Mike,

Exactly what I was thinking.  Perhaps one of the vendors could become a
source for all of us.

Harold
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Harold & Faye Teer
1991 Westy
Harrisonburg, VA

On Jan 2, 2008 7:17 PM, Mike Miller <mwmiller@cwnet.com> wrote:

> Does anyone have access to a source, at discount of course, for these?
> Maybe
> a group buy?
>
> Mike
>
> Marin County CA. with many vans, a few loafs.
>
> On 1/2/08 4:01 PM, "Mike" <mbucchino@CHARTER.NET> wrote:
>
> >   The Vanagon's rear license plate access door is definitely the best
> place
> > to introduce the halon.  It'll flood the entire engine compartment
> > (temporarily - due to it's not being sealed below and the fact that
> halon's
> > heavier than air) long enough to extinguish the flames.  Only an object
> that
> > has reached an extremely high temp during the fire will attemp to
> re-ignite
> > once the halon disperses.  Hopefully you will have gotten it out
> completely
> > on the first application.  A small bottle should be sufficient to do the
> > job.  It is important to have the presence of mind to shut off the
> engine,
> > and get everyone out of the van first.  If the key's left on, the
> engine's
> > electrical harness may burn through by touching ground, and also the
> fuel
> > pump may contimue to deliver gasoline into the engine bay.  Large
> aircraft
> > have a "firewall cutoff" T-handle on the instrument panel glareshield
> that
> > disconnects all powered electrical wiring and fluid systems (fuel, oil,
> hyd,
> > fluid, etc.)with electrical cut-off valves to isolate the engine bay
> > completely from the rest of the airframe during an engine fire.
>  Usually,
> > there's a red light in the center of this handle that glows when a heat
> > detector (Fenwal rate-compensation type probe) in the engine/ nacelle
> area
> > reaches high temp. Also, some even have on board suppression systems
> (halon)
> > that would release when the t-handle is pulled, some also have main and
> > reserve tanks to give two attempts!.  Any of this would be way overkill
> to
> > do in a VW van, but would be very cool to have.
> >   Yes, a strong wind will carry away any fire extinguishing agent, and
> add
> > oxygen to the fire.
> > Aircraft cowling side panels have knock-in fire panels just for the
> purpose
> > that you mention, but I believe that the access door is well-suited to
> the
> > purpose, if you can reach to open it with getting burned.  Opening the
> rear
> > hatch, and then propping up the engine lid would be risky or even
> impossible
> > if flames were still present.
> >
> > HTH,
> >
> > Mike B.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Loren Busch" <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> > Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 6:27 PM
> > Subject: Re: Westy OEM fire extinguisher
> >
> >
> >> Mike, let me stretch the Halon thread and extend it to the Vanagon
> engine
> >> compartment.  The worst case scenario in my mind has always been
> something
> >> like this.  Driving across a lonely stretch of desert in a constant
> stiff
> >> wind.  Smoke appears behind, pull ove, shut down, grab the Halon filled
> >> extinguisher and head for the back.  Now how to I apply the Halon?  If
> not
> >> to hot yet I open the license plate door?  Or drop to the ground and
> >> squirt
> >> up into the engine compartment?  And If I'm in a strong wind, will the
> >> Halon
> >> just carry away?
> >>
> >> The ideal setup in my mind is to create some sort of access port direct
> >> from
> >> the outside to the engine compartment, just for sticking the nozzle of
> the
> >> extinguisher into in case of an engine compartment fire.  Anyone ever
> >> though
> >> that through and figured out how to do it?
>

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