1915 engine fires

[old buicks]

Working on a 1915 V8 for a friend. The car has a history of engine fires! If it hickups while starting, it has a fire. All original eguipment on this car. Does anyone else have any experience with this type of carb on the early V8s and how did you get around the problem. Last time, the wiring on the engine l had to be replaced and the hood painted. Nice car that needs to be on the road, not in front of the fire station.

[keiser31]

Sounds like a timing issue to me.

[old buicks]

Definitely not a timing issue. It runs and drives perfect except for about 1% of the time when it becomes a backyard grill.

[hchris]

Not wanting to teach you how to suck eggs, but the technical reason for a carb fire is an already burning mixture seeking oxygen as an inlet valve opens.

The most common causes are either bad ignition or valve timing; or an inlet valve leak.

Not knowing anything about early Buick V8s I would be concentrating on valves/mechanisms, induction manifolding or perhaps a random spark cross firing etc.

[rb6673]

That engine is notorious for ocassionally having a valve slow to return to it's seat.

I feel that it is someway related to the way the stems are lubricated.

It is imperative to use marvel mystery oil in the fuel as well as the crankcase. :cool: