BACK FIRING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 291, 7 December 1929, Page 13

BACK FIRING

Many are under the impression that a back-fire through the carburetter is the greatest potential source of fire. This is true only if the fire has something to feed upon in the shape, say, of fuel leaking from the petrol tap or a flooding carburetter and becoming vaporised by the heat under the bonnet. Given a perfectly leak-proof system, a back-fire is not so dangerous as might be imagined. Assuming that it takes place when the engine is running the danger is very remote. If however, the engine stops at the same time that a blow-out takes place, a tiny flame feeding on a small quantity of liquid fuel, which may be deposited in the air intake, as the result of the backfire, may appear. If it is not extinguished at once, the flame may easily spread to the float chamber. Two certain ways of extinguishing the blaze are by the use of a fire extinguisher or by turning off the petrol, starting up the engine and revving it at high speed until the fuel in the float chamber is exhausted and the fire automatically goes out.