How do I prevent engine fires on my 1973 VW bus?

It's an air cooled engine. Do I just need to check to make sure it has enough water?








I went to a VW forum but they were useless as they just lead me to a thousand other links that I would have to search through when I would just like a quick answer.





Thanks!|||You dont need water for your car, unless you want some for yourself. Your main concern on your bus is the fuel lines in the engine compartment. You should change them every 1 to 2 years, however I do mine every year. The fuel line gets brittle and could crack. Also, many people place an extra fuel filter in the engine compartment. Most do not recommend this for 2 reasons, 1: it sits above the distributor, and 2. the line could loosen the carb brass tube that the fuel line connects to, thus spraying fuel all over your hot engine. You maybe asking why then doesn't the engine just shut off when the line leaks/carb brass tube falls out? Well, you are driving a carburated vehicle with a float that fills with gas, allowing you to run even when the lines are broken. Buy a fire extinguisher. Yeah, it costs money but a 15 dollar investment can save your 3500 investment. Other precautions you can take are simple, like making sure all the proper cooling tin is in place. VW designed the engine with cooling vanes and a thermostat. Over several years (and probably owners) yours may not have them. While your engine will still run without them, they are an important part of keeping your engine cool. Furthermore, check to make sure no debris gets in the fan every once in a while. While the engines OFF, reach your hand behind the fan shroud and make sure nothing was sucked up in there. I have found some newspaper in a bus one time, fixed the overheating problem. One last thing, you need to check the oil once a week (should be in between the 2 lines on the dipstick, if it gets to the lower one add a little each time until you get to the top line or at least near it. NEVER over fill the oil). Keep a spare fan belt and 10 shims so if your fan belt breaks, you can replace it on the fly (110 freeway, downtown LA 7:00pm for me). I am leaving you 2 links for your vehicle, 1 mostly applies because beetle and bus have the same engine stuff, and another is for busses. You may want to pick up a manual for your bus along with the "compleat idiots guide". I know your not an idiot, but this book is so simply written, anyone who can read can fix a VW. Good luck and happy motoring.





www.vw-resource.com


www.type2.com|||Just make sure to avoid driving in places that do not have air.|||doesnt require water/only oil and make sure fan belt is attached|||most of the vw fires are due to the gas line separating from the carb, a quick fix is to take the gas line off and take the nipple that goes into the carb and take it out and put the other end into the carb and attach the fuel line and you are done|||Make sure it is always full of oil and that the alternator charge light works. If it throws a belt, the charge light will turn on so you know to STOP. The cooling fan is attached to the alternator so if it throws a belt, the engine is no longer getting cooled.


As far as VW fires, they are generally caused by old cracked fuel lines. Mainly the fuel line going from the tank to the fuel pump. The line goes from a hard line to a rubber line just behind the engine. Where the two join, the rubber hose cracks and squirts fuel onto the #3 cylinder (runs the hottest) and catches on fire. I like to double wrap the rubber fuel line with a larger diameter line to keep the fuel line from getting hot and brittle. I also regularly check the fuel line from the fuel pump to the carb. It gets very hot in the engine bay and the rubber will dry out and crack.





As far as water, it dies not have a radiator and is not a water cooled engine. To help keep the engine cool, an aftermarket oil cooler will help.|||you could go with an electric fan