The Wescott's Turtle III On-board Fire Extinguisher

[ratkin]

While perusing the Expedition Portal Classified listing on The Turtle III and reminiscing about reading the old articles in Four Wheeler magazine back in high school when i spotted these two photos:

I noticed what appeared to be a red fire extinguisher mounted to the hood with a cable routed through the bracing, to the opposite corner, and into the cabin! Pretty cool, and the location it's mounted would have been a blessing for this poor Jeep owner and may have kept him from having a total loss!

Anyone have any details on the system the Wescott's installed or the story behind it?

Thanks,
Richard

 

[Zmann]

No details on the unit in the picture I do think they are probably the Fireboy®- Xintex brand and you can do a cable option along with atomatic
I was doing a remodel on a video store and to my surprise the video tape drop box had one inside , i have that mounted in my campers propane refrigerator compartment, also a great add-on for boats ( check out fireballs those were an item i stumbled on doing a google last month

 

[ratkin]

Perfect!

https://www.fireboy-xintex.com/ma2-fire-extinguisher/

I thought the ball extinguisher was just new packaging for the old glass fire grenades: https://www.peachridgeglass.com/2012/04/fire-grenades-great-form-and-color-for-collectors/

But here’s the link to what they really are: http://firetechglobal.com

Pretty cool!

Thanks!

 

[TernOverland]

Be aware that dry chemical extinguishers like the fire ball can cause a good deal of collateral damage to an engine and electronics. If the ball bursts on a running engine, the abrasive dust can be sucked into the intake. The powder is also corrosive to electrical components. Bad news. Good extinguishers using something like Halotron1 are very expensive, but worth it.

 

[pluton]

Be aware that dry chemical extinguishers like the fire ball can cause a good deal of collateral damage to an engine and electronics. If the ball bursts on a running engine, the abrasive dust can be sucked into the intake. The powder is also corrosive to electrical components. Bad news. Good extinguishers using something like Halotron1 are very expensive, but worth it.

More specifically, the type BC (not ABC) extinguishers contain sodium bicarbonate as the powder. Sodium bicarbonate is just baking soda, it's dry, doesn't 'melt' and should be easy to clean off. Of course, it's still a fine powder and therefore presents a danger dust-sensitive areas, like intakes.
The ABC types...which are what is commonly sold at home improvement stores and other consumer venues...usually use some form of ammonium phosphate, which melts over the hot things it touches...and damages. I don't want that stuff encrusted all over my engine or vehicle interior.
Agree that, if you can afford them, Halon or Halotron liquid chemical is the best if you don't want to contaminate the fire scene.

 

[TernOverland]

More specifically, the type BC (not ABC) extinguishers contain sodium bicarbonate as the powder. Sodium bicarbonate is just baking soda, it's dry, doesn't 'melt' and should be easy to clean off. Of course, it's still a fine powder and therefore presents a danger dust-sensitive areas, like intakes.
The ABC types...which are what is commonly sold at home improvement stores and other consumer venues...usually use some form of ammonium phosphate, which melts over the hot things it touches...and damages. I don't want that stuff encrusted all over my engine or vehicle interior.
Agree that, if you can afford them, Halon or Halotron liquid chemical is the best if you don't want to contaminate the fire scene.

Yes, but sodium bicarbonate is abrasive. If incorporated into an automatic system, it could get sucked into the engine intake if any part of that system melts. It is certainly not harmless. I don't know specifically what damage that might do, but I sure don't want to find out. It's bad enough if this happens where you can just call for a tow to a repair shop. Travelers always have to contend with the prospect of recovering with minimal assistance.

 

[Wilbah]

Would sodium bicarbonate make it through the air filter? I'm just learning about clean agent extinguishers but darn they're not cheap. I get it that an extra $100 is short money but if another system works is it worth it. But maybe it's just not worth it and it's better to get the clean agent and know you're safe.

 

[TernOverland]

Would sodium bicarbonate make it through the air filter? I'm just learning about clean agent extinguishers but darn they're not cheap. I get it that an extra $100 is short money but if another system works is it worth it. But maybe it's just not worth it and it's better to get the clean agent and know you're safe.

It should not get through the filter, but many induction systems are plastic and the whole filter housing could melt with the engine still running. That is the issue. The better extinguishers are expensive, but consider the circumstances when you might actually need it. A cheap extinguisher is like buying a cheap parachute......maybe not the best place to go short on quality.

 

[Wilbah]

It should not get through the filter, but many induction systems are plastic and the whole filter housing could melt with the engine still running. That is the issue. The better extinguishers are expensive, but consider the circumstances when you might actually need it. A cheap extinguisher is like buying a cheap parachute......maybe not the best place to go short on quality.

Ha! Good analogy! Thanks I hadn't thought of the other plastic parts of the intake melting thus opening up the system to it. Makes sense. Part of me was thinking $100 extra (or whatever it is) for something that evaporates and doesn't leave any mess would be worthwhile. Cleaning today's engines with the mass of hoses, wires etc from a mess like a fire extinguisher makes would get old darn quick. Thanks for the rationale!