Landracing Forum

Bonneville Salt Flats Discussion => SCTA Rule Questions => Topic started by: Ron Gibson on September 11, 2011, 12:21:38 PM

Title: Fire system
Post by: Ron Gibson on September 11, 2011, 12:21:38 PM

  Can anyone tell me if the ESS system with the separate co2 cylinder for charging the bottle is legal for Bonneville or does it have to be the pre-charged bottle.
  My Halon bottle is out of date. The fire extinguisher company says they can't re-certify and they don't have a way to reclaim the 1301 to hydro test and refill the bottle.
  Any info appreciated.

Ron

Title: Re: Fire system
Post by: Glen on September 11, 2011, 12:34:08 PM

This would be best answered by Roy Creel.  He is the SCTA/BNI Fuel/fire extinguishing specialist.
Contact him at cree@antelecom.net, or 661-268-1902

Wait until tomorrow as he is at the Lakes meet today.

Title: Re: Fire system
Post by: Tman on September 11, 2011, 04:16:04 PM

I was talking to BigTim (Aussie and tech guy) after Speedweek and he was inpressed with the system. Told me to look into it. There were cars running with it this year.

Title: Re: Fire system
Post by: Kiwi Paul on September 11, 2011, 11:49:27 PM

Carefull, Trent...If you call my large mate from the North of England an Aussie he may get a little upset.. :-D

Title: Re: Fire system
Post by: Tman on September 12, 2011, 12:51:24 AM

Quote from: Kiwi Paul on September 11, 2011, 11:49:27 PM

Carefull, Trent...If you call my large mate from the North of England an Aussie he may get a little upset.. :-D

That may explain our comunication issues on the phone!

Title: Re: Fire system
Post by: Tman on October 03, 2011, 10:13:05 PM

Just talked to Tim on the way to The salt, he said AussieSteve Ok'd the bottles I was refferring to at speedweek. Got him asking some more details for the rest of us as he is out there this week. Trent :cheers:

Title: Re: Fire system
Post by: Stainless1 on October 03, 2011, 10:22:40 PM

Ron, is it still in the green?  The bottle only needs hydro if it needs to be filled, if it is still full, it just needs inspection.  Call me.  My guy might be able to help.

Title: Re: Fire system
Post by: johnneilson on October 03, 2011, 11:36:08 PM

Please understand that I am writing about a personal experience with a ESS fire bottle. I can see merit to the concept of the system, but I also see issues.

I bought a used Rx7 some years ago for my Son to start racing in SCCA.

It had a ESS fire system on board and looked like it had been there for awhile so I decided to remove it and re charge it.
I unbolted it and went out to the driveway to release it. I pulled the cable and it let loose, spraying foam everywhere, even from under the cap affixed to the bottle and from a crack in the end cap. Upon cleaning up the bottle and opening it up to rinse it out I found the cap was a plastic piece, cracked and what appeared to be possibly cross threaded at one time (damaged threads).

After thinking about what I found, I decided to use a normal pressurized bottle with gauge and would deal with having to take it to be refilled/charged etc.

my $0.02, the agent was not completely discharged thru the lines because of the cap damage/failure. If this had been a pressurized bottle the gauge would have indicated so and leaked everywhere. Then I thought about the cartridge, there is no indicator on it, can I trust it?

I saw the pictures of a Gentleman who died in a race car. Plain as day, he pulled the handle of the cable trying to release the fire system only to have the safety pin still in the bottle about 6" out of his reach. 

John