Im going to install a safe craft fire suppression system and would like some advise on where I should mount it. to me, the obvious choice is passenger side right up against the seat so a passenger wont accidentally damage the gauge or the spec fill label. the trunk might be a good spot but a bit more effort and and what if I were rear ended, the cable could get fouled when you need it most.

anyone have a good install thread on hand? perhaps some tips having done this before? ive never installed one before but seems pretty straight forward. just need a flair tool and I'm good to go.

 

I put mine in front of the passenger seat (if I had one) mounted laterally. If I ever do put a seat in there, a simple aluminum cover would protect it and it would sit under the passengers knees.

 

Mine is in the trunk:



--Ian

 

Mine is bolted to the tranny tunnel on the passenger side.

 

You might want to rotate that to be longitudinal. If the car ends up on its side and on fire the bottle wont work right.

 

good point. I've seen many mounted that way but perhaps mounting the tank like codrus is the way to go, parallel to the frame rail.

 

Huh, I've never thought about it, but yeah, I can see why it should be that way.

To be clear, I didn't install mine -- I do most of the stuff on the car myself, but for safety gear I take it to TC Design, a local shop that builds a lot of race cars. For reasons just like this one.

--Ian

 

Thanks,
I Wasn't thinking about that when I installed it, some else to do now.

 

Mine was mounted transversely in my trunk by TC Design. Sorry for the blown out picture.



Have you considered an AFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam) system? Lots of good vendors, easier refills, and FIA preferred. If you are going to a DIY install, make sure you use the appropriate style of flaring tool. Definitely not good safety karma to use an SAE flaring tool to install a 37-degree AN fitting or vice-versa.

This claim is not really supported by the installation manual. ESS recommends mounting the tank on its side and suggests forward-facing strictly for easier maintenance. The exact quote is "It is preferable to position the cylinder horizontal in the car with the head facing forward. This position makes it easier to install and maintain." Of course, this might be biased toward an in-cockpit mount, where longitudinal installation makes it much easier to check/maintain from the passenger's side.

According to the ESS manual, the issue with upside-down bottles is that they leak when the CO2 cartridge is removed. They include instructions for servicing vertically-mounted bottles, so they clearly do not forbid it at all.

 

The cabin and cylinder safety pins also seem like good applications for the "remove before flight" tags. I got a pair for my pins.

 

Interesting. The pickup for this tank is a little hose with a weight on it so as long as the tank is on its side valve size up vertical you'll get most of the liquid out. But valve side down you'll only get as much out as the hose can limp dick over while inside the tank, which normally isnt much. When they specify upside down in the instructions I think they mean CO2 inlet down.

 

The problem with inverted dip-tube fire extinguishers is when there is a separate propellant that is allowed to escape without dispensing agent. Reading their literature, the ESS systems and other "non-pressurized" AFFF systems inject CO2 into the agent, creating a homogenous high-pressure mixture, while the rupture disc prevents release before this foam forms.

Basically, the foam is the propellant, so the expansion of the high pressure foam from ~600psi to atmospheric will cause it to discharge. The homogeneity in the bottle is what makes it work, since it's not dispensing liquid.

 

for those who installed their own, how much of a pain is it to straighten out the aluminum tube? is it worth buying straight sections from auto zone or wherever. I know the drag guys, and some road racers go with steel lines. anyone think that worthwhile?

 

Center console (if yours is deleted) or right in front of either the driver or passenger seat. Basically you want it as close as possible and low as possible that way if it detaches in the event of a seirous accident, it'll have less of a chance of flying and injuring someone.