Topic: Anyone fail tech for new fire system rules yet? What failed?
Just what it says- I'd like to start a thread of "what not to do" similar to the "how not to fail Lemons tech" thread we've all referred to...
Team Orca
- CarburetorIHardlyKnowHer
- Paddock Rat
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Re: Anyone fail tech for new fire system rules yet? What failed?
We just installed ours to prepare for CMP in the fall. I'd be curious to see what other teams are doing (and passing tech with) with regards to:
- Mounting of bottles, both position and hardware
- Plumbing lengths, tees, and bends
- Securing plumbing and pull cables to the car
Right now our bottle is mounted transversely per the "ideal" specified by the manufacturer, on an aluminum plate that has 4 sheetmetal screws and two through bolts to the passenger footwell floor pan (belt and suspenders, you know). Rubber grommet for plumbing to penetrate the firewall, plastic cable clamps every foot or so. Has anyone had their bottle mounted outside of the roll cage envelope/will this be a potential problem? Ours is just forward of the front roll cage bar and spreader plate.
Giubo Grabbers #190 - 91 Mercedes 190E
2016 CMP Fall South "Heroic Fix" Winner
2016 CMP Fall South "Heroic Fix" Winner
Re: Anyone fail tech for new fire system rules yet? What failed?
I have been using a system in my cars for years. I ordered the system from the Lemon store to update the car the marshal very nice kit just follow there install sheet and you will be good to go . The placement of the decals is some thing they look very closely at . With the 2 cable pull I think one should be next to the drivers window. in a crash and fire if the drive can not pull the t handle ever one is going to the drivers window. So the first person there can pull it to give them that added time to get the driver out.
- TeamLemon-aid
- Lemons Staff Stalker
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Re: Anyone fail tech for new fire system rules yet? What failed?
I have installed and re-installed our system many times. Most systems come with a mount included. Most systems show in the instructions the options for mounting, and also what to avoid. I mounted our bottle horizontally with the gauge to the center of the car in the passenger back seat area (BMW E30). The mounts are secured through the floor and reinforced with 2” washers. The mounts for our system came with included hardware. We purchased a system that has both heat sensing “automatic” nozzles and nozzles controlled by a manual pull tab (2 of each). The automatic nozzles are placed in the front of the cabin on the tranny tunnel near the firewall and aimed to cover the driver, and the other is in the trunk to cover the fuel cell. The manual nozzles are in the engine bay aimed at the fuel rail and on the tranny tunnel aimed at the driver. The automatic nozzles for our system are a flexible braided steel line we secured with provided tabs attached to the rear parcel shelf and attached to a bracket we made attached to the tranny tunnel near the firewall. The manual nozzles are on steel tubing that is secured with plastic electric line clamps that are attached with self tapping screws in the cabin area, and the engine compartment is secured to our shock tower brace with zip ties. We mounted our pull handle on the passenger side of the tranny tunnel close to the shifter. We used a home made bracket to secure the pull handle. We secured the pull handle line back with plastic electric wire clamps fastened to the tranny tunnel with self tapping screws.
Run lines so they are unlikely to get bumped during driver changes and cool suit refills. Put the bottle so the gauge is easily read.
Mount stickers for fire system in the best place you can think of.
LemonAid - Changing kids lives one lap at a time.
Re: Anyone fail tech for new fire system rules yet? What failed?
we were warned of metal fatigue and the chance of breaking the metal lines in the engine compartment. Having not enough support on the length of the tubing will lead to the tubing eventually breaking and not dispersing the Halon in the right places. So cinch up the tubes, if using metal tie wire also pad the connection to avoid chafing and keep the lines away from stuff that could break and damage the tubing.
Was an "I'll trust you to go take of this" infraction but a lesson anyway.
Notably we had a brake fire on Sunday and my driver didn't have a fire extinguisher available inside the car which would have solved several headaches and anxieties had we left it where it was before. Lesson, on board extinguisher won't stop your brake fire until and probably not even then the car is really really on fire. And 10 lbs of portable fire suppressant can go a long way when needed.
#44 VW Jetta "Le Mondrian"
Arsesweat '17 finished 10th in (B), 3 finishes in 7 races
#96 Silver Subaru Legacy Automatic w Orange Top (formerly)
Arsesweat '17 finished 10th in (B), 3 finishes in 7 races
#96 Silver Subaru Legacy Automatic w Orange Top (formerly)
Re: Anyone fail tech for new fire system rules yet? What failed?
I all was have a good size filled hand hold on board for the drive too.
Re: Anyone fail tech for new fire system rules yet? What failed?
I saw some really poorly installed systems at the last race. I don't know if warnings were given but I don't think they are really looking too hard at them. It's more of a you have to have one do you have one? Ok. Things I saw done incorrectly. Self taping screws holding the tank in place. Unsupported nozzles, nozzle placement, (don't point them at your face guys..) and Wrong number of nozzles.
Somone asked. "Oh you got one of those systems with all the extra nozzles too" yes. You have to use all of them or it doesn't maintain its FIA rating.
Also make sure every driver can reach the pull handle (even the short fat driver with T-rex arms) but its somwhere that won't get cought on anyone's clothing or get pulled accidentally when getting in or out.
Owner/Captain of The 27 Club E46. Phoenix, AZ
and now the #95 Thunderbird
and now the #95 Thunderbird