custom auto fire extinguisher system

That seems like a pretty good deal but I'm not sure what the effects of AFFF on an aluminum drivetrain would be. A lot of people use Halon because it won't damage the aluminum. Last thing you need is to save your car from a fire only to ruin it with the extinguisher!

 

halon is getting hardr & harder to get & its very hard to ship. A shop accidently triggered my 10 lb halon system & it was hell getting it refilled. It was cheaper for thm to buy me a whole new system, then to refill. I got it refilled for $399!

 

Any fire suppressant system is better than none. Installing a permament one can be a pain, plus it take up room. However, it's worth it. I have a system mounted in the trunk (front) with 2 nozzles, one by the shifter and the other in the engine compartment. The activation button on the dash, in front of the shifter. Fire travels fast and seconds count. If you can not activate, or get your hands on a fire extinguisher within a second or two, chances are you wouldn't be able to doing anything to put out the fire. Plus the last thing you want to do is open the engine compartment with a fire in there - best way to BBQ you face. ( One person's opinion, FWIW).

 

It sounds pretty similar to the systems used in the NHRA. Cold Fire is what they use and it is a vegatable compound that is mixed with water. Never had any problem with it damaging any parts. Just wash it off in the pits and recharge the system with a compressor. This one uses CO2, so no compressor needed. You want to stay away from purple K systems since they are very corrosive to engine parts.

 

There are several different types of foam. I'm not sure if any are corrosive when applied to aluminum. Like was mentioned above, any system is probably better than none. I also like what sounds like easy refills of this system (unlike Halon).

Here's a little more info on foams but it doesn't talk much about interaction or corrosiveness....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_retardant_foam

 

My son is a fireman in Olympia WA. His Chief recommended I consult a local fire volenteer (Skip Nichols) up there who is also a race driver and has a related business. Here is what he recommends we, as Ferrari owner's, consider doing to best fire protect our cars. I'm going to heed his advice and probably install his recommended system ASAP.
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Bob,
Congratulations on your Ferrari. You have the syndrome i like to refer to as the "protect my baby " syndrome. most Ferrari owners always install the safety items that will protect the car and never really give much thought to the driver. Many of the race car fire systems are set up to install fire nozzles in the engine compartment, drivers compartment and the fuel cells. I urge you to go this route. one nozzle just wont get it. I was racing against an F-40 when he lost control and hit the wall sideways. before the car came to a rest in two pieces and before the driver could self extricate, the car was totally involved in flame. Remember that even though the car can come to a stop that the fuel pumps will keep pumping until you shut off the ignition. they are regulated and not pressure sensitive. meaning that if the engine were separated from the car upon impact, which happened in this case, the fuel pumps wouldn't know it and would keep pumping. also, remember that fuel injection pumps must provide at least 90 psi to run the car. that's a **** load of pressure and has to be bled off some how. that's why they have return fuel lines back to the tank from the engine. all these lines have the potential for damage on impact. I'm sorry to say that back then Ferrari didn't really have their act together when it came to addressing this problem. they got a little smarter when they built the 348. The new Stradale' (sp) is really almost bullet proof. I drive one for a client and they are really tough. not as fast as my corvettes but pretty close.
I am not a fan of anything that involves dry chem as the powder eats up aluminum and destroys paint. Anything it touches, it ruins. Halon 1211 has been banned because of the toxicity even though you can still get it from some places. Halon 1311 is toxic but works just as good as 1211. the new systems that i use on all my new race cars are the new foam systems. everything is water soluble. the only thing i use that is different is that i don't use the poly tubing that they supply. i use the old school aluminum tubing. its just as flexible and has a much higher melting point.
I hope this has been a help. Good luck and be careful

Thank you,

H.B. Skip Nichols
Nichols Industries Racing
6531 Capitol Blvd, S.
Tumwater, Wa. 98501
www.nicholsracing.com
360-951-3432