951 engine fires

[Frank B]

Are 951 engine fires mostly caused by one of the terminals rubbing itself silly and then arcing or shorting causing an eltrical fire?... I was just curious about this.

Frank B

[PorscheG96]

I've heard of two causes [hopefully I'll never experience one first-hand]

-Fuel lines get baked by hot headers, become old/brittle and begin leaking.

-Starter ground on the clutch bellhousing becoming corroded and arcing.

[Sam Grant]

putting fuel lines over headers that glow red under boost...wow, i just dont get it. from what i know..this is the way almost all of them start.

[Mark_944S2]

I was told that more engine fires are caused by oil and (particularly) brake fluid leaks. If you pour petrol onto a hot surface it doesn't burn - while oil and brake fluid burn like crazy.

Mark

[highboost951]

I think that more are actually attributed to poorly sealed injectors leaking fuel down the cylinder head and being ignited by poor plug wires that are arcing. If your cylinder head or intake manifold has a brown trail coming from an injector area, you have a fuel leak.

[perfecto951]

hmm. i gotta go check my car.

[rob83944]

Main cable from battery to starter can cause engine fire if cable cover is not 100% as it crosses starter.

If this cable shorts on the starter, it melts the plastic cable cover for this cable as well as the cable from the battery to the alternator. I have had both cables melt and one fire.

Solution was to replace both cables with new ones.

[threesticks]

I got my 951 post incinero and it was one of the fuel lines leaking and running down the side of the engine and igniting on the hot exhaust.

On another 951 that I was looking recently the cable that goes to the starter where it passes over the headers had most of the insulation cracked and falling off. I could see bare copper! You should have seen the look on the owners face when this was pointed out to him.

Steve Frew

[coupe]

Ok folks, you are all making me nervous. I have done my injectors, and looks like I will be looking closely at the complete fuel system. Have any of you replaced all the hoses yet?

Regarding the cables to the starter motor, where can I get them? Any of you have any pictures for the above?

[perry951]

On another 951 that I was looking recently the cable that goes to the starter where it passes over the headers had most of the insulation cracked and falling off. I could see bare copper! You should have seen the look on the owners face when this was pointed out to him.

That is what happened to mine. We pinched the main cable when the bell housing went back on. It cut the insulation, and was a matter of time before it grounded out and became a heating element. There was a significant section of wire that was "welded" to the bellhousing when I took it apart.

This cable is not fused, so it is 100% battery power until it goes dead. Since my car was running when it happened, it also got the extra juice from the alternator.

If the fire was not enough, the alt was toasted, and the battery boiled out all the electrolyte.

Check your cables. Fuel fires are much more common.

[andrewgoh]

Thanks for the heads up folks!

My recently purchased 951 is in the shop for some preventative maintenance work. Guess who called a few minutes ago? The shop called to say that they noticed a bulging fuel line above the intake manifold. It is definitely getting a new hose!!!

[highboost951]

Hey, before you get charged a big bill to replace the fuel lines, if they haven't been done before they may still be under factory recall. Guys??? I don't remember if they're still doing it.