I stumbled on a great deal on some 5-pound Halon 1211 fire systems.

They are push-release mechanical systems that don't include the tubing and nozzles, but are way below retail. Seems that Joe Gibbs' Cup team ended up with a pile of them after NASCAR mandated installation of 25-pound systems, and they have both new and already-installed units to get rid of.

Contact Archie at 865-457-4480 or by email at aweisgarber(a)comcast.net

I bought two so I have a spare bottle - they are that cheap...

K

 

Thanks for the heads up Knestis

Sent an Email!

 

awesome deal indeed. I also ordered 2. Can't pass that up. If anybody is still running just a handheld estinguisher, you owe it to yourself to call Archie.

 

I just sent an email and waiting reply. By the way, can you guys post some pics of the system? Thanks!

 

Archie is a great guy to deal with. I ordered a system yesterday, and will order the other parts I need later this week. One of the best deals I have been able to get!

I only ordered 1 bottle, because I'm poor, but the whole system will cost around 150!
You just CANT beat that!


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ITACRX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I just sent an email and waiting reply. By the way, can you guys post some pics of the system? Thanks!</TD></TR></TABLE>


Give him a call today. When I talked to him yesterday, he said they were going very fast because of this post!

But make sure you ask him for one of the DOT bottles. Those seems to be the only ones that "firebottle" (which is who makes them) can recharge! The DOT bottles are May of 2003 and later!

 

Aluminum tubing (1/4" OD, 3003 dead soft) is available from Aircraft Spruce, by the foot.

K

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Knestis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Aluminum tubing (1/4" OD, 3003 dead soft) is available from Aircraft Spruce, by the foot.

K</TD></TR></TABLE>

The "kit" that I am talking about gettting to finish the install includes the tubing, 2 nozzles, a "T", and the hose ends, with the adaprt for the activating valve.
The kit is 30 bucks, and the mounting braket is 18.00!


Does not seem like a bad deal to me. Know any place that I can pick it up cheaper Knestis?

 

where did you find the Firebottle stuff?
Pegasus carries it, but 2 nozzles, 2 adapters, 1 tee, one valve adapter and 8ft of tubing come to $55 + $24 for the bracket...

thanks

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by prkiller &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

But make sure you ask him for one of the DOT bottles. Those seems to be the only ones that "firebottle" (which is who makes them) can recharge! The DOT bottles are May of 2003 and later!

</TD></TR></TABLE>

from: http://www.stockcarproducts.com/fire1.htm

RECHARGEABLE - All Firebottle systems are rechargeable, saving you the cost of having to purchase a new cylinder.

the two don't seem to reflect the same sentiment - what's the difference?

 

received the bottles and cables from Archie today. Good deal. As promised, Archie shiiped them on wednesday, and I get them on friday.
Just wanted to share, in case anybody thought the deal was too good to be true. Now I just need to go and buy the "accessories" to mount the bad boy. Does anybody another supplier, cheaper than Pegasus?

 

Aluminum tubing can be ordered from Aircraft Spruce - like $0.55/foot, I think.

http://www.aircraft-spruce.com

Get the 1/4" OD 3003 "O" - that's dead soft annealed. I'm skipping nozzles and going with the "curtain" approach that I first saw on the Porsche factory 962s, where you run a ring of tube around the halo of the rollcage structure, and drill small holes in it so that Halon rains down on the driver.

Note here that Halon is a lot heavier than air so you never want outlets down by the floor. I used to do a demo when we were importing Lifeline systems where I'd squeeze a little 1211 into a paper cup at the beginning of the spiel, then pour it on a burning match to douse it, 20 minutes later. It literally pools at room temperature.

I did neglect the bracket question though and am wondering if it's worth $24 to not have to make one...

K

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Knestis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Aluminum tubing can be ordered from Aircraft Spruce - like $0.55/foot, I think.

http://www.aircraft-spruce.com

Get the 1/4" OD 3003 "O" - that's dead soft annealed. I'm skipping nozzles and going with the "curtain" approach that I first saw on the Porsche factory 962s, where you run a ring of tube around the halo of the rollcage structure, and drill small holes in it so that Halon rains down on the driver.
douse it, 20 minutes later. It literally pools at room temperature.

I did neglect the bracket question though and am wondering if it's worth $24 to not have to make one...

K</TD></TR></TABLE>


Interesting Knestis! I received my bottle today with the cable kit. Did everyone else get a "push type" cable kit. The guy at firebottle told me they did not even make a "push type" cable, but here I have one.

BTW, I talked to a guy named Kent at Firebottle and he told me the bracket would cost me 18 bucks!

I will be ordering the other stuff I need from them unless someone posts a cheaper supplier!

 

too late, i've already ordered from Pegasus, along with a bunch of other crap... Oh well.
I like the curtain idea, I need to look into that. Are you going to zip tie the tubing to the halo, or go with a more permanent mounting method?
I'm still debating where to put the driver nozzle - if I use it - and whether to put another nozzle in the engine compartment. Don't know if I want to "waste" some of that Halon on the engine, or dump it all on me!

And yes, I got push cables as well.

 

Mine are both push-release systems. You don't want to point that nozzle at anything that will get frostbite, by the way. I don't think I'm going to put any Halon on the engine either - it's all going on me.

BTW, I will still carry a handheld bottle in the car for blowups, grass fires, etc.

K

 

does a 5lbs. bottle have enough force/contents to work with that curtain idea or would you not need significantly more? It sounds very interesting and I too had planned to keep my little handheld in the car also.

I went to one of those schpiels in Greensboro back in 1988 or so - was gonna be a halon salesman (until they asked me for another check ) and I recall the little cup demo. What a long strange trip ...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Knestis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> I don't think I'm going to put any Halon on the engine either - it's all going on me.

K</TD></TR></TABLE>

Please check the rules for which you are planning to run. Some require 2 nozzles, on on you, and the other on the engine or fuel cell!

I will be running one on me, and the other on the engine to be compliant with the rules!

 

Also, Knestis

Any website that you know of that may have info on the "curtain" idea your speaking of?

 

I don't have any specific info beyond what we came up with WAY back then. The idea was to make the total area of the holes add up to something like that of the original nozzles that came with the system, to get the same kind of flow rate.

I'm now having a "Hmmm" about the two-nozzle requirement - which is in fact in place in the GCR. Since fire systems are not required in IT cars, I've never really worried about that aspect of the design before now. It's probably like the minimum cage tube size that doesn't require a diagonal in the roof but if you DO have one, makes you build it out of the minimum required OD and wall thickness...

K

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Knestis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I'm now having a "Hmmm" about the two-nozzle requirement - which is in fact in place in the GCR. Since fire systems are not required in IT cars, I've never really worried about that aspect of the design before now. It's probably like the minimum cage tube size that doesn't require a diagonal in the roof but if you DO have one, makes you build it out of the minimum required OD and wall thickness...

K</TD></TR></TABLE>

That is exacly what I was refering to. I am building to the GCR as well, and so, am using 2 nozzles.

I guess I will just use the nozzle pointed between the legs until we all come up with something better like the curtain idea!

 

1211 is actually a liquid when it comes out of the nozzle and if you remember your HS science class, it takes a bunch of heat energy to change the state of matter. You are going to potentially be providing that heat with your naughty bits if you aim the nozzle TOO close to them. Just a thought.

K

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Knestis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">1211 is actually a liquid when it comes out of the nozzle and if you remember your HS science class, it takes a bunch of heat energy to change the state of matter. You are going to potentially be providing that heat with your naughty bits if you aim the nozzle TOO close to them. Just a thought.

K</TD></TR></TABLE>

What exact point do you recommend for aiming at? Where will you be placing it?

 

The nozzle plot thickens. Firebottle specifically tells you in the installation directions that the entire contents of the bottle should go on the driver and that, if you want to point agent at the engine or fuel cell, you should get another system. Hmmm.

I wonder what SCCA's lawyers would think of that since if they write a rule that is different than the manufacturer's recommendations, they can't mooch off of Firebottle's liability coverage, should the worst happen.



Here's a pic of my system mounting mocked up in the Golf. The **** is right by my hand and the cable run is nice and natural, with no sharp bends. I'm glad that I got two systems since I used the extra cable bracket for the plunger end and, if you use the cable, you need another set screw for the **** (after you use it to secure the wire to the push-release head).

K

Edit - pic has been updated and this is the final installation.


Modified by Knestis at 4:34 PM 12/11/2004

 

Also, if you are installing one of these units and you have the same crappy non-compressing-compression fitting that came with mine, you are going to want to get a proper 1/4" compression to 14" flare to connect your tubing to the bottle fitting.

Try Lowes or a similar source for WATTS P/N A-55 in brass. They are also out there in aluminum if you have a specialty fitting supplier in your area.



More at http://www.it2.evaluand.com/gti/build3.php

K

 

so where did you end up putting the nozzle(s)?

 

I ran a ring of tubing around the cage halo bar and drilled 6 ea. 1/16" holes in it, where it was perpendicular to the driver's seat. I called the manufacturer to find out how many and how big the holes in the original nozzles were and went with the same number and size, so the discharge rate will be the same.

K