From: Jack (milveh@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Mon Nov 22 2004 - 21:15:56 PST
--- m35products <m35prod@optonline.net> wrote:
> 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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>
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>
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