For the Love of Pete! Fire Hazard!

So I went for a drive up to Gold Hill today, and on my way back began to see smoke coming from the passenger side floor, then suddenly it was rolling out of the console area.....I prepared to pull over, grab the fire extinguisher, and try to save my Jeep from a flaming death...

I pulled over, and thankfully the smoke stopped for the most part. I opened the passenger door and pulled up my rubber floor mat, which was smoking hot, and underneath it where the flat part of the floorboard meets the tranny tunnel, there was a burned carpet spot about the size of my fist - black, burned, carpet.

I looked underneath my otherwise rust-free, clean Jeep, and saw that right above the exhaust pipe, right near the crossmember for hte trans, was a rusted out strip of floorboard.

People, next time you go to drive, just look under your Jeep and make sure you don't have the same rusty spot right above the hot exhaust pipe - you may be in for smoke surprise soon if not, or even worse.

Thankfully the Jeep will live to see another day.

How's your catalytic converter?

You know, it has a dent in it, but it's also been like that for a bit. I've never seen it glowing or anything...is there a way to test if it's working ok? Could that cause the temps to go high enough to start a fire?

ive got a rust hole in the floor there too.
the old cat had a leaky flange, and was torching that spot with corrosive fumes.
new cat is fully welded with no bolted flanges, still havent got a cheap fix for the hole.

Thought about spot welding a soup can lid over it!

Double wall flat baking pan.

can't remember the brand name.

Best thing ever invented for keeping the floor cool.

Rev

Airbake.

I have one over my muffler and one over my cat. A+

jiipin said:

is there a way to test if it's working ok? Could that cause the temps to go high enough to start a fire?

Click to expand...

If the CAT works, the exhaust temps exiting the CAT will be higher than temps entering the CAT. Now all you need is one of those fancy IR thermometers.

Well, I've currently got everything from the flywheel back out of the Jeep (replacing transmission, rebuilding transfer case), so while I've got room in there I'm going to cut out the rusty areas and do some floor panel fixing and get rid of the problem altogether. YOu guys that did the Airbake pans, did you just have the shop bend and weld them onto the exhaust system, or are they somehow attached to the floorboards?

Thanks,

Rev Den said:

Double wall flat baking pan.

can't remember the brand name.

Best thing ever invented for keeping the floor cool.

Rev

Click to expand...

yup i had the same problem and bought a Double wall flat baking pan

no more :flame: :flame: :flame: :flame:

Hypoid said:

If the CAT works, the exhaust temps exiting the CAT will be higher than temps entering the CAT. Now all you need is one of those fancy IR thermometers.

Click to expand...

I've got both. Will this also tell you if the cat is clogged? (Sounds like a furball problem, huh?)

Common problem with XJs, they rust out all along the exhaust path to the CAT.

The mufflers also have a tendancy to get a hole on the TOP, which converts them into a extreme heat source pointed at the floor under the pass seat. A riend of mine almost lost his 88 that way, and an aftermarket muffler I bought did the same exact game. Even though the heat shield, the floor got mighty hot.

The pan idea I have seen before, and someone at the factory must have been listening as they 97 and ups came with a muffler heat shield pad which is pretty much 2 pieces of aluminum tacked together to look like a quilt.

my 88 has 2 sections of rust under it. one is under the rear passanger floor bored. never noticed it and then one day i was under and there it was like 8 inches long and 2-3 inches wide. so now there is a sheet metal swap in its future.
the other on is right over the exhaust in the rear. its not all the way through but still sucks.