Date:         Sat, 11 Nov 2000 16:44:12 -0500
Reply-To:     "James S. Cohen" <jscohen@SPRYNET.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "James S. Cohen" <jscohen@SPRYNET.COM>
Subject:      Re: Halon Extinguishers, etc.
Comments: To: Bill Davidson <wdavidson@thegrid.net>
In-Reply-To:  <008f01c04c07$c48c8780$f125a2d1@wd1000086onem>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"

>  >I've ALWAYS read that Halon is the fastest and best way to smother a
>fire. And it is still sold for racing cars whose engines are NOT an
>enclosed area
>>and whose fuel is VERY flammable.
>
>Halon is specified to be used in an enclosed area. My guess is that the use
>of it in race cars is to knock down the fire long enough for the driver to
>get the thing stopped and get himself out of harm's way.


No, it is used as a first line of defense in a garage situation as
well. You can buy small ones through specialty race catalogs (I have
since found out, VERY expensive). I think it depends on the situation
and the type of fire. If knocking out the flames does the trick, and
there is no condition for a flare up (like you shut off the FP) then
Halon should do just fine.

Besides, if you carry BOTH kinds, and the Halon doesn't do it, you
should have enough time to hit it with the other.

>
>I would be cautious about using the above to justify using Halon in a
>Vanagon...
>
>
>If you installed an automatic halon system in the engine compartment and
>there were a fire and the system discharged... it is possible there would be
>a flare up and the fire would be going again by the time you reached the
>side of the road...

So you're saying that you could shoot all your Halon, then have a
flare up and then have nothing left to put down the flare up? Hmmm, I
suppose so. But if fuel was being pumped into the fire, why would a
first shot of chemical extinguisher stop it either? I mean, the fuel
is still flammable and still coming out.

Again pointing to the wisdom of an FP cut off.

Obviously the best solution is to regularly check the fuel lines and
replace with HIGH quality line. There are race quality lines that
will last forever. Prevention is the best solution.

Unless you have raw gas pumping into the engine compartment, I can't
really see any other scenario for an engine fire.....but that's
another thread.

Very thought evoking Bill, Thanks.

James