Super Barbecue. ...Duty testing didn't go well

[Fgts]

In case you didn't get the drift of the title;

 

http://autoblog.com/2014/08/04/ford-f-series-super-duty-fire-photos-amazing/?post=1&icid=autoblog_river_article

 

The good news is nobody's hurt and hopefully Ford engineers can find out what happened.

[silvrsvt]

Well the way that thing went up and melted...that pretty much proves its getting an aluminum body....

 

I haven't seen a steel body do that...

[fordmantpw]

I loved the fire extinguisher just sitting there in the last couple pics.

 

With all that water in the trailer behind them, it's a shame they couldn't use it to douse the flames.

[jpvbs]

well that was exciting.

 

[Edstock]

Rather intense, like a Ferrari or a Lambo roast.

[mackinaw]

That thing burned up real good.

[Bob Rosadini]

For that kind of immediate intensity I would have to think a fuel or oil line ruptured and was spraying a fine pattern? I assume the PS does return fuel to the tank? And as a test vehicle, it must have had all kinds of instrumentation watching things so whatever it was, it was very sudden giving driver little time to react. And Fordman, your comment on water? With a hot fire like that, IMO the typical dry powder BC or ABC rated extinguishers do little other than knock down flames for a brief moment. Built in heat then leads to almost immediate re-ignition. Water and lots of it is what is needed to get temp down for complete put down.

[fordmantpw]

For that kind of immediate intensity I would have to think a fuel or oil line ruptured and was spraying a fine pattern? I assume the PS does return fuel to the tank? And as a test vehicle, it must have had all kinds of instrumentation watching things so whatever it was, it was very sudden giving driver little time to react. And Fordman, your comment on water? With a hot fire like that, IMO the typical dry powder BC or ABC rated extinguishers do little other than knock down flames for a brief moment. Built in heat then leads to almost immediate re-ignition. Water and lots of it is what is needed to get temp down for complete put down.

 

Yeah, I know the extinguisher would have done nothing, and that bit of water wouldn't have helped unless it was enough to get the fire out immediately when it started. More of a tongue in cheek statement.

[RichardJensen]

Ford's most elaborate trick yet to drop the hint that the next SD is aluminum!

 

Seriously though--who caught all of this on film? Was some guy tailing the SD through Death Valley?

 

Also, did the vinyl cladding contribute to the fire? Judging by a few of the pics, I would say so.

[RichardJensen]

Or----even crazier thought----"Hey, let's build a prototype out of magnesium and see what happens."

[akirby]

Ford - tested tough (and hot!)!

[fordmantpw]

Seriously though--who caught all of this on film? Was some guy tailing the SD through Death Valley?

 

That's what I was wondering. The photographer happened to either be in the right spot and the right time, or he had been tailing them for quite some time.

 

 

Also, did the vinyl cladding contribute to the fire? Judging by a few of the pics, I would say so.

 

I would agree with that.

 

 

Or----even crazier thought----"Hey, let's build a prototype out of magnesium and see what happens."

 

Due to some of the impressive fireworks, maybe so!

[SoonerLS]

According to the AutoWeek article, the fire started in the left-side front wheel well, which makes me think it was more likely a power steering line rupture; left side is right for the fuel lines, but I wouldn't think they're that far forward. If the '16 Super Duty is like the F150, that would be about right for a power steering line, though.

[fordmantpw]

According to the AutoWeek article, the fire started in the left-side front wheel well, which makes me think it was more likely a power steering line rupture; left side is right for the fuel lines, but I wouldn't think they're that far forward. If the '16 Super Duty is like the F150, that would be about right for a power steering line, though.

 

The '15 F150 doesn't have a power steering line to rupture. Speaking of, wonder if the EPS could be adapted to handle the loads of a 3/4+ ton truck...

[akirby]

 

The '15 F150 doesn't have a power steering line to rupture. Speaking of, wonder if the EPS could be adapted to handle the loads of a 3/4+ ton truck...

 

Electrons are flammable..........

[lfeg]

Going back to my days working with hot and molten metals, melting/burning aluminum and water do not mix except to give a bigger fire and rather spectacular fireworks. Unless for one like this where you just drench it in seconds with at least 10,000 gallons. If you want to put such a fire out, your best bet is to dump large quantities of sand on it - sand cools and smothers without reacting, as water does.

 

And mix burning aluminum with steel (the frame and such) you can get a very aggressive reaction that leaves nothing much left but oxides and char. I have seen the remnants of aluminum bodied class 8 tractors that burned, and except for the big cast iron parts, nothing much was left.

[Hydro]

I was totally expecting to see an almighty Ford bash in the comments. Most people shrugged it off saying "test vehicle" or blamed the cladding and test equipment. That sumbitch turned to ash real quick.

[fordmantpw]

I was totally expecting to see an almighty Ford bash in the comments. Most people shrugged it off saying "test vehicle" or blamed the cladding and test equipment. That sumbitch turned to ash real quick.

 

I was expecting the same as well.

 

Who says being a test engineer isn't a dangerous job?!

[RichardJensen]

And mix burning aluminum with steel (the frame and such) you can get a very aggressive reaction that leaves nothing much left but oxides and char. I have seen the remnants of aluminum bodied class 8 tractors that burned, and except for the big cast iron parts, nothing much was left.

 

Oooh. Thanks for the science lesson...

 

Scary thing is--how much of that burning truck did bystanders inhale, given how much of it apparently went up in smoke?

[lfeg]

With more aluminum intensive cars and trucks coming onto the market over the next few years, tactics for fighting vehicle fires will change and will mostly be getting the passengers out and maintaining a safe perimeter. Once the aluminum itself lights off, not much else you can do. No bashing here, just a fact of life. And it is a good thing such fires are rare.

[Anthony]

well that was exciting.

 

 

 

That picture requires an addition of Mark Fields walking away from that explosion without looking back.

[blwnsmoke]

The all new SD is 2017, not 16. A few comments including someone who I know that tests these say it looks like a gas motor, not diesel.

[mackinaw]

Seriously though--who caught all of this on film? Was some guy tailing the SD through Death Valley?

 

 

 

Probably so. All the manufacturers test their vehicles in certain areas. If you know where to go, and are patient, you'll eventually see something with cladding coming your way.

[Edstock]

 

 

That picture requires an addition of Mark Fields walking away from that explosion without looking back.

 

Looks like a thermite or white phosphorous explosion. Terminator TIme.

[Deanh]

 

Probably so. All the manufacturers test their vehicles in certain areas. If you know where to go, and are patient, you'll eventually see something with cladding coming your way.

Death Valley has been well known as basically a manufacturers ( insert word ANY ) go to default for testing durability in extreme heat, dare I say some poor bugga is literally camped out for months at a time with camera ready....hes the one holding the short straw....