Cam Leak FIRE!

Welcome from Utah, sorry for your loss.

 

Glad no one was hurt. I check my engine about once a week, im going to start checking it more often. Do you have any idea if it was a small leak or big leak?

 

Everyone should send the link of this thread to Toyota:

https://www.toyota.com/support/#!/app/ask

 

That plus this thread in case they don't think there's an issue

https://www.tundras.com/threads/cam-shaft-tower-seal-leaking-please-read.20102/

 

Welcome and sorry to hear about your truck. I wonder if the fire department may have overlooked something else.... something electronical? It's crazy a fire would start from a truck that's still warming up.

 

WOW! Welcome from CO and sorry.

 

Fire investigators determine point of origin based on forensic clues, typically indicating where the fire was hottest. Sometimes the way a fire burns indicates what type of accelerant, if any, was used, which may point to arson. If the origin was the cam tower, and no other likely causes in that immediate area, it'd be the obvious conclusion.

 

Sorry about the truck.

Color me sceptical.

Let the inspector call it an oil leak fire if you want, but I find it difficult to buy.

Sorry to be that guy.

 

Man that is sickening, glad no one got hurt.

 

Welcome, I question first posts like this, but....

I worry about the oil leaking directly on the header. Toyota should too.

I'll use my used motor oil to get a fire going in the backyard on occasion, usually home late and want to hang out outside. I will also pour some on some hot coals to get it going again after I add some more wood. It'll fire right up within 3 seconds. I like using used oil because it's predictable and burns for a few minutes to catch the wood.

Petroleum and chemicals are unpredictable. I'm sure a chemical engineer will beat me up over flash points and volatility. But I've seen JP8, oil, gasoline, and kerosene do things that shouldn't have happened.

 

Glad to hear nobody was hurt or the house didn't catch fire.

Welcome from NY.

 

Man that thing sure went up. Glad no one was hurt. Can you post up the findings from the fire people? That would be interesting to read, and nice to be able to forward.

 

Did you not read the label?

 

That was a small kitchen fire extinguisher. I had a larger one and the handle broke off! They wouldn't specify cam tower leak just small leak on exhaust manifold. But from the looks of it I don't know how they could make anything out. But I had talked with a Honda specialist on fires (that's his position with Honda) and it's crazy but they can figure out the smallest of details in order to go to court with proof of what started the fire.

 

I'm still waiting on the final report to be sent to me but that's a great idea to post for all to see. Hint, Hint TOYOTA!!!!!

 

Oh, I must have misunderstood the first post. For some reason I thought there was an official finding that it was a cam tower leak that caused it. I can see circumstantial evidence to infer that, though, if they found it was a small leak on the exhaust manifold. But I’m guessing maybe a valve cover leak could also be a possibility?

 

Yes your right it could have been a valve cover leak. But in any case Progressive said they couldn't go after Toyota due to the age and miles. I must say though this makes me a nervous wreck with my 2014 possibly doing the same thing. I went to YouTube and seen the fix and it's a doozie! But I'm betting it will leak all over again.

 

How many miles did the truck have?

 

Is this the first fire ever attributed to a small cam leak?

Like I know you can never predict what fire will do once it starts, but it seems like there isnt anything to burn right there. Like if you took a cup of oil and set it on fire right there what would it burn? Gas, wires...just wondering. Seems like it would smolder off as it dropped down unless it was a big leak.

Flash point of oil is like 450. And I know exhaust gets way hotter than that.

I guess what I'm thinking is that this type of thing should be happening all the time given how many cam leaks there are.

 

So sorry to hear glad everyone is safe and ok just got my back last Friday night they had it for 8 days doing both sides it was leaking onto the exhaust headers they had my whole engine tore apart.

 

The truck had 74,000 miles on it. I have seen three fires on the net exactly like mine when I was searching. And all of them said the same thing, Leaking oil on the exhaust manifolds! If I had to guess I'm kind of thinking the spark plug wires would light up first then any wires/insulation etc?

 

Has me thinking about mounting my fire extinguisher permanently. I only bring it when I go trailing.

 

I have some doubts as well..........

 

Curious, How long had the truck been running before the fire was detected? Cold or warm start?

 

Cold start and ran for 10 minutes to melt the ice off the windshield (for my wife to drive) then shut off. I left for work in my Seqouia. The roads where to icy so I drove around another way back to my house and saw fire coming from under the windshield when I pulled up. I was gone about 7 to 10 minutes.

 

Yeah that's how it's supposed to work, but I don't think the OP has conclusive proof yet.

 

feel like I read that story before. did you post it on other forums few weeks ago ?

 

No I've never been on a Tundra forum before. Wonder if that might be one of the others I saw when looking for fires?

 

But my wife may have said something to our friends a few months ago on Facebook.