Fire Vulnerability

a place to discuss anything of interest to owners of M151 jeeps

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Mutt Hunter
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Fire Vulnerability

Unread post by Mutt Hunter » January 13th, 2021, 2:21 pm

Ken The Mutt Guru (or anybody),

Are you in possession of any historical data (Army Safety Center, etc) somewhere in your archives on MUTTs destroyed or severely damaged by fire?

As i've started driving my jeep on short trips around my house/town, i've started pondering the virtues of driving around while sitting on top of a tank of mogas. Like many of you, i've been affected by the memories of good men dying in bad fires and its always in the back of my mind.

Admittedly, all of the fire experiences i've witnessed have been caused by IEDs or by terrible accidents, but on my last trip i noticed how hot the floor gets in the proximity of my fuel tank and metal lines. Clearly the floor isn't getting to 536 degrees f to ignite fuel spontaneously, but it feels pretty darn weird to feel the floor hot to the touch so close to the fuel and fuel lines...and i have to wonder out loud how vulnerable (statistically--not anecdotally) somebody is in a side impact crash.

dee
United States Army - 1986-2012
35th Sig Bde (Airborne)
82nd Airborne Division Artillery
B Co, Joint Communications Support Element (Airborne)
1st Infantry Division
US Special Ops Command
Commander, 3rd Joint Communications Squadron (Airborne)
US Central Command

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m3a1
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Re: Fire Vulnerability

Unread post by m3a1 » January 13th, 2021, 3:21 pm

You should sign your MUTT over to me. You will sleep better at night. I guarantee it.

Cheers,
TJ

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Mutt Hunter
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Re: Fire Vulnerability

Unread post by Mutt Hunter » January 13th, 2021, 5:10 pm

I was waiting for that...cheers back atcha.
United States Army - 1986-2012
35th Sig Bde (Airborne)
82nd Airborne Division Artillery
B Co, Joint Communications Support Element (Airborne)
1st Infantry Division
US Special Ops Command
Commander, 3rd Joint Communications Squadron (Airborne)
US Central Command

kmam
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Re: Fire Vulnerability

Unread post by kmam » January 13th, 2021, 5:25 pm

A common setup back in those days. The Land Rover Series 2A used by the Australian Army in that period had a fuel tank under both the driver and passenger seat. I can't say I ever heard of any issues with that and I suspect the same applies to the MUTT.
Howard

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rickf
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Re: Fire Vulnerability

Unread post by rickf » January 13th, 2021, 5:42 pm

If you are in a side impact crash you probably will not even know about the fire. You are too young to remember the old Ford and Chevy pickup trucks where the gas tank was in the cab with you behind the seat, And we all smoked back then. And going back even further was the old Ford Model A, the gas tank was behind the dash hanging over your legs. As long as the gas tank is not compromised in an accident or rust through then the chance of fire is about zero. Think about this, you have an electric fuel pump in the tank. And they still do that up to this day. I have seen many cases, including mutts, where the wires have shorted and arced to pieces in the tank. The key is the air to fuel ratio, there is not enough oxygen to support combustion in the tank. Now, That said the VC in Vietnam had a neat little trick where they pulled the filter screen out of the gas tank filler and they would slip in a hand grenade with a rubber band around the handle. The rubber band would eventually break in the gas and BANG. Hence they came up with the locking gas caps.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

199th mp
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Re: Fire Vulnerability

Unread post by 199th mp » January 13th, 2021, 7:27 pm

we wrecked a few M151's in the nam, convoy use attacks, but no fires.
Last edited by 199th mp on January 14th, 2021, 7:45 am, edited 1 time in total.

Mark
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Re: Fire Vulnerability

Unread post by Mark » January 13th, 2021, 8:27 pm

what about the gas can on the back of the 151, getting rear ended I am sure may have started fires.Ya I can remember the gas tanks in the cabs like rickf mentioned,
mark


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1981 m151A2
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Re: Fire Vulnerability

Unread post by rickf » January 13th, 2021, 8:37 pm

Even a gas can getting smashed does not guarantee a fire, Something has to light it. Many years of driving tow trucks and I can't tell you how many accidents I was at where that gas tanks ruptured but there was no fire. As long as nothing lights it off you are good to go.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

kmam
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Re: Fire Vulnerability

Unread post by kmam » January 14th, 2021, 12:42 am

I know it sounds/is crazy, but the mechanic at a garage I used in 1966 had a cut-off bottom section of a 4 gal drum with petrol in it for cleaning, etc. He use to throw his lit cigarette butts in there and they would just extinguish!
Howard

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Re: Fire Vulnerability

Unread post by Mark » January 14th, 2021, 3:07 am

It is the fumes of gasoline that ignite with an open flame
mark


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Re: Fire Vulnerability

Unread post by lpcoating » January 14th, 2021, 8:32 am

My favorite was when I raced a dirt track car and would watch guys put race fuel in their cars with a lit cigarette hanging out of their mouth. The safety approach was they would turn their heads while pouring the fuel.

Guy
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Re: Fire Vulnerability

Unread post by rickf » January 14th, 2021, 11:03 am

lpcoating wrote:
January 14th, 2021, 8:32 am
My favorite was when I raced a dirt track car and would watch guys put race fuel in their cars with a lit cigarette hanging out of their mouth. The safety approach was they would turn their heads while pouring the fuel.

Guy
Been there, done that!
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
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12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

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Re: Fire Vulnerability

Unread post by m3a1 » January 14th, 2021, 11:59 am

lpcoating wrote:
January 14th, 2021, 8:32 am
My favorite was when I raced a dirt track car and would watch guys put race fuel in their cars with a lit cigarette hanging out of their mouth. The safety approach was they would turn their heads while pouring the fuel.

Guy
Is that where the lyric "Look away, Dixieland" came from? :lol:

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Re: Fire Vulnerability

Unread post by bazookajoe » January 14th, 2021, 5:14 pm

Actually, the gas tank rests on the flange around the circumference of the tank, so there is an air space between the top of the jeep flooring and the bottom of the tank, so you dont get much heat transfer. No worries.

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Re: Fire Vulnerability

Unread post by svramselaar » January 16th, 2021, 7:39 am

Hi
If you think à possebillety of fire at à. petroltank
Dont drive à modern car.
They all have à electric pump inside the tank :shock:
Wath do you think if The tank is nearly empty. :lol:

George

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