De Jeeper

Anyone seen this happen. I replaced the sending unit last year due to a broken vent nipple. It kinda looks like it melted but there is nothing there that can get hot? I never had any fuel spillage but i was getting a large evap leak code. The electrical connections r perfect.




Suppose to look like this.

De Jeeper

More pics with my original as a refference




Bottom of bat pan looks fine.

Eric Kessel

The battery “hose” isn’t stuffed in there is it? Weird how it’s dissolved…..

-Eric

c didy

As my kid would say: What the fudge ?
My humble opinion is that it is not a good place for something hot 🔥

De Jeeper

The fuel tank area is sealed with that gasket and the battery sits above that pan.

Its possible that the pan gasket was in the sender...but i still dont see how it could have got hot like that and melted away? Friction (static) burn but i would think i would see it in the gasket?

Eric Kessel

Looks to me like something dissolved the plastic, only obvious thing is if the battery got some acid down there, but it’s a leap…..I am assuming gas won’t dissolve those parts…..

-Eric

Porschetech3

I got no clue on that one but it looks like fire damage that got extenguished before total destruction...

De Jeeper

I tend to agree but with no heat damage to the gasket its really strange. U can see the indent in the gasket just above the "E" so i think it was touching the sender.

Deff not battery acid, see pick of cover plate. No residue and deff sealed from the tank area.

allcool

Some race fuels are very corrosive and easily ignited. But chemical melting wouldn't have the burnt looking black/brown edges in your pics. Looks like fire/combustion possibly happened in there.

Wonder if a small amount fuel/vapor got caught up in that vent hat well and spontaneous combustion, or a static spark or some other form of ignition ignited it. Since valving mostly closes vent off to the tank, no further combustion happened..??? Not sure where the ignition source came from, but something set it off.

jmo

De Jeeper

Its deff a strange one. Sent pics to a few mechanic friends and still cant come up with a reasonable explaination.

so $10 and i fixed my old sender. Should have just done this the 1st time.

plpete84

Whoa that's pretty crazy looking and glad you caught it in time. It seems like there could have been a leak from the top connector? Has anything been added to the gas at all or did you just run standard 93 octane? Some chemicals can slowly eat away at a plastic but still hard to believe looking at the photos.

jumpy chunky

Uncanny how much that yellow collar looks like cheese.

De Jeeper

No additives ever. Just pump gas.

The leading theory is a crack and either a vapor explosion or residual fuel ignition that self extingished.

Flyfishnick

Wow, nice catch before catastraphe De Jeeper

Porschetech3

Yeah, I can conceive how some flamable vapor or liquid being in that location could cause that damage and a strong cross-wind extinguish the flame and also create the backwards heat pattern without the heat damaging the battery tray and gasket . The mystery is what ignited the flamable vapor or liquid ? Possibly a spark came up from the road for some reason...( a cigarette butt or dragging metal? )..