Tried using a heat gun on a seized injector and ended up with a small fire in the engine bay

I was working on an old 7.3 Powerstroke last Tuesday, trying to pop out a stuck injector that had been sitting for years. Got my heat gun going, figured a few minutes of direct heat would loosen it right up. Next thing I know, there's smoke pouring out from under the valve cover gasket, and I see flames licking up around the fuel rail. Turns out there was a bit of oil residue and some old fuel that caught fire. I put it out with a shop rag, but I learned real quick to clean everything down first and keep a fire extinguisher closer. Has anyone else nearly torched their rig doing something simple like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

wade_perez7d ago

Respectfully, a heat gun on a seized injector isn't exactly a "simple thing." That's playing with fire literally when there's oil and fuel sitting around. A quick wipe with a rag and a bucket of water nearby wouldn't have stopped that. You got lucky with a small fire.

lilycraig7d ago

Would a little heat really cause a big fire if you're actually paying attention?