Corvette Fire Extinguishers

The above C6 just had a new after-market exhaust put on by his Chevy dealer. By the time he pulled into the tire store to get some smokin' hot tires, the new headers made his whole car smokin' hot. He didn't realize his car was on fire until he stopped. Keep in mind that most of these problems (especially in aircraft) occur right after having maintenance or modifications, so be sure to keep an eye (and nose) out for fluid leaks and interferences. He needed to know
How to Use a Fire Extinguisher

There is an easy acronym on using fire extinguishers:
P A S S which stands for
Pull, Aim, Squeeze, and Sweep

According to NCCC (and SCCA) rules, if you compete in a high speed autocross (SCCA Solo 1) that exceeds 80 MPH, all cars (NCCC Group 1s, 1, 2 and 3) are required to have a 5BC fire extinguisher on board. Group 2 and 3 are required to have fire extinguishers at all speed events. In essence, if you have a stock Corvette (Group 1s and 1) you have no need to worry about obtaining an extinguisher to compete at a Rocky Mountain Region low speed autocross event.
Note: Adding safety features, such as fire extinguishers, on board fire systems, five-point restraints with harness bars or roll bars will not take your car out of the stock/factory class.

Class 5 is the rating for how much fire the extinguisher can put out over time.
Class B denotes FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS & GASES (gasoline, oils, paint lacquer and tar)
Class C denotes FIRES INVOLVING LIVE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
Class A, such as in a 5ABC extinguisher, includes ORDINARY COMBUSTIBLES (wood, paper, cloth, trash, etc).

	There are two types of BC extinguishers that you are allowed to use, REGULAR dry chemical HALON 1211 liquified gas
	Regular extinguishers contain a siliconized sodium bicarbonate based dry chemical with free flowing and non-caking additives. Economical Class B & C protection with lower initial cost and recharging. This chemical smothers fires in flammable liquids and pressurized gases and will not conduct electricity back to the operator. Least expensive fire extinguisher, but the chemical, basically baking soda, is corrosive to electrical circuitry, and difficult to clean up.
	Halon 1211 is a liquified gas, pressurized with nitrogen,which discharges as a vapor causing no cold or static shock and no impairment of the operator's vision. This "CLEAN" agent quickly penetrates difficult to see and hard to reach areas and leaves no residue. It is recommended for protection of delicate, sensitive and expensive computers, electrical equipment, tapes and film, automotive and aircraft engines, laboratory chemicals and equipment. These extinguishers cost about three time as much as dry chemical as halon is not allowed to be produced (ozone layer crap) except for special industries like avaition, where the FAA has stringent requirements.
	In order to meet the 5BC time requirement, in either a Dry Chemical 2lb or a Halon 2-1/2 lb extinguisher will be the minimum needed, This varies by manufacturer and chemical composition. For example, a Halotron filled fire extinguisher, a replacement for Halon, needs to be 5 pounds in order to meet the 5BC rating. That makes it too bulky for Corvettes. You'll notice that the Halon (Amerex C352TS) unit on the left has two straps, the Dry Chemical (Chrome) unit on the right has a single strap. The dual straps are a requirement for aircraft, and is also recommended for racing, but not required.
	Automotive extinguishers come with plastic or metal brackets and the NCCC rules do not specifically address the material or mounting choices, other than nothing can be loose within the car. After evaluating Kidde Auto Fire Extinguishers (Dry Chemical - $10-$20) which are available at Napa, Checkers, Autozone and Wal-mart, I don't feel comfortable with the mounting options and the strength of the plastic snap-together straps in a racing environment. If you want to install these to meet the 'letter' of the regulation (hopefully you'll never need to use them), you should consider getting an Amerex Metal bracket with metal straps as shown on the left.
	Amerex makes many metal brackets and straps for thier entire line, one of these that will fit the diameter of your Kiddie or other inexpensive fire extinguisher. The table on the left shows the specifications. The ones in range are for 2-7/8", 3" and 4-1/4" diameter bottles. As mentioned before, Aviation rated brackets will have two straps. You can get either red or black (used on chrome versions) brackets.
	On the left is a Kidde PLC 2lb Dry Chemical 5BC rated kitchen extinguisher (Walmart). This is shorter than the available Amerex extinguisher, as Amerex only makes a 2-1/2 pound unit that meets 5BC. In the picture I've shown a metal bracket with a single strap, purchased separately, that is available on-line, Kidde Heavy Duty Strap Bracket $7.99 that I think will work with it. The longer Kidde 5BC Automotive model on the left I picked up at Walmart for $10. The mounting surface has little hooks, like velcro, which is supposed to grab onto the loops in the carpet. That might be OK for a trunk, but it seems like a potential missle. The slightly longer model on the right is a Commercial class Kidde 10BC extinguisher that comes with a single strap metal bracket. Kidde 2.6lb 10BC $29.99 + $12.94 You'll see further down the page, most aftermarket mounts are set up for Amerex brackets.
Source for Kidde Source for Amerex	A good Amerex source is Kansas Fire Equipment Company in Wichita, KS 1-800-262-8943, or from their eBay listings. Ask for Dave. They are the main source for the Halon units as they have a contract with Cessna to make and fill them. The internet shops have to add markup to the price when they buy from them. You'll notice that some internet suppliers charge upwards to $80 to ship fire extinquishers because of hazardous materials. Kansas Fire ship Fed-Ex for only $10. The Amerex C352TS (2.5 lb 5BC Halon w/ metal dual straps) sells for $125 +$10 SH. The Amerex B417T (2.5 lb 10ABC Regular w/ metal single strap) sells for $32.50 +$10 SH. The Amerex 817S 3" diam dual strap brackets sells for $6.45.
Brey-Krause C4 Mount B-K C5-C6 Mount B-K Roll Bar Mount Quick Release Mount Brey-Krause Distributor	To mount your extinguisher in your Corvette, most folks will opt to use a pre-made custom bracket that mounts in front of the driver's or passenger seat, using the two seat rail mounting bolts. The most popular models are made by Brey-Krause which are set up for Amerex brackets, and are available from various internet sources such as PartsForYourCar.com. The C5-C6 bracket can be obtained for $64-$70 and the C4 for about $80-$90. Extinguishers can also mounted on harness and roll bars (1-1/2" or 40mm dia. These mounts cost $73-$80. Extinguisher mounts can also be attached directly to the interior body using the standard bracket. Brey-Krause has a new quick-release billet aluminum bracket that screws onto all their mounts and fits most 2.5 pound fire extinguishers at $218. You can always add this later. Brey-Krause C4 Installation R-2110 Brey-Krause C5-C6 Installation R-2115 Brey-Krause Roll Bar Installation R9521-R9522 Brey-Krause Quick-Release Mount Installation R-9520 B-K Quick-Release Mount