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Coach fire, 1 less Inspire

Yahoo Message Number: 80627
After a fire in rear cap, coach 51321 is probably to be declared a total loss. Fuel injector repairs had left engine oil in muffler. With up to 2 gallons of oil in muffler, Caterpillar people were not concerned of potential fire. 0.7 miles of travel in a 40 M/H zone was enough to start the fire. Heat of oil burning in muffler caused tail pipe to open along seam on top side, about 1/3 of top side of tail pipe was gone. Burning oil & much heat were blown into space between rear cap & bedroom wall.
In less than 2 miles travel rear cap & bedroom were burning. Turbo charger, PAC brake, header pipe & muffler all are good. Of whole exhaust system, only tail pipe was damaged by burning engine oil in exhaust system.
I think if tail pipe had failed without oil, then one hard climb would have heated inside of rear cap enough to start fire. How does your tail pipe look?
--

God Bless You,

Eric Lee Elliott

phone 832.340.0216

email hooyah@...
web http://ericelliott.us
Jesus said "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me"?. John 14

Common sense is not. NRA Life Member.

Re: Coach fire, 1 less Inspire

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 80629
Thank you Jesus that nobody was hurt. I'd say its time to lawyer up and send Cat a nasty gram. They knew about the oil and did nothing about it. I despise law suits but sometimse that's the right course of action.

Steve & Jane

1998 Intrigue

#10557

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Re: Coach fire, 1 less Inspire

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 80630
Steven, I don't have a Cat in my coach, but how long has this been going on/oil buildup? John/Jackie

Quote
To: Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com > From: sfortier@...

Date: Sun, 1 Jul 2012 04:41:00 +0000 > Subject: RE: [Country-Coach-Owners] Coach fire, 1 less Inspire > > Thank you Jesus that nobody was hurt. I'd say its time to lawyer up and send Cat a nasty gram. They knew about the oil and did nothing about it. I despise law suits but sometimse that's the right course of action.

Steve & Jane

1998 Intrigue

#10557

______

From: Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com [Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com] on behalf of Eric Lee Elliott [hooyah@...] > Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2012 11:17 PM > To: Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com > Subject: [Country-Coach-Owners] Coach fire, 1 less Inspire > > After a fire in rear cap, coach 51321 is probably to be declared a total > loss. Fuel injector repairs had left engine oil in muffler. With up to 2 > gallons of oil in muffler, Caterpillar people were not concerned of > potential fire. 0.7 miles of travel in a 40 M/H zone was enough to start > the fire. Heat of oil burning in muffler caused tail pipe to open along > seam on top side, about 1/3 of top side of tail pipe was gone. Burning > oil & much heat were blown into space between rear cap & bedroom wall.
In less than 2 miles travel rear cap & bedroom were burning. Turbo > charger, PAC brake, header pipe & muffler all are good. Of whole exhaust > system, only tail pipe was damaged by burning engine oil in exhaust system.
I think if tail pipe had failed without oil, then one hard climb would > have heated inside of rear cap enough to start fire. How does your tail > pipe look?

--

God Bless You,

Eric Lee Elliott

phone 832.340.0216
email hooyah@...

web http://ericelliott.us
> Jesus said "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me"?. John 14 >

Common sense is not. NRA Life Member.

info/terms/

Re: Coach fire, 1 less Inspire

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 80635
Eric, I was surprised to find the tailpipe of my coach badly deteriorated (rusted?) with numerous perforations a couple of weeks ago - especially at the 90 degree bend prior to the exhaust tip. It had been venting very hot exhaust against the inside of the rear cap, and it was just a matter of time before it would have damaged the fiberglass, or worse.
Since I was in the middle of a long road trip, I repaired it just like in the old days - - beer cans, bailing wire and plenty of exhaust bandage.
It's really ugly, but effective.

Your note to examine tailpipes is spot on.

Sorry for your misfortune,
Jay

05 Inspire 51457 CAT

Re: Coach fire, 1 less Inspire

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 80636
I'm not trying to start a war here but I just checked my tail pipe and it's fine. Both of your coaches are '05s with CAT engines. Mine is an '04 with a Cummins.
Is it possible that the CAT design is amiss or does heat and or moisture content have anything to do with it?

George

'04 Inspire 51061

Coach fire, 1 less Inspire

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 80637
On 7/1/2012 8:58 AM, Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com wrote:

Quote
Coach fire, 1 less Inspire
We are happy to hear that, in spite of these cataclysmic events, you were fortunate enough to have events work out in behalf of your safety.
It is called luck, and you had it.

Ken

Re: Coach fire, 1 less Inspire

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 80638
Eric:

Glad to hear you are OK! Haven't seen you post in some time. Hope you not working to hard. I will check mine next week when I get back to the coach. Thanks for the heads up!

Gil B

'05 Inspire
51322
 

Coach fire, 1 less Inspire

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 80650
When I bought our 99 Allure Five years ago the Tail Pipe was weak, I did a patch after replacing the Muffler with a NAPA one. and made it to Rapid City S.D. Thanks god Johnny's truck repair had a pipe, The one on ours was cheap steel but I see on newer CC's they use S.S. Working for Cat I had several stack fires caused from a Rotor in a Turbocharger shaft snapping in half. I have worked on thousands in my other life and this is Rare!. The oil quickly fills the turbo casing and the exhaust piping and muffler and a reselt of noise loss of power and tons of white smoke followed by flames. My hart goes out to you on the stack failure. Some Cat Mufflers are double insulated for heat blockage not filling the engine house. Lucky for me I did not have a failure but just some black soot inside ihe house. Our older Coach has Alum. skirting. All you owners out there I always tell my endusers Inspect! Inspect Inspect!!! Dont need fires. Due to the Yahoo one word reading's for now hope you can read this. Ken 99 Allure 30356.