Crankcase vent hose and engine fire

[tiger]

Ok, last night I was driving my rebuilt SR20det in my 240 home from a friends shop, we spent most of the day getting it ready to drive on the road, fixing leaks, putting on the exhaust, ect... well on the way home I see sparks flying out in my rear view mirror.. i started to become concerned because I smelled something weird and the sparks were starting to look like flying pieces of firey debris.... anyway.. I pulled over asap and my friend behind me and we popped the hood and there was a fire right on the exhaust manifold.. i was so scared.. we put it out with some t shirt and a pair of pants.. the hose that I attached for the crankcase vent had caught fire.... we were assuming that somehow the hose blew off and touched the manifold and then caught fire.. I was so lucky though.. i thought my little car was going to burn up! I remember noticing the hose didn't look like it was attached properly to the hard line coming from the block but I got distracted and forgot to fix it.. I do remember tightening everything down really well around there... is there any way this line could be seeing boost?? What would I check for ? I need to take this car to the store so i can get something to replace it like a S.S. Line, everything is fine elsewhere but I don't have a tube for this crankcase vent... I'm going to go out and look over everything and hopefully I will have some advice waiting for me when I get back . Thanks in advance.

*************This picture is one from when the motor was in my 180sx... the hose that caught fire was NOT the one in this picture... it was a hose that didn't have that special heat shield/wrapping on it. *********************



Modified by tiger at 6:19 AM 11/14/2007

Modified by tiger at 8:20 AM 11/14/2007
Modified by tiger at 9:30 AM 11/16/2007

[blinker_fluid]

Thats the line for the oil catch can on the exhaust side. If that was resting on the exhaust manifold it could get hot enough to catch fire. Make sure you clean the melted rubber off and double check everything in the area of the fire.

[tiger]

thanks. I have plugged both sides where that line should be so I can drive up to the shop tonight and not worry about something there catching fire. Thanks for replying.

[TeamTorqueJuggernaut]

You are lucky, just last week my friends had the samething happen. The oil catch can hose fell off on the manifold and cought fire. By the time we popped the hood the fire was to big to put out with a shirt. We finally got it out the MAF, wiring harness, Clutch and Brake master cylinder, and the coil pack were all melted. I think his Power FC was also messed up.

[tiger]

oh god that sucks... It's not a rare happening with sr's... I am eventually going to replace those lines with Stainless steel braided lines. It's the only way to avoid it... I have the vac hoses on now but they are protected by heat wrap. Going to buy a small extenguisher for the car too,...

maybe this post can remind people who dont have those hoses on to double check them and make sure they are protected.

[idahotuner]

TeamTorqueJuggernaut

your sig looks huge. might need to resize it

[Rosco]

I used those spark plug boot covers to protect mine. Also make sure you are using heater hose that can withstand the pressure and temps. AN lines would ideal though.

[Emperor_Tha]

having the heat shield on should be ok right?