Today's Lesson in Seven Maintenance

[DeanG]

Definitely

1 - keep a fire extinguisher handy

2 - more than a hint of a gasoline smell means stop and look for a fuel leak, especially when you have been playing with the fuel system.

3 - a drip tray lets you quickly remove gasoline from under the car

4 - it is better to be lucky than good

5 - air conditioning makes many jobs easier and some possible

6 - if you quickly clean up sweat from polished aluminum it stays presentable

 

No fire, just a 1/2 cup of gasoline in the tray and a bit of sizzle on the exhaust. I replaced a hose and tightened the hose clamp down tight and all was well. The gas let me clean the tray of its accumulated drippings.

[James A]

Yea, my son always ask why, before I started cars I'm working on, I would set a fire extinguisher next to me. He ask until one day we need it.

Amen of the A/C comment!

[JBH]

All good stuff there.

 

Reminds me of my 78 911. I was getting an intermittent throttle response, smelled a slight hint of gas (nothing unusual in old 911s), stopped to lift the rear bonnet to see if something was loose and found fuel spraying out of the fuel filter right into the rear fan. I have never moved so fast in my life to get to the ignition key (left side in P cars). I had a fire extinguisher in the front, but one spark and the car and I would have been toast. Counted my blessings that day.

 

You smell gas, shut everything down.