Class D fire. There's some types of foam that will put one out I think, but not much will stop a burning jet plane from burning right through the deck of a ship. They just push them over the side when that happens, where they continue to burn under water! The metal is an oxidizor - in other words it produces it's own oxygen as it burns. Thus is needs no air to burn in.

 

GD