Look up Halon fire extinguishers at Aircraft Spruce (look at their website) - there are a variety of sizes. Mine is 3 pounds, 13 ounces gross weight. Make sure you mount it securely within the driver's reach and with a quick release metal bracket. NO DRY CHEMICAL!! Messy and corrosive. Bob Z.
Halon is banned worldwide, but not in the U.S. It is still the preferred agent in aircraft, and that is why Aircraft Spruce carries them. Halotron is the Halon substitute, and, going over the racing supply catalogs, there seem to be be other new agents. There was some discussion in a racing forum, with some preferring the AFFF (foam) extinguishers. I would go with Halon or a substitute agent or AFFF. Definitely no dry chemicals.
I just looked on the Aircraft Spruce website. Put in the search key words Halon Fire Extinguisher. The site returned H3R Fire Extinguishers. I don't think they contain halon. I have two old small (3lb???) Halon extinguishers that have lost a little of their charge. I would love to have them brought up to full charge, but have no idea how to do this. Ten or so years ago, some places could do this for you, but now I can find none. Anyone have any suggestions?
Halon 1211 (bromochlorodifluoromethane of BCF) was banned under the Montreal Protocol on ozone depleting substances, along with CFCs, in January 1994. I believe it is still permitted for critical applications, primarily in aviation. This was probably one of the sillier side effects of the Montreal Protocol, in that unlike CFC containing aerolsols, fire extinguishers are only rarely discharged and usually in an emergency, with fires often generating far more toxic substances locally. And. of course, it is a very efficient extinguishant which leaves no residue. Halon 1301 (Bromotrifluoromethane) is used in total flood systems such as those used in computer suites. I seem to recall it is considered unsuitable for hand-held extinguishers - possibly because of the pressure requirements or toxic breakdown products.
AFFF is also terribly corrosive but if your life is at stake that's not terribly important. There are some other non corrosive foam agents on the market but I've not seen them approved for racing. I'm not sure why? Here's one and there are others Home - FireFreeze I've never used it but have been thinking of using it on my track days car. I don't race. I've used halon a couple of times on my street cars - great stuff for small issues but for a big fire I think you want foam as it stays around to prevent flare ups. Halon dissipates. AFFF leaked out of the fire system on my track car and ate right through an interior piece plus it corroded some metal as well.
Thanks, Roberto. Lowell, if you Google Halon fire extinguishers, several sources should pop up. Moss Motors sells them. I think what was banned is aluminum bottles for Halon. Shame really. It's illegal to export Halon from the US, so I am thinking I may have to rely on AFFF. Andres
I believe it was the manufacture of Halon 1211 which was banned. As the majority of extinguishers are never used in anger, there is a trade in recycled gas - which does not deteriorate with time. Not sure what the situation in the US is but I think the Clean Air Act effectively banned production. It is not illegal to use Halon 1211 extinguishers but there are probably rules about the disposal of discharged units.
Does anyone know anything about the extinguisher shown in this picture. It's a photo from the sale details of a late sn. 330 gt 2 + 2. Image Unavailable, Please Login
With all due respect to all, but perhaps this thread would be more appropriate in technical section. Timo
Halon production was banned as described above. However manufacturers may recycle old unused Halon containers into new extinguishers which is why you can still buy Halon today. Of course it will only get rarer and more expensive over time in theory although the experts are confident that new technology will come along some day and replace it. Halotran is a close as you can get to Halon but it's not quite as effective. Halon is currently the most expensive type out there but designed not to ruin what you are spraying (like a Ferrari V-12 although more specifically it was intended for sensitive electronics). Please keep your extinguishers in your cabin. NOT the trunk. If there is a fire you will spend precious time popping your trunk then running to your trunk to get it. I keep mine on the floor of my passenger seat (the C/4 is situationed such that I can leave in between the seat and the transmission tunnel and it doesn't roll around and I don't have to mount it). Don't rely on an outdated Halon extinguisher -- just buy a new one. Just google them and you will find outlets that carry it. Jay Leno had a good video in the last year or two talking about the differences in each; it's on his website.
