Topic: Tech Inspection Pass/Fail Questions

Our first race is coming up next week at Road Atlanta.  We really don't want to fail tech spec and have the following questions:

3.7.2.2     Battery and Other Electrical Terminals. All “hot” terminals on batteries, kill switches, and at other exposed points must be covered with insulating material.

1. Will the Liquid Rubber insulating material on our kill switch pass tech spec?

3.11.1     Engine Firewall. Gaps or holes in the engine firewall must be sealed up with metal plate or OE-type grommets. If you can see through it, we want it closed up.

2. We put some foam material to plug up a hole we needed for the kill switch wires to come in through the firewall.  Will this pass tech spec?

https://i.ibb.co/bB7M8kZ/IMG-4816.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/sbvDMdb/IMG-4817.jpg

2 (edited by chaase 2021-12-01 02:53 PM)

Re: Tech Inspection Pass/Fail Questions

Pagel is the final say but I personally wouldn't pass the kill switch. The material on the kill switch will likely wear off making it a hazard. use something like this to protect the wires and the people.

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/dor … 12401130-P

For the firewall, it might pass but you can just use grommets to handle wires going through the firewall.

1992 Saturn SL2 (retired) - Elmo's Revenge -  Class B winner, Heroic Fix winner x2
1969 Rover P6B 3500S(sold) - Super G-Rover - I.O.E Winner, Class C Winner
1996 Saturn SW2 - Elmo's Revenge (reborn!), Saturn SL1  Dazzleshipm Class C x2 and IOE winner
1974 AMC Javelin - Oscar's Trash heap - IOE,”Organizer's Choice" and "I got Screwed" award winner

Re: Tech Inspection Pass/Fail Questions

Bring a roll of electrical tape for the kill switch in case it does not pass tech, I prefer the cloth type 'Tesa tape'.

If a hole is small enough on the firewall, put a screw/bolt in it.  If it's large, cover it with thin sheet metal with rivets.  For wire just use grommets and electrical tape.

Does the foam burn? If so, remove it.

Team whatever_racecar #745 Volvo wagon

Re: Tech Inspection Pass/Fail Questions

wow bro, if you have to swap that out or re-wire it...it will take hours to clean. Also is that the kill switch for safety? I thought they had to be able to reach it from the passenger side window??? The foam in the hole should be good, although I hope it is fireproof.

"get up and get your grandma outta here"

Re: Tech Inspection Pass/Fail Questions

Mr.Yuck wrote:

wow bro, if you have to swap that out or re-wire it...it will take hours to clean. Also is that the kill switch for safety? I thought they had to be able to reach it from the passenger side window??? The foam in the hole should be good, although I hope it is fireproof.

The kill switch needs to be reachable by driver and the 'outside'.  It does not specify by passenger side in Lemons.

Team whatever_racecar #745 Volvo wagon

6 (edited by chaase 2021-12-01 02:54 PM)

Re: Tech Inspection Pass/Fail Questions

Mr.Yuck wrote:

wow bro, if you have to swap that out or re-wire it...it will take hours to clean. Also is that the kill switch for safety? I thought they had to be able to reach it from the passenger side window???

The kill switch needs to be accessible by the driver AND to a safety worker. It doesn't have to be accessible on the passenger side. When we build them, we do it on driver side on the A-pillar. I don't want a safety worker having to reach all the way to the center of the car or across the driver to hit a kill switch.

As the others have said, if that foam at the firewall is flammable it will cause WAY more harm than help.

1992 Saturn SL2 (retired) - Elmo's Revenge -  Class B winner, Heroic Fix winner x2
1969 Rover P6B 3500S(sold) - Super G-Rover - I.O.E Winner, Class C Winner
1996 Saturn SW2 - Elmo's Revenge (reborn!), Saturn SL1  Dazzleshipm Class C x2 and IOE winner
1974 AMC Javelin - Oscar's Trash heap - IOE,”Organizer's Choice" and "I got Screwed" award winner

Re: Tech Inspection Pass/Fail Questions

Grommets are all over the place and cheap, best to use them for wires. Foam can and will break down over time from vibration/heat and someday You'll have wires on bare metal trying to cut insulation.

There are these universal style
https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Firewa … amp;sr=8-2

and more exact fit style
https://www.amazon.com/200PCS-Grommet-E … amp;sr=8-4


Not forcing amazon, just easy to find example links there. Feel free to shop at your favorite venders.

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Re: Tech Inspection Pass/Fail Questions

Kill switch.  Steal a cap off a spray paint can.  Cut slots for wires.  Electrical tape onto backside of switch.  Can't tell from pic but most expanding foam is flammable.  They won't like that.  Grommets/ metal tape preferred

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Gone bye-bye
1994 Jaguar XJ12 (Winner C-Class 2013 Sears Pointless)  1980 Rover SD1 (I Got Screwed 2014 Return of Lemonites)

Re: Tech Inspection Pass/Fail Questions

cheseroo wrote:

Kill switch.  Steal a cap off a spray paint can.  Cut slots for wires.  Electrical tape onto backside of switch.  Can't tell from pic but most expanding foam is flammable.  They won't like that.  Grommets/ metal tape preferred

Spray paint cap is a good idea

1992 Saturn SL2 (retired) - Elmo's Revenge -  Class B winner, Heroic Fix winner x2
1969 Rover P6B 3500S(sold) - Super G-Rover - I.O.E Winner, Class C Winner
1996 Saturn SW2 - Elmo's Revenge (reborn!), Saturn SL1  Dazzleshipm Class C x2 and IOE winner
1974 AMC Javelin - Oscar's Trash heap - IOE,”Organizer's Choice" and "I got Screwed" award winner

Re: Tech Inspection Pass/Fail Questions

Since that looks like such a nice 'interior retained' cage install, I'm guessing you don't have any left over leather or vinyl from rear seats you could wrap around that switch's posts. And since it's _so_ nice, I want to come by and detail that overspray from the dash ;-)

3.11.1 states "must be" and then specifies two materials; I don't see any weasel words, such as "such as", or "or equivalent", which could be read to allow substitutes.

Having said that, the spray rubber _is_ "material". And the switch itself is outside the pillar, so I don't see much rub off potential. If the install didn't look so nice, I'd ask you to cover it with part of a tube sock held by zip ties.

And, although 'FireStop' spray foam was created for its stated purpose (I don't know if you used that material), I think that was primarily for buildings; not vehicles which might have gasoline fires and long-term exposure to petroleum volatiles which might degrade a spray foam more than an OE grommet (though that's pure speculation on my part).

But the firewall requirement is specific.

I don't do safety / tech inspection in _this_ sport.

In my other sport, when ohms or grams were specified, that standard had to be passed. In other areas, good enough was.

Offset sliced fender washers and grommet makes a custom flange, and hose clamps on the wires.

Re: Tech Inspection Pass/Fail Questions

There is a red colored spray foam which will work, but i'm not sure about the stuff you used. Grommets will also work. I think they'll let the firewall spray foam pass but not be in love with it.

I wouldn't pass the kill switch; if you have a 3D printer someone was nice enough to model and put this on thingyverse which is what we use. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2200450

Full Ass Racing
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12

Re: Tech Inspection Pass/Fail Questions

duthehustle93 wrote:

There is a red colored spray foam which will work, but i'm not sure about the stuff you used. Grommets will also work. I think they'll let the firewall spray foam pass but not be in love with it.

I don't know of any over-the-counter/hardware store expanding foam that is firePROOF.  The orange spray is a fireBLOCK, but it is still flammable. 

I say grommets and/or some sort of metal addition to make the hole smaller is your best bet.

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Re: Tech Inspection Pass/Fail Questions

- 2 layers of foil tape for holes.
- Fuel line, heater hose, etc. for firewall penetrations of wires or tubing.
   Slice it and wrap it over itself some and secure with tie wrap of safety wire.
- Rack and pinion steering gear boot to cover the kill switch. I like the spray can cap, too.

NO!!! on the spray foam.
That stuff will catch on fire, melt, and keep burning while dripping on anything below it.

I'm curious about the spray rubber for the kill switch and TEO's response.
Spray undercoating might work better, though.
I hope you never have to work on it though. Talk about a potential for phantom electrical issues.

Capt. Delinquent Racing
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