Was the center engine bay grille on the 84's the only mag part on any year Fiero?

Yes, or at least to the best of my knowledge...

Weren't the solid covers to the sides of the vent also magnesium?

85 deck grills were also magnesium. Changed to aluminum in 86 on notchback.

The book by Gary Witzenburg on the Fiero (page 68 2nd printing) says that only the 84 engine cover grille was magnesium. It seems as though he means only the center grille, not the two solid side covers. The referenced picture shows louvered side covers also but they were only prototypes. The engine fires on the 84's and the obvious flammability of magnesium were no doubt details that helped PMD go to all aluminum in the hot areas.

quote Originally posted by FieroG97J: The book by Gary Witzenburg on the Fiero (page 68 2nd printing) says that only the 84 engine cover grille was magnesium. It seems as though he means only the center grille, not the two solid side covers. The referenced picture shows louvered side covers also but they were only prototypes. The engine fires on the 84's and the obvious flammability of magnesium were no doubt details that helped PMD go to all aluminum in the hot areas.

I'd seem to agree. The engine grill was far lighter than the plates.

The magnesium is alloyed with aluminum, I do believe, which makes it practically nonflammable. If it were elemental magnesium, it would explode into flames the first time it rained. In the event of fire, its just going to melt and pour onto the ground since the flames are consuming the most oxygen, so it wont react very much at all and will cool off (the specific heat of magnesium and aluminum is very low) before it can do any real damage.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnalium

When was the last time you saw an engine fire that was fueled by aluminum? I recall the aftermath of a house fire and seeing the pools of aluminum where the car used to be sitting.

quote Originally posted by AP2k: If it were elemental magnesium, it would explode into flames the first time it rained ...

Wrong! I hope you intended this as a joke (or maybe you were thinking of sodium), but even then someone is liable to take this misinformation seriously. I agree that magnesium is seldom used in its pure, elemental form any more, but even then it won't "explode into flames" when exposed to water unless it's very hot ... i.e. molten or already burning. At normal temperatures, unprotected magnesium will readily corrode upon exposure to water, but that's about it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnesium#Precautions

quote I recall the aftermath of a house fire and seeing the pools of aluminum where the car used to be sitting.

I have some personal experience here. In January, 1996 I lost my Porsche 928 in a house/shop fire caused by lightning. The aluminum body panels all melted off. The aluminum lower front suspension A-arms didn't melt, but they did weaken and fracture under the spring loads. The aluminum alloy wheels softened and distorted, but did not melt. The more massive aluminum engine did not melt, but it was only a matter of time. Aluminum alloy aircraft parts melted, while fiberglass composite aircraft parts either collapsed into chaotic mats of scorched glass fiber or just disappeared altogether. Afterwards, there were small pools of aluminum everywhere, most of them from window frames and other architectural trim.

[This message has been edited by Marvin McInnis (edited 01-09-2008).]

I was referring to all alkaline metals. I should have thought about that more (about its reactivity), seeing as though I've messed around with the stuff in chesmitry labs. Once I got a spec of it to combust and then I tried to get alot more to do the same which resulted in a ladle of liquid magnesium. Good thing I didnt have some water nearby, huh?

Finely divided (that's really a term) magnesium burns very hot when ignited. Examples would be flares, flint and steel fire starters (the stuff you shave off into the tinder is magnesium). Finely divided would be smaller than sand and bigger than flour.

quote Originally posted by olejoedad: Finely divided (that's really a term) magnesium burns very hot when ignited. Examples would be flares, flint and steel fire starters (the stuff you shave off into the tinder is magnesium). Finely divided would be smaller than sand and bigger than flour.

You should see what those little curly cues from lathe turning do when ignited, don't ask! I used to work at a die casting company that made real Mags.
Let me tell ya, dippin' that ladle into the crucible always initiated "The Willys"!

Remember the old movies where the camera flash was a trough on a stick that the photog. held over his head? Black powder mixed w/magnesium.
Same stuff inside M-80s, DON"T try this at home, . . . or anywhere else for that matter! WORD!!! The BATF & Homeland Security would not like you.

Norm

quote Originally posted by olejoedad: Finely divided (that's really a term) magnesium burns very hot when ignited.

Most people don't realize it, but finely divided aluminum (e.g.aluminum powder) will burn explosively. It's also one component (along with iron oxide) of Thermite, an inferno of a pyrotechnic material. The high flammability of finely divided aluminum is why aluminum pigment is almost always sold as a paste rather than as a powder.

I play with AlMg traditional archery bows as a hobby. constantly tinkering with and modifying old yardsale and pawnshop compound risers (handles) to accept "traditional" (longbow or recurve) limbs. as a result I modify the AlMg cast or machined risers. I have learned to be VERY careful and obsessive about keeping the workareas around my drills and grinders clean and free from dust and turnings. a small quantity of AlMg dust mixed with a bit of steel or iron grinding dust and a few sparks form the grinder can make things dangerously interesting. especially oif there is a little exotic wood and maybe some antler or horn dust mixed in too.
aluminum and magnesium as well at the other metals in that family can be very flammable--explosively so in very fine particles. but in sizable masses its hard to get going, though once started it can burn fiercely----and water is the WRONG thing to try to put it out. Iron too will burn in small particles, but its da*n hard to get an anvil to burn.

vehicles present a nasty witches brew of flammable metals, plastics, oils and other fuels etc that give off poisonous fumes too boot; as any fireman or EMT can tell you. thats why they always mask up when fighting a car fire and use special extinguishers.

quote Originally posted by Marvin McInnis: Most people don't realize it, but finely divided aluminum (e.g.aluminum powder) will burn explosively. It's also one component (along with iron oxide) of Thermite, an inferno of a pyrotechnic material. The high flammability of finely divided aluminum is why aluminum pigment is almost always sold as a paste rather than as a powder.

When I get a pile of aluminum filings, I take out a bic and light up the garage. It probably burns brighter than a welding arc, so maybe it's not such a good idea if you value your eyes, but................ it's fun to burn things.

Alllll-righty-then,

What's the answer to my original question? Does anyone remember it? By the way, the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters use aluminum dust as part of their fuel mix (don't recall the %). By the way, magnesium shavings or dust are HIGHLY combustible, and a mag engine bay grille will most certainly burn when it gets enough heat added to it from the engine burning down below from the original rod knocking a hole in the block and spraying oil on the catalytic converter. But there doesn't seem to be a reference anywhere to the mag parts used in the Fiero other than Witzenburgs book, and that only mentions 84

Potassium metal will disassociate hydrogen from water. Just drop a piece of potassium in water and you can light the bubbles with a lighter and pop them like mini firecrackers. Sodium is kept stored submerged in an oil medium because it spontaneously combusts when exposed to air (oxygen) That's all I remember from 30+ years in metallurgy and aerospace.

Dave K