NMC7Z06JJ

I'm considering mounting a Halotron extinguisher onto the seat rails. Has anyone done this? If you have mounted a fire extinguisher please let me know how it's installed. I'm trying to avoid drilling holes to mount. Thank you.

fleming23

I have a Vettework mount in front of the passenger seat with a 2.5lb Halon bottle.

Only negative is that is eliminates the plastic covers resulting in exposed hardware, if you care about aesthetics. No holes need to be drilled, you simply use the front mounting studs and nuts from the factory seat mount. Installs in 5 minutes, maybe...

http://www.vetteworksonline.net/cata...roducts_id=200
Stock photo

Bill Dearborn

http://www.bkauto.com/R_2171_Fire_Ex...e_p/r-2171.htm

This is the one I use when participating in NCCC events since their rules require one in modified cars. It provides a solid mount for an Amerex Halotron FE and is mounted to the seat studs, all you have to do is remove the covers from the seat track, take off the nuts and put the bracket in place and reinstall the nuts. Save the covers for when the bracket isn't in the car. It will restrict seat movement as well.

However, the location is pretty much useless since you have to reach over the console to get to it. You don't want to mount it in front of the driver's seat since it is a hazard that could keep your feet from using the brake pedal if it broke loose due to your feet undoing the snaps.

Locating the FE on the cross beam behind the seats doesn't work very well either since you have to twist around to get to it.

It takes up to 10 seconds to get out of a car with a race seat, harnesses and a HANS device on. If you spend 5 seconds trying to get to the FE you may have just trapped yourself inside the car. The FE is only good if you have a system that can be activated with the push of a button or is quickly accessible from outside the car once you are out of the car.

Bill

fleming23

Bill, it is my understanding the BK mount requires you to actually take the seat apart and mount it inside the actual seat frame, not to the studs as you mentioned, and how the vetteworks mount is secured. The positive here is the BK mount should allow the seat to move fully forward, if desired, whereas the vetteworks mount basically prevents the seat from sliding.

I agree, if the car is on fire it could take precious time getting to the extinguisher and should not be the number one priority. With a helmet on and full suit, it is a big enough PITA to get in and out of the car with a halo seat in place!

Spacewalker

PM forum member meanjoe. he made me one.

ZR1Bob

A couple of questions: First, am I correct in thinking that the Vetteworks unit restricts forward seat movement? If so, does anyone know by how much? Is there any adjustment available or are you stuck with a seat in full aft position?

Also, is Halon considered the best type of portable extinguisher these days? I know the dry chemical ones make a real mess if used, but is one better than the other for car fires? Thanks -Bob

Bill Dearborn

You are correct. I didn't look at it closely enough. My mount is the one for the C5/C6 and I thought it was the same. More than likely the C5/C6 one could be used. I will have to take mine out of the box and see if it fits the C7. The C5/C6 mount also limits forward movement of the seat but doesn't require seat removal.

Bill

fleming23

The vetteworks bracket absolutely limits forward adjustment, although, not sure why you really need any. I've only moved my seat forward for two reasons, to set up my harnesses and to access the rear bolts to remove the seat entirely. I can try to measure mine this evening but I would say you get a few inches maybe.

Based on my research Halon had better fire extinguishing properties. I read, but have not completely confirmed, it takes twice as much Halotron as Halon. That being said, I believe Halon is no longer being produced and is much more expensive to find.

Bill Dearborn

Check this link:
http://www.firesafetyinc.net/blog/ha...computer-rooms

When I purchased my Amerex unit several years ago I got it from a local fire extinguisher supplier. He told me several other advantages.

First, it is refillable and his shop could refill the unit
Second, it can be certified (he certified mine and I had a certification tag on it, now expired). This is the tag you see on FE in public places like hotels, work places, etc
Third, the gauge is accurate unlike the dry chemical extinguishers that are so readily available at discount stores.

I almost forgot another reason why you don't want to use a dry chemical FE. In closed spaces the chemical fills the air with a choking dust that makes breathing very difficult. One winter I was working in my garage with my son and had a heater going to keep the garage warm. Several minutes after spraying some rust proofing on the inside of a door panel that was lying on the floor we heard the heater start to make some puffing noises. As I turned around I saw a blue flame running about 10 ft across the floor to the door panel and the rust proofing on the panel was on fire. My son grabbed the dry chemical FE and used one short burst to put out the fire. That short burst filled the garage with a cloud of chemical and breathing became very difficult until I got the garage door open and we could run outside into the cold. We both coughed up stuff for several days after that.

Bill

Firemedic301

I am not sure if anybody answered you get, but here is my take. You use a Fire Extinguisher to put out a fire in your car or somebody else's car. Dry chem extinguishers ARE messy, but so is an insinurated car? Halon works by displacing the Oxygen in a fire so if a car is burning with lots of air (outside) they are pretty useless. BUT if you can catch a small engine flare-up in the INTERIOR (electrical) fast enough the halon will work pretty good and make way less mess. Dry chem washes off pretty easy after a fire.

ronsc1985

Halon fire extinguishers have been outlawed by the NHRA since 2008. In open cockpit cars they are not very effective and in closed cockpit cars while extinguishing the fire they may also extinguish the driver from suffocation.

Since these people have a lot of fires on an almost weekly basis I'd take what they say seriously.

fleming23

Maybe read the following report. They did not necessarily outlaw it due to ineffectiveness.

http://www.nfpa.org/~/media/files/ne...mmel.pdf?la=en

Bill Dearborn

Another issue with dry chemical FEs is the need to make sure the chemical doesn't compact in the cylinder. You periodically have to take the FE and shake it to get the chemical back into a powder form Vs a chunk.

Halotron FEs are not Halon FEs. Halotron 1 is a "clean" fire-extinguishing agent intended to replace Halon 1211. NFPA 2001, "Standard on Clean Agent Fire Extinguishing Systems" defines a "Clean Agent" to be "an electrically non-conducting volatile, or gaseous fire extinguishant that does not leave a residue upon evaporation."

Bill

Kamran

My set up. Easy reach. Out of the way. Room to pack tools and whatnot on passenger floor. No limiting of seat movement. And saves passenger nylons!

Also from Vetteworks. Awesome helpful guy and local to me!

Bill Dearborn

Put your seat belt on with cinch mode active and see how easy it is to turn around and reach the FE. Not so easy to reach then.

Bill

Kamran

Ummm! I don't think you would be trying to put the fire out fully fastened in your seat!!!! itd be a cool trick though, you just keep driving then...!? I can picture it in my mind!?

I suppose if you drive with yours belts loose enough to allow you to lean over to passenger foot board to grab the extinguisher, more power to ya!? I'd need to remove my seatbelt "Spacers" first!!!

2014GT

Bill Dearborn

Sort of forgot to try. The car is about 15 ft away from the fire extinguisher but I haven't used the extinguisher in so long I forgot about checking it. I stopped using it for HPDEs after I blew the engine in my C6Z in 2011. The FE was mounted in front of the passenger seat so I had to unfasten the belts to get to it. Once the belts were unfastened was it worth the time to get the FE or was the time better spent getting out of a car that had smoke all around it. I decided to get out of the car. The video shows from the time I realized there was smoke blowing past the car until I was standing outside it took 10 seconds. That included releasing the cam lock, throwing the shoulder belts off and getting the lap belts out of the way and then squirming out of the racing seat with a HANS device on which made it difficult to get by the door opening. My impression is if you are spending time reaching for a FE before getting out of the car you are increasing the risk of not getting out of the car at all.

Bill

2014GT

Bill Dearborn

I tried to fit my BK C5/C6 FE mount with an Amerex FE fastened to it. I pulled off one of the seat stud covers and placed one end of the bracket on the stud and tried to rotate the other end over the location of the stud on the other side of the seat. It won't rotate far enough to get close to the stud. The C7 seat bottom is further forward than the C5/C6 seat bottom and the FE hits the seat even with the seat all the way back. The C5/C6 BK bracket will not fit the C7. When you look at the C7 version you can see it is a better solution since it moves with the seat.

Bill