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thatbaldwinlife Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2011 Posts: 759 Location: Out exploring
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TequilaSunSet Samba Member
Joined: May 30, 2012 Posts: 2109 Location: Philippines
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 1:44 pm Post subject: |
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Another syncro bites the dust... change dem fuel lines... _________________ Don't harsh my mellow...
1985 Hightower Vanagon 1.8T- Gone
1972 Panel Bus- Gone
1967 Bug- Gone
1964 Euro Sunroof Bug- Gone
1969/72/63 Sunroof Bug- Gone
1975 Brazilian Bug in the Philippines 🇵🇭- New to me |
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BlueGrasser Samba Member
Joined: August 27, 2014 Posts: 562 Location: Sacramento
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 1:46 pm Post subject: |
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NOOOO!!!
Man that sucks
_________________ Going to where the grass is bluer...
1985 Vanagon Westfalia Camper with 1.8T |
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elecakvan Samba Member
Joined: June 11, 2015 Posts: 2
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 1:52 pm Post subject: |
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bummer... |
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61Scout Samba Member
Joined: November 06, 2011 Posts: 1297 Location: Shoreline/Yakima WA
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Steve M. Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2013 Posts: 6798 Location: Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 2:10 pm Post subject: |
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Well what can you say...if their Samba members that's just TFB because it has been over stated enough to change fuel lines and check electrics. Not to be that unsympathetic. Hope no one was hurt, but dammit -it is a known issue among Samba members.
If their not a Samba member then you can say ignorance on their part, but if they did not do the work on it themselves then there is a shop somewhere to blame for not pushing fuel line replacement as a preventive. Or they were told and pooh-poohed it ...who knows!
Loving my "Blazecut" even more! |
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Steve M. Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2013 Posts: 6798 Location: Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 2:20 pm Post subject: |
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One would think there was a fire extinguisher in the gas station... |
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thatbaldwinlife Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2011 Posts: 759 Location: Out exploring
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 2:20 pm Post subject: |
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Maybe it wasn't fuel lines? |
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Steve M. Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2013 Posts: 6798 Location: Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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goldtooth wrote: |
Maybe it wasn't fuel lines? |
yeah true too, that's why I said electrics. |
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BlueGrasser Samba Member
Joined: August 27, 2014 Posts: 562 Location: Sacramento
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 2:31 pm Post subject: |
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Steve M. wrote: |
One would think there was a fire extinguisher in the gas station... |
The article states:
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Workers at the station tried to stop the fire with extinguishers but were unsuccessful.
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The guy (or lady) has my sympathy either way. I'd be devastated. _________________ Going to where the grass is bluer...
1985 Vanagon Westfalia Camper with 1.8T |
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mr white Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2005 Posts: 1193 Location: beautiful Oregon & Mohave County, AZ
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 2:41 pm Post subject: |
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I saw this bus on the tow truck near Cedar Hills. This bus is no longer with us! Glad nobody was killed!! It looked really bad |
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Wildthings Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50255
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 3:16 pm Post subject: |
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Sadly one shouldn't need to be a Samba member to know that these thing are unlit torches. This has been know for day one. VW should have been required to do a recall on the fuel system or at least voluntarily put stickers on the engine lids warning of the dangers of their poorly engineered system.
40 years ago, I changed out the fuel lines on my carbureted rigs every two year or less, and fought poor quality fuel line for years as a mechanic or maintenance supervisor. On seemingly every used rig I bought I removed the added inline filter between the pump and the carb to get rid of that ridiculous aftermarket fire hazard. Only steel between the pump and the carb for me. Then I got into VW and found out they came from the factory with rubber hose between the pump and the carb and about freaked because of how unsafe they were. Next I got into VW vans and found out they were an order of magnitude worse than Type 1's were and not surprisingly had a well deserved reputation for burning from one end to the other.
Then the Vanagon showed up on the scene after VW had been building fire traps for decades and they still didn't come close to getting it right. Lots of plastic line between the engine and the tank and no automatic valves or other precausions to prevent the tank from draining into the engine bay once a fire starts. Obviously tens of thousands of Type 1's and various model Transporters have burned over the years yet VW turned a blind eye to their engineering SNAFU's. I would hate to think what it will cost them if there is ever a class action suit over this issue. |
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Merian Samba Member
Joined: January 04, 2014 Posts: 5212 Location: Orygun
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 3:23 pm Post subject: |
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I agree on the recall.
The bright side is that now a bunch of syncro parts will be there to convert a 2wd... |
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Slimvest Samba Member
Joined: March 20, 2014 Posts: 431 Location: Portland, OR
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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This is my friend's syncro. I rarely see him and can't say anything beyond his van was less than two years into a gowesty motor that was installed by a local shop.
He is very sad, to say the least. Has had the van for over 10 years. _________________ '87 GL w/ Reimo top |
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syncrodoka Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2005 Posts: 11998 Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 4:13 pm Post subject: |
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Sorry to hear that slimvest.
Hope his insurance does him a solid when it comes time to cut the check so that he can find a replacement. |
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Merian Samba Member
Joined: January 04, 2014 Posts: 5212 Location: Orygun
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 4:26 pm Post subject: |
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Slimvest wrote: |
This is my friend's syncro. I rarely see him and can't say anything beyond his van was less than two years into a gowesty motor that was installed by a local shop.
He is very sad, to say the least. Has had the van for over 10 years. |
Tell him we all feel for him. Do you know anything about the maintenance on the fuel hoses, electrical system, etc.?
It seems like some hoses must have been new if the motor is new...
He can start over with a 2wd and use this Van for parts, or rebuild this one, depending on how damaged it is. |
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VWinVT Samba Member
Joined: April 21, 2013 Posts: 1541 Location: North East Kingdom
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 4:42 pm Post subject: |
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How awful...glad no one was injured... _________________ 1981 Westfalia with a 2001 Cabrio ABA
Small wheel turns by the firing rod,
Big wheel turns by the grace of God.
Every time that wheel turns 'round,
You're bound to cover just a little more ground. |
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IdahoDoug Samba Member
Joined: June 12, 2010 Posts: 10239 Location: N. Idaho
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 6:27 pm Post subject: |
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Wow, bummer. Funny the smoke color doesn't scream gasoline fire to me, but I don't know if that was after things calmed down or flames died down or what. It kinda looks electrical-ish. Fuel fires generally end MUCH worse.
Glad nobody was hurt. _________________ 1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader |
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DAV!D Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2013 Posts: 979 Location: EL CAMINO
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 6:51 pm Post subject: |
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Merian wrote: |
Slimvest wrote: |
This is my friend's syncro. I rarely see him and can't say anything beyond his van was less than two years into a gowesty motor that was installed by a local shop.
He is very sad, to say the least. Has had the van for over 10 years. |
Tell him we all feel for him. Do you know anything about the maintenance on the fuel hoses, electrical system, etc.?
It seems like some hoses must have been new if the motor is new...
He can start over with a 2wd and use this Van for parts, or rebuild this one, depending on how damaged it is. |
2 years is on modern rubber lines with ethanol fuel is like 30 years with the original lines. The fuel we use today absolutely destroys the rubber hoses.
My last van when I swapped the motor I used fuel line from the big box auto stores and it wasn't even 6 months before the lines were cracking.. I had to replace them at that time with better quality hose. _________________ 86 Syncro Build - Ecotec Motor Swap - Pop Top Conversion - Camper Build & Syncro Conversion |
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bluebus86 Banned
Joined: September 02, 2010 Posts: 11075
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 6:53 pm Post subject: |
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Maybe it can be fixed. I don't see any evidence from the photos that fire extinguishers were used but maybe they tried that after the photos were taken. you got to act quick with an extinguisher, wasted time can make the difference between a successful fire fight and loosing it.
_________________ Help Prevent VW Engine Fires, see this link.....Engine safety wire information
Stop introducing dirt into your oil when adjusting valves ... https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=683022 |
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