Does anyone have access to a source, at discount of course, for these? Maybe a group buy?

Mike

Marin County CA. with many vans, a few loafs.

On 1/2/08 4:01 PM, "Mike" <mbucchino@CHARTER.NET> wrote:

> The Vanagon's rear license plate access door is definitely the best place > to introduce the halon. It'll flood the entire engine compartment > (temporarily - due to it's not being sealed below and the fact that halon's > heavier than air) long enough to extinguish the flames. Only an object that > has reached an extremely high temp during the fire will attemp to re-ignite > once the halon disperses. Hopefully you will have gotten it out completely > on the first application. A small bottle should be sufficient to do the > job. It is important to have the presence of mind to shut off the engine, > and get everyone out of the van first. If the key's left on, the engine's > electrical harness may burn through by touching ground, and also the fuel > pump may contimue to deliver gasoline into the engine bay. Large aircraft > have a "firewall cutoff" T-handle on the instrument panel glareshield that > disconnects all powered electrical wiring and fluid systems (fuel, oil, hyd, > fluid, etc.)with electrical cut-off valves to isolate the engine bay > completely from the rest of the airframe during an engine fire. Usually, > there's a red light in the center of this handle that glows when a heat > detector (Fenwal rate-compensation type probe) in the engine/ nacelle area > reaches high temp. Also, some even have on board suppression systems (halon) > that would release when the t-handle is pulled, some also have main and > reserve tanks to give two attempts!. Any of this would be way overkill to > do in a VW van, but would be very cool to have. > Yes, a strong wind will carry away any fire extinguishing agent, and add > oxygen to the fire. > Aircraft cowling side panels have knock-in fire panels just for the purpose > that you mention, but I believe that the access door is well-suited to the > purpose, if you can reach to open it with getting burned. Opening the rear > hatch, and then propping up the engine lid would be risky or even impossible > if flames were still present. > > HTH, > > Mike B. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Loren Busch" <starwagen@GMAIL.COM> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 6:27 PM > Subject: Re: Westy OEM fire extinguisher > > >> Mike, let me stretch the Halon thread and extend it to the Vanagon engine >> compartment. The worst case scenario in my mind has always been something >> like this. Driving across a lonely stretch of desert in a constant stiff >> wind. Smoke appears behind, pull ove, shut down, grab the Halon filled >> extinguisher and head for the back. Now how to I apply the Halon? If not >> to hot yet I open the license plate door? Or drop to the ground and >> squirt >> up into the engine compartment? And If I'm in a strong wind, will the >> Halon >> just carry away? >> >> The ideal setup in my mind is to create some sort of access port direct >> from >> the outside to the engine compartment, just for sticking the nozzle of the >> extinguisher into in case of an engine compartment fire. Anyone ever >> though >> that through and figured out how to do it?