elanfan1 wrote:Your car so do as you wish. The manufacturers of that system are so confident about it that they just refer to fire extinguishing agent. They don't even state what it is!! 1kg is generally not enough to put out a lighted fart -it might last for 12-15 seconds if you are lucky, there's no saying that where the pipe melts first is where the main fire seat is situated. If the beginning of the pipe melts first then all the extinguishent is released there and none gets to the end. IMHO a lot of money for a piece of crap - sorry. (In a previous life I was occasionally involved in specifying fixed extinguishing systems and gas flooding etc to protect processes involving highly flammable liquids and gases for multi million pound machinery, stock and buildings- if that's anything to go by).
If I recall correctly Rohan has installed fixed extinguishers in his race car (and didn't it save his car/life once?). I'm sure he'd elaborate on his set up. Save your money towards a properly engineered system.
The MSA (Motor Sports Association) have requirements for plumbed-in extinguishing systems on circuit racing cars. Both the engine compartment and the cockpit have to be covered by nozzles, with a certain percentage being discharged over the engine, and a certain percentage in the cockpit. It has been a while since I installed mine, but I recall the amount of extinguisher fluid (foam in my case) was 4 litres - so approx. 4Kg. It is a big bottle, but I guess the MSA know what they are talking about.
When I queried the size of the extinguisher, I was told by the supplier that it was designed to put out a fire if the driver was incapacitated - which I guess is fair enough for a circuit car. Demon Tweeks in the UK sell a range of mechanically and electrically triggered plumbed in systems and the MSA publish their guidelines on the web.
From pictures I have seen, a number of Elan fires start as under-dash wiring fires, which given the dreadful electrical design of the Elan is no surprise. Having a nozzle or two in the cockpit and under the dash looks to be good insurance.