Mondial Fires

Considering Mondials share the same engines and associated mechanicals with their 308 (8/qv)/328 (3.2)/348 (T) brothers, I can't imagine the risk of fire being any less. The best defense against fires is to check your hoses/clamps regularly. Most fires are caused by degraded hoses giving up the ghost. As for fire extinguishers. The cute little ones are great for looking, but you are probably just as safe spitting on the car as you run away. They just don't have enough juice to get the job done. If you are inclined to carry an extinguisher, get the biggest extinguisher you can realistically carry, put it someplace easy to access as you bolt from the car, or get a suppression system.

As usual, just my .02

 

Yes, Mondials would have similar risks. The best/first thing to do when buying one of these cars is to replace the rubber fuel lines, including the fuel filler tube and the crossover tube between the dual tanks. It's not expensive to do.

I have seen terrible engine fires in 355s due to badly positioned clamps (guy went to the hospital here in San Diego when his yellow 355 Spider caught fire with the top down). I haven't seen that in a 308/328/Mondial, but it's worth checking.

I keep an extinguisher in front of the passenger seat because it's required for some concours events, but others have recommended having a system mounted in the engine bay so you don't have to open the deck lid of a burning car. To be honest, if there were a fire under the deck lid I would probably be more interested in moving away from the car than releasing the deck lid and lifting it.

 

Welcome.

Search "extinguisher" and several threads will pop-up as to the pros and cons of various types and systems. I vote "YES" you should always carry AT LEAST one (or more; I carry two), AND NLT one in the passenger compartment.

Now I am no where near an oldtimer here, BUT I'd bet 99.99999376234872634% of ALL fires on these cars are due to aged plastic and rubber fuel lines/hoses. JUST REPLACE THEM ALL.

At first glance, my looked just fine. I did not trust them so I started changing them out. I found about 8 very potential fire starting sources in just my fuel injection lines. The operating pressure in those would make a great flame thrower if one were to give up the ghost. There is no doubt the entire car would be engulfed in less then 60 seconds.

I baggered a friend in AZ USA who repeated told me he looked at his lines and they were fine. I told him I LOOKED at mine too, then I RAN MY HANDS ALONG THE LINES WHERE I COULD NOT SEE. I felt a couple of bumps and kinks. ALL potential trouble-spots and made up my mind to change them all out. He then felt his too and I bet turned white. Within 30 minutes he contacted me for fuel line kit info. He told me one broke in his hand.

Now I wonder what I am going to find when I start on the rubber hoses? I can see at least two that I bent and have now appearently broken thru. Dribbling gas on even a cold engine ain't a pretty sight. But it IS a conviencing one.

And today is your lucky day. I have no affileation with either member here other than being a VERY SATISFIED customer. Many others here are too.

IF YOU HAVE decided to change yours out after reading all these threads, contact:

"Verell" for plastic fuel line kits, and

"DaveHelms" for fuel & H2O hose kits.

Both offer great products (as good to MUCH better than OEM) for very good prices. You can do the plastic fuel lines in less than a day. The hoses will take a bit longer. Have not done mine yet so I cannot give a time estimate and I am VERY SLOW regardless.

Good Luck on whatever you decide.

And again .......... W E L C O M E !!!!!!!

 

Put a big extinguisher next to the spare tire.

 

You are still old, though, and absolutely correct. If your car still has the original fuel lines, it is a time bomb. There will be a failure and a leak or seepage. Whether or not you have a fire is the luck of which one goes first.

The only Mondial fire that I have heard of not related to lines was a fluke when someone accidently drilled a hole onto the gas thank during restoration.

 

Geeeee ................. Thanx, Russ .......... on BOTH counts.


You headed back to work my "side of the pond" anytime soon?

 

Do you think you could be a little more accurate Mark.

 

I know I'm probably being very very lazy but............has anyone listed the diameters and lengths of fuel line needed to replace those in a Mondi QV? Winter over here and good project to carry out (meaning to do it for years!)

 

PM "DaveHelms" and/or "Verell" depending on the lines (fuel hoses or injection lines, respectively) you are asking about.

 

Sure. I was just being lazy, Sorry [sniff, hangs head in shame]


But that was just a SWAG (Scientific Wild A$$ed Guess) done in my head rounded off to the nearest quintillionith.




I will endeavor to do better next time.

 

Back to extinguishers....I have a 5# unit mounted on the driver's side of the trunk. It's pretty accessible-probably as fast as fishing in a footwell , and not likely to be stolen, used as a projectile, or really in the way at all.

It may not be perfect, but it beats having nothing.

 

See this thread for the fuel line kits & barb insertion tool ordering info:

Unobtainium Supplies: K-Jetronic (CIS) Plastic Fuel Line/Hose Restoration Kit
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=186689

 

Best mounting is at the driver's seat. At passenger's seat-try to get at it when you are
refueling-or if a passenger is sitting there.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=126748

 

Long hard road but its now down to just paper work....
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Cheap insurance at any price.

Heat, and age from a mid-engine 20-25 yr old car. Spend the money and replace ALL the hoses, whether you THINK that you need them or not.

Dave Helms is a great resource for the fuel lines. He's done a tremendous amount of research into lines which don't decompose, rot, etc -- so can direct you in the right direction.

Scuderia Rampante rules!

John
89 Mondial t cab

 

It doesn't have to be a gas line. My one oil cooler line was sawed through by a sharp edge on the bellhousing (86 mondial) . Oil filled the exhaust heat shield and poof ! oil fire. Check that hose immediatly!

 

Check out page 13 of this thread:

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=106502&highlight=fire&page=13

 

ARGHHH
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If in doubt replace ALL FUEL AND OIL lines.

PERIOD!

problem solved and no halon needed... unless you are tracking your car and them just plumb in a system