engine fire ...small

[vettestr]

Hey Gang,
I learned cheapo spark plug wire separators BURN and I mean burn not just melt! The chromed wire separators attached under 2 outboard valve cover bolts and had plastic looking blocks holding 4 - 3 - 2 then the last plug wire over each header tube. The plastic block melted and fell/slid down the wire landing on a header tube.

I got off a freeway run of about 8 miles and then 2 miles to my home. After pulling into the garage I opened the hood to put her to bed for the night not knowing there was a problem other than a smell. Flames .. about 6 inch high from plastic melted on the tube. SHIIIIT, grabbed a powder fire extinguisher but thought about the mess and saw a beach towel to smother it. The burning plastic stuck to the towel so I could keep folding it inside till fire was out. It burned that plugs wire insulation off completely.

Engine temp was fine, nothing touching that I could see to cause this, other than the plastic was not able to take under hood temps. If the fire started when I was still at speed to feed this fire I think it could have really taken off. They are about 6 mo's old and I have driven this route a dozen times but I dodged a big bullet