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Aston lost to fire...

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Gliderman8

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A buddy of mine lost his Aston last night. He pulled into a parking garage and went to apply the brakes but the pedal traveled to the floor. He began to pump the pedal and the brake fluid ignited on the hot engine block. Car is probably totaled.
 
Basil

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Gliderman8 said:
A buddy of mine lost his Aston last night. He pulled into a parking garage and went to apply the brakes but the pedal traveled to the floor. He began to pump the pedal and the brake fluid ignited on the hot engine block. Car is probably totaled.
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Terrible! I once lost hydraulic breaks on my Spitfire coming up to a stop light. Rather than pump them, I smoothly applied the parking (aka emergency) break. What model was it?
 
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Gliderman8

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It WAS a DB7.
 
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Gliderman8

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pdplot said:
I hate when that happens. Maybe the engine could be salvaged and shoehorned into a Tr6...
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I'm not so sure the engine made it. The fire department came and sprayed water over the hot engine-- eeek!
 
JPSmit

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Has to be said though - DB7 or not it is still only metal - sounds like the house is still standing and no one was hurt.
 
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Gliderman8

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JPSmit said:
Has to be said though - DB7 or not it is still only metal - sounds like the house is still standing and no one was hurt.
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Exactly right JP. No-one hurt, no damage to building. Insurance will be the next step.
 
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DavidApp

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A friend who was a car repair man by trade bought a DB5 that had been stolen and recovered. Some damage in the recovery included bullet holes in the windshield. The Spanish police mean stop when they raise their hand in a stop gesture.

He did a great job on the repairs and spent endless hours getting the paint to Aston Martin standards.

After he drove it for a while he decided it had to go so it was put on his buddies car lot. It did have a little cam chain rattle, nothing bad but just noticeable. His buddie fancied himself a mechanic and set about adjusting the cam chain tension with the engine running. Ended up going the wrong way with the adjuster and somehow the chain ripped the idler sprocket out of the block, bent several valves and damaged 2 pistons. A very expensive repair to the motor.

David
 
Basil

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DavidApp said:
A friend who was a car repair man by trade bought a DB5 that had been stolen and recovered. Some damage in the recovery included bullet holes in the windshield. The Spanish police mean stop when they raise their hand in a stop gesture.

He did a great job on the repairs and spent endless hours getting the paint to Aston Martin standards.

After he drove it for a while he decided it had to go so it was put on his buddies car lot. It did have a little cam chain rattle, nothing bad but just noticeable. His buddie fancied himself a mechanic and set about adjusting the cam chain tension with the engine running. Ended up going the wrong way with the adjuster and somehow the chain ripped the idler sprocket out of the block, bent several valves and damaged 2 pistons. A very expensive repair to the motor.

David
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Did the buddy lose any fingers?
 
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DavidApp

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I think my friend would have cheerfully cut them off one by one when he heard what had happened to the motor.

As I recall it is an E Type motor but not exactly. Took a while to get it right again.

David
 
Bayless

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Any repair to an Aston Martin motor is expensive. In fact, any repair to anything Aston Martin is expensive.
 
TR3driver

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Yet another reason to like DOT 5.
 
DrEntropy

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That's tragic, Elliot. Makes me rethink about a Halon II fire suppression system or two.
 
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Gliderman8

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My friend did have an extinguisher but it was to hot to handle. I don't know where he had it mounted.
 
TR3driver

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Gliderman8

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Randall is the "Flash Point" a factor to be considered or just the "Auto-ignition temp."?
When a volatile solution comes into contact with a surface hot enough to cause ignition at a specified temp isn't that all that's required to cause a fire?
I'm not sure I understand the difference between Flash Point and Auto-ignition.
 
TR3driver

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"Flash point" refers only to the formation of vapors. The vapors may burn if an ignition source (like a flame or spark) is applied, but don't necessarily do so. For example, the flash point for gasoline is -45F, but obviously it doesn't burst into flame at that temperature. "Auto ignition" is the point at which it spontaneously bursts into flame (in a standard atmosphere and pressure), without the application of a spark or flame.

More at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_point and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoignition_temperature

There is also a distinction between supporting combustion (making a fire) and just being changed by heat. Some plastics, for example, will melt and char, possibly even put out a flame while another flame is applied; but quickly go out once the other flame is removed. Obviously they are preferred for home construction (etc) over materials like wood that feed the fire.
 
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Gliderman8

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Thanks for the thorough explanation.
 
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