Our Fire Truck Catches Fire
We seem to drift along at times with no problems, no breakdowns, no stress, and a feeling that life is OK.
Then, whatever deity up there is really in charge decides that we have had it too easy, and that its time we had some crap sent our way.
Genset 5 Goes Pop
Our small generator unit, that was built so it could be moved on its own trailer, or demounted into the back of a van, decided to go pop. On starting at an early morning job, we discovered that it was sick of providing us with 230 volt mains electricity, and that instead the best it could stretch to was 150 volts.
It can be one of two things, either a capacitor not capacitating. Or a diode not doing whatever the verb is, dioding I presume.
Hopefully it is the capacitor as they can be changed without stripping the full unit out of its box.
Followed Closely By Our Firetruck Catching Fire
Oh the irony of it. Though it is probably not accurate to say it ‘caught fire’. It was more of a smoke and steam pouring out of the engine kind of incident.
We had just finished 3 days at our first festival, the Rock n Ribs in Bath Showground serving up a selection of chicken wings and tenders. I was travelling to a yard in Birmingham to drop it off so I could catch a flight to Dusseldorf for my future son in laws stag do.
Being a 2 stroke Detroit Diesel, it tended to warm a little on long pulls on hot days, so I always kept an eye on the temp gauge. However this trip was on the flat about 10 miles from Birmingham, during a relatively cool night. I suddenly noticed that smell you get when something is rather hot, looking down at the guage we were well into the red. About 220 degrees Fahrenheit, as opposed to the more usual 189!
I immediately pulled over to the hard shoulder, just in time to see a massive cloud erupt from the exhaust. I cut the engine and got out for a look.
The coolant was being ejected under pressure from the head slobber tubes. Not really a good sign.
Recovery
Luckily my daughter and son in law to be were awake at 4am as he was also going on his stag do (obviously). He recommended a local recovery outfit, who got to me in about 15 mins. Emmerson called in to sit with the firetruck whilst it was recovered, and I jumped into her motor to get to the rendezvous point for the trip to the airport.
The breakdown service was very efficient, and the firetruck arrived at a yard in Birmingham about 15 mins after I did. Top marks (though I ended up £420 poorer for a 10 mile trip)
The trip to Dusseldorf was fabulous and will be subject of a future post.
We are now waiting on the engine specialist to tear the engine down and ascertain whether it is repairable, or will we need a new engine from the States.
Either way we will be putting the firetuck back on the road, and if the engine is repairable I might take the opportunity to add a set of Jake Brakes to it.
Anyone who happens to have a spare Detroit Diesel 6V92TA turbo aftercooled 2 stroke putting 350 horses out, feel free to message me.
