The new EFFIE... F350 we call Black Bettie burnt last Saturday.
New = 1985 F350 4WD tray for towing the gooseneck...
Towing a big load of gravel up '
grey hill' which follows on from '
red hill', both gravel based hills of some note....... lost the clutch.
I pulled over to think about things. An overcast day .. it had rained.
A small tendril of smoke was rising from the bonnet. 'Hot' methinks....'very hot'... must be dust and oil smoking....... NO!!!! WORSE THAN THAT..
Jump out,,, run around to the other side where the bonnet release is [damn Yank car]..... run to the front.... How the @#$%^&*($%^&*(^&*()_^&*( do you open this bonnet?!!!!!! In 3 calmer previous occasions I had worked out the press down lever instead of other pull back lever designs..
Not now..... and as I struggled.... a red glow grew ominously at the back of the engine bay..... panic.... [okay I'm not that good in an emergency]
Finally I flip the bonnet open.... not without skinned hands and blood.... not enough to put out a fire though.
and.... yes there was a fire..... WITH FLAMES now..
Oh FFF.....orgoodnessake..... the only vehicle we drive without a fire extinquisher ...yet.
Wet gravel from beside the road .. FLING GRAVEL.... flames die down....FLAMES FLARE UP.....FLING GRAVEL.... flames die down... as I bed down again for the next hand full FLAMES FLARE..... FLING GRAVEL..... FLAMES DIE/FLARE.....
Mobile out speed dial Jen [my better 3/4] drop on road beside me as I still throw hands full of gravel "TRUCK ON FIRE.... TOP OF
HILL... BRING EXTINQUISHER!!!!!"
[turn off phone.... don't want to waste $$$]
Remember the LPG! Run to the back and turn off tank.... MORE GRAVEL... MORE, MORE, MORE..... no Jen yet. Phone rings....
WHERE ARE YOU? %^&*()
"Top of road........ NO SORRY ... TOP OF
GREY HILL" Only 2 ks from 'top of road'
Fire nearly out now...... but bludy windscreen wipers working AND I NEVER TURNED THEM ON........ sparks..... shorting ......
Out with the Leatherman and hack hack hack at the battery terminals and leads.... shorting stops but fire is still going underneath.
Under the belly of Black Bettie...... hmmmm is this dangerous?
Flinging more gravel and sand onto the fire.... Oh.... I see the header wrap and extractors near the slave cylinder boot currently on fire.... I know why we have a fire now. .... pity the bloke didn't warn me.... this has happened before!!
Jen slides to a stop spraying gravel over my prone body..... but not the fire...'cos it's out.
Well.... sorta.... we empty the extiquisher over the whole area, but the air filter continues to smoke.... fixed with a bag of IV fluid she just happens to carry with her. [ambo].....
Good news .... I'm not dead..... [my opinion only at the time... cos it's her effie]
Good news.... Black Betty is not burnt to a crisp..... or my tandem trailer with the concreting gravel and cement mixer and.......
DAMN A BLUDY BIG SHOVEL that could have put the fire out in a couple of goes..... [I'm not good in an emergency]
I look down at my skinned, scraped and bleeding hands.
Good news.... I have battle scars and a good yarn
Then the Bad News..........
Slave cylinder hard to get..... had to go to a specialist outlet cos they are obsolete.
They're plastic.... so is the line. The line is not available anywhere.... but local Enzed help me fabricate one......
I have traced the electrics and rewired in a 'bush way'. Meanwhile I have stuffed the starter motor....
A couple of sunny days and time and motivation.... and $$$$
Black Betty will live again......
Must get a covernote on her soon..... 3r p prop fire and theft only....not worth more.
Had a fire?
Cheers Royce