Engine fire! Choke melted.

[428Marauder]

Ok, first I realize that I need to get and carry a fire extinguisher. Luckily this happened at home and I was able to get a hose on it, but it still took a good 60 seconds to extinguish. Car had been sitting for a couple weeks. I bought some Taylor sheathing that is supposed to insulate fuel lines from heat, and was trying to make that fit, cost like $35 and of course, it's too small to fit over my existing fuel line. So, maybe I will buy some metal fuel lines, or maybe I will return it. Anyway hooked it all back up, started the car, and it fired up. (Note it's 102 here in Arizona). Pretty quickly the car stalled, and then I had trouble starting it. This is standard for the vapor locky/flooding issues I have been having. So, I was trying to start it, it flooded, and somehow caught fire.

Damage I can see is some electrical wires were melted and I will cut and replace them and the choke melted off the side of the carb.

A mechanic before had suggested upgrading to an electric choke, so that and a fire extinguisher ... anybody got any other suggestions? Suggestions for an electric choke kit?

Thanks.

[428Marauder]

ETA, got it started and sprayed some carb cleaner in it. Looks like the spark came from a loose connection at the coil. So I guess, even with the choke melted off and some wires toasted, still runs just like it did. Still gonna replace those wires. It's been really frustrating getting this thing running right. One thing I have not done is replaced the plug wires, so it seems like a good time to do that, even though they seem to have survived the fire without any damage.

[428Marauder]

I wish I had a video of it. Open the hood, throw a rubber yoga mat on it, didn't put it out ... Pull it back off. Throw it back on, pull it back off. Then ran for the hose, still took me 60 seconds or more of spraying water on it to put out the burning gasoline. Then amazingly, without really anything being done to fix the damage ... starts fine, just like it did before the fire.

Car is cursed.

I have bought and sold a lot of classic cars in my day, fixed up and sold Jeeps and auto parts. Never have I ran into one this stubborn.

But let me put it to you this way ... i was an old school Ford guy. Right? Loved Mustangs, owned a couple, as well as a 65 Galaxie (that car got destroyed when it was hit by a frieght train) ...but my Dad taight me some basic mechanic skills, my brother knew more than him, could rebuild my 390 if he was still alive. Talented mechanic.

I got a gem here, I got some cash where I coild get it painted and finished, I got a parts car ... If I can't sell it, I'm gonna start tearing down the 390 myself.


Here's the deets:
It's a zero of none. This car is so rare, it doesn't actually exist.

Here's the breakdown (and forgive me if I am off by more than 5)

1965 Mercury Park Lane convertible. I was an old Ford guy ...you Know how many of these Imhave ever seen? Zero. They made like 3,005 of them, total.

So, of that 3005 total cars, some were split bench, some were buckets and a console. Lotta old Mercury records have been lost. You can't get a Marti report for this car. All of them came with the Z code, hipo 390. We can figure 2,000 or so total were bench seat cars.

So, 2,000 cars, you start to break down paint codes ... i'm sure a lot were red, black or white. We don't have the info to break down the color rarity, but of those 2,000 cars, how many do you think were made in "Tiffany Blue"? This car should be on a TV show or something. They didn't make the 428 until 1966, btw. Zero of none!

[428Marauder]

Lol,,omg I am so sorry. That post was meant for some fantasy football friends of mine. They know I love the car so they talk smack about how I "claim" it's a rare specimen.

Got a 68 428 service block in it. Webbed, true "Cobra Jet" crankshaft. I have photos of the 1U mark.

They never made a 65 Mercury ANYTHING with a 428. The 428 didn't come out until 66.

Zero of none ... It's a custom car, one of a kind. Spent almost 5 years saving it. Was destined to be crushed. I call her Christine. Catches on fire one minute, starts up fine the next. Almost like the car repaired itself.

It's a labor of love. Someone had to step up and save a rare .... possibly cursed car.

[Drew Pojedinec]

What is this choke mechanism you speak of?  I never had one of those.

Tho I'll admit, I'm interested in the fact that you have a yoga mat in your shop, but no large clean rags or fire extinguisher.

[Lenz]

What is this choke mechanism you speak of?  I never had one of those.

Tho I'll admit, I'm interested in the fact that you have a yoga mat in your shop, but no large clean rags or fire extinguisher.

Insightful commentary Drew ;D.  I have one of those choke mechanisms, only I've never actually seen it.  You give it a shot of gas, tap lightly and rapidly with your right foot for a few seconds after fireup and she levels right off.

428M, sorry to hear of your near disaster, glad you got it put out with minimal damage.  I'd recommend 2 extinguishers, a small one for ride along in your Merc and one for the wall in your shop.  Water on a gas fire can be and often is a very bad thing.

As far as the choke goes, I'd consider thinking about whether you even need one for casual use.  I can see where a choke would easily set you up for flooding in 102 outside air temp.  Once you hose the plugs down you're done.  Good luck with getting it all sorted out.

[Drew Pojedinec]

On a related note.
We had an engine room fire some years ago and in our haste used a dry chemical extinguisher on it.  (we were 400miles offshore and slightly concerned for our continued safety seeing as how the boat was full of 42000 gallons of diesel)

anyway, what a freakin mess.  Corroded wires, ruined the deckplates etc etc, i can't imagine discharging one under the hood of a classic car.
Co2 extinguishers are expensive, this is true, and they work by smothering, which is cool, but not as useful in a windy enviroment.  I recently saw at a hardware store some Foam Extinguishers, and I think that could be the trick for a fuel fire.  In the meantime I like the huge rag or old towel for a small carburetor type fire.

[bn69stang]

Well said Drew , sorry to hear about the fire 428 m - lesson learned , choke - dont have one and the 435 inch 28 starts fine always , keep us posted on the repair s .. Bud

[428Marauder]

Maybe, it will run better without the choke? It was really a non functional choke to begin with. No cable. Car seems to run fine.

Car is parked on gravel, so I use the yoga mat sometimes as padding when I work on the car and I have to be kneeling, or lying on the ground. Fire extinguisher is next on my buy list. There was a sheet, in the car, but likely too thin and would just burn.

Nothing I could do. Hose it down, or let it burn out. Seemed like forever, prolly under 3 minutes.

So, fire extinguisher, we don't need no stinking choke, plug wires .... and I was thinking about getting some metal fuel line tubing to run from the pump to the carb and then I could use this heat sleeving I bought. Tired of this car stalling on me.

[Drew Pojedinec]

I live in near the Georgia/Florida line, so it is warm here too.  Living without a choke means firing up the engine, holding it at 1200 rpms for 30 seconds.  This is just the first start of the day, even in winter.

The Foam extinguisher I saw was $14, really no excuse to not have one at that price.

I use braided stainless steel hose for everything just cuz...  It is cheaper than you think, probably do the whole car for under $200.
More issues in the heat?  block the exhaust crossover, route the fuel lines away from any heat, as much carb spacer/heat insulator as you can fit, etc.  That all helps.

[428Marauder]

I did not warm it up properly. The real mistake was trying to start it after it stalled, flooding the carb. That and having a spark off the coil that was raw. Black smoke started coming from under the hood. I knew pretty much it was gonna be worse once I opened the hood. Kinda freaked out ... car is not fully insured yet.

Carb floods ... spark by the coil ... big fire. Lucky I was at home.