Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 16:17:46 -0800
Reply-To: Mike Miller <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mike Miller <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
Subject: Re: Westy OEM fire extinguisher/Halon suppressant
In-Reply-To: <0a9c01c84d9b$db153950$0a00a8c0@OWNERMIKE>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
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?
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