Hope we all know better.

42guy

42guy

Senior Member
A friend of mine was trying to start his 35 after sitting over a year. He was sitting inside of car and his son was pouring gas from a plastic cup similar to what sour cream comes in.
The engine backfired igniting the cup of gas and the reaction to jump back, the gas flew and ignited his clothing.
He has 2nd and 3rd degree burns over the top half of his body. He was air lifted to a special burn unit hospital.
LETS ALL KEEP SAFE OUT THERE.
 
I can feel for the young man. The exact thing happened to me 20 years ago. I was trying to start a motor in a van.I was inside with the doghouse off. It backfired and exploded the gas in my hand all over my clothes. I came out of that van on fire. One of my buddies yelled at me to stop, drop, and roll. It took a minute or so for the fire to stop burning. The guys came over to put the fire out. It doesn't go right out. It took me two months to get healed. It is the grace of God that I am not all disfigured. When you guys talk about cleaning parts with gasoline you don't know what you can happen so fast. Leave the gas in the gas tank. Gods speed in his recovery.
 
Sorry about the young man, but would love to give the old msan a smak against the head.
I mean you (old man) have enough knowldge _ ) to lghtthe engine off, but not enough forsight of you have/ aback fire...
I'm sure the dad feels bad...and he ought to./..wch he was the one with the burns..

SFAKINGDUM.


Hope the kld pulls thru, and the old man has 40 years of Kidney stones, day after day after day.
 
I know I've done similar things myself, using either a small paper cup or a plastic water bottle with a little gas in it to prime a carb and start an engine. BUT....I ALWAYS would dribble some gas in the engine and then set the cup on the ground several feet away. More commonly I would take off the top of the carb and fill the bowl with gas, then use the carb accelerator pump to squirt the gas down the engine. Mostly did this on Autolite 2100 or 4100 carbs since the majority of my work was on late 60's Mustangs.

I hope the young man has a speedy recovery. Burn wounds are nasty to heal.
 
Burns are the worst. Anyone who's ever gotten burned know that. I hope he gets better soon. At least for a little while he'll be getting some happy pills. Lets all be careful out there. One note of concern that I see all the time and I want to make a point of is to remember to Block your wheels. I dodged that bullet 3 times now. I've learned my lesson. I hope it doesn't take that young fellow 3 times to learn his.
 
We've all done things that were not so smart when looked back on. I know I continue to do them now, and I know better. Having been a Firefighter/Paramedic for many years, I've seen the end results many times.
Always think/use your head, and listen to others around you. My Son and Son-in-law are around me at work all the time, and continue to remind me of my bad habits. Habits are hard to change, but not impossible!
Prayers for the Dad and Son. I know the Father would gladly change places with his son, in a second, if he could. He needs no further punishment than he is giving himself.
 
Sad to hear these types of stories. This can be a dangerous hobby.

I remember a thread once where someone was boasting about using old, cheap, mustard and ketchup bottles for brake fluid and other fluids in the shop. Seemed like a good idea till someone pointed out that your grandchildren may think it food and try some.

Hope he gets better soon.
 
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I was about say I use a plastic squeez bottle for gas and other adds to. if needed, the grand kids,are older, but great grand kids well be here sometime... maybe?
HOPE HE GETS BACK WITH ALL OF US, WE ALL NEED GOOD CAR GUYS...THANKS
 
It's our responsibility to keep the young ones safe. When I was 16 a buddy was teaching me auto body work. He showed me how to clean the "cheese grater" file by wetting it with enamel reducer and setting it on fire. It worked well and was "way cool" because fire was involved.

I did this once over a bucket and when I lit it, it exploded into a fireball that burned my armhair and eyebrows off. Never again.
 
one of my dads relatives died that same way.
holding the container of gas in his hand when it backfired and ignited the gas in his hand. he jumped back and threw the burning fuel on his chest setting his clothes on fire, went running away breathing in the flames.
burned the inside of his lungs, lungs couldn't pass oxygen to the blood, he died shortly afterward.
lesson ... set the gas down before trying to start.
 
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