From: m35products (m35prod@optonline.net)
Date: Mon Nov 22 2004 - 20:55:17 PST
Darwinism at work.
apb
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jack" <milveh@sbcglobal.net>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Monday, November 22, 2004 5:42 PM
Subject: [MV] Word to the wise...
> It's not a military vehicle incident, but it does
> apply to diesel engines in general and its a good
> lesson in caution!
>
> I had been working with this dielsel tractor trying to
> get the starter switch working. I needed to use it
> ASAP, so I did what most folks would do, I just hot
> wired it. On a tractor and as most of you know on
> MV's too, this is a real simple process. Takes about
> 5 seconds using a heavy wire or steel tool. In this
> case I touched a screw driver across two contact
> points on the solenoid and she started right up, no
> problem. So far so good.
>
> So I am explaining this process to one of the guys who
> would be driving this tractor. I was showing him which
> places to touch if the tractor needed starting before
> we could get the new switch installed. Still no
> problem and I did it again...perfect.
>
> But, on the third demonstration, uh, well the screw
> driver I was using was kinda big and there was this,
> uh, steel fuel line about 8 inches away! You can
> guess what happened next. I touched the line by
> accident and it arc'ed. In a flash it punched a tiny
> hole thru the fuel line. The stream of diesel ignited
> and fortunately it went right out.
>
> This line goes from the injector pump back to the
> uptake pump, only it was not running...thankfully!
>
> Lesson here: Your 24 volt system is real hot. In
> fact it is so hot it can weld steel if shorted in just
> a blink. Fuel lines, even steel lines are real thin
> metal and it doesn't take much to pierce one of these
> lines. Keep fuel lines well away from electricals!
> lol
>
> Here's a bit of irony, that bad fuel line had been
> rubbing on the block and it had worn a spot in the
> line and why it had not burst open, I'll never know.
> I had no clue that was happening as it was not in an
> area easy to see. Had I not screwed up and shorted a
> hole in the line, we figured in a few hours of running
> she would have broken open anyway and spewed fuel
> right onto the hot exhaust pipe under pressure. It
> would have been far out in the field too.
>
> Adversity happens for a reason, they say, I guess so,
> cause it sure did in this case!
>
> P.S. When I reinstalled a new line I put a 1/2" rubber
> hose around it to shield it from any possible metal to
> metal rubbing or electrical shorting. Works like new,
> actually better because its safer.
>
>
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