Show Me Your Fire Extinguisher Mounts!
 

Doing a lot more track days, so I bought a fire extinguisher (last time I had a vehicle catch fire, I had an ejection seat . . . that's too heavy for a Miata).

Now, where best to mount it? My circumstances:
1. 1.4 pound Halotron hand extinguisher.
2. Novice driver . . . so I'll be riding with instructors for a while -- need both seats.
3. HDHCSD.

So . . . under knees? Package shelf? Roll bar?

Read the rules. If not in your current class look at the class above. Some places suggest directly in front of the driver seat, some want it anywhere within reach of the driver while he is harnessed, some specify anywhere BUT the drivers footwell. Its a rule I never paid much attention to while reading an whole bunch of different rule books.

Mine is mounted to the center of the harness bar. Its not a perfect location, but its the best I could come up with in a similar situation to you (just make sure you have an easy to use quick release).

Under the passenger's knees would be my second choice, but if a passenger is there it makes it hard to get too, and I don't want to count on a ride-along guest being able to get out of the way.

I had it on the harness bar as well, until it stopped working. Gotta get that thing charged...

Not the most idea obviously, especially for go pro mounting, but the best I could really think of is the elbow bruising location of the center console. I'm pretty sure they'd make you put roll bar padding on it at that point though.

I'm still not sold on the driver's floor position. Maybe I'm not very maneuverable, but in a panic, I'm not 100% sure I could get a fire extinguisher out of the bracket, and out from below my legs very quickly.

BREY KRAUSE FIRE EXTINGUISHER MOUNT - MAZDA MIATA

Under passenger's knees. Stock sliders work, but not Sparco on the passenger seat.

SODIUM DRY POWDER FIRE EXTINGUISHER - 2.5 LB
and
AMEREX FIRE EXTINGUISHER MOUNT - 2 STRAP

I'd have to unbuckle to get to it, but I figure I'm unbuckling first if there's fire anyway.

Lots of food for thought here.

I can weld, so that helps. After looking at suggestions, I'm wondering about placing behind the passenger seat on a custom mount that goes to car structure rather than the flimsy sheet metal package shelf nose. For stock seats, that should be easily reachable -- similar to harness bar mounting (don't have a harness bar or race seats at the moment).

In front of the passenger seat seems problematic in my case because I know someone will be in the way.

90% of the SM racers I know have them in the passenger footwell. They also reason they'd only use it to help out someone else should the occasion rise. If their car's on fire, GTFO and rely on the marshalls to put it out. No time to futz around with the brackets while still in a burning car. If the fire's big enough to make you bail quickly, a small bottle isn't going to do a whole lot anyway.

I know I'll be doing a proper firesystem one day at least.

:2cents:

This is the reasoning that's always made the most sense to me. Priority #1 in a fire is to GTFO, and reaching back into a burning car to grab the extinguisher is a good way to get burned... so just put it in a rules-compliant, out-of-the-way spot and only use it when it's safe to do so (i.e. when it's not your car that's burning).

I'm not sure exactly how to word it, but is there ever any consideration to AFFF systems where you can route the hoses into the most likely trouble spots in the car, so you could turn a valve and get out of the car...........vs solely waiting on the marshalls to show up?

There's multiple fire systems that use a remote (trunk) mounted bottle with lines and nozzles to places of your liking. Activate through one or more pull cables. Pretty sure there are electrical systems too.

I agree, but in the unlikely situation that you are stuck in the car while its burning (use your imagination), it would be nice to at least be able to reach the thing and try to save some skin while you wait for a marshal to pull you out.

Summit and JEGS sell fire systems in the ~$500 range. They hold a lot more agent than a small bottle. Makes complete sense for a dedicated race car.

In my case, I'm a street car doing HPDE. However, as I get more and more into it, a dedicated track car makes complete sense (to me anyway . . . the Mrs?).

Someone mentioned that in my "First Track Day" thread. Slippery slope. :burncash:

Hehe a few of my buddies from the E30 world with street/HPDE cars had the AFFF systems. They were also big HP turbo builds.

My thoughts exactly, I have mine in front of the drivers seat bolted to the seat mount hump. Aircraft grade metal bracket, halon extinguisher.

Bimmerworld says this is the only kit they install in their shop. Price is totally reasonable and I've never seen a bad word about it. I'm probably ordering one soon. I'm hoping the pull handles have a cotter pin hole so that I can mount the tank in the trunk and still be able to arm/disarm the system from the driver's seat.

SPA Firefighter AFFF Fire System - 4L Multiflow Steel

I've been looking into the offroad sector for mounts. For me its mostly a street car and mostly for engine fires etc.

ORS Quick Release Mount with 1 3/4 Clamp

or
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1377752939

Personally i hate those mounts for the fact that you gotta unclip and unhook multiple clips to get them out.

Find osmething like this with 1 single pull

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1377762397

I'm sure this question is going to sound stupid, but how hard is it to clean up the foam afterward? In the event, you really are able to mitigate the fire damage, but now the entire fuel/engine/occupant area is now covered in foam.

There are plenty of dry powder or just gas systems. No need to use foam.

@revlimiter

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1377797362

The nylon one I posted has no clips. Just slips out the top. I was going to add a little velco flap on top to keep it in the thing. Easy pull and use. If you panic just pull on the extinguisher hard and over power the velcro.

...slips out the top.

You are aware that in accidents, that 3-5 lb fire extinguisher might suddenly become a 180-300 lb (effective) projectile in your cabin?

I have a kit sitting in my storage room--currently waiting on a full cage to be put in my car--just checked the kit and both pull handles have the cotter pin hole.


ill take pics if you really want piece of mind, but theyre there.

Yes. Was only an idea and was going to try ideas for keeping it its holder. For me its mostly a street car and the few metal mounts I've seen tend to rattle after a while = annoying.

Oh, it's a street car. That's good, those never crash. :party:

Buy a piece of rubber or perhaps a sheet of paper and put it in between that way when you pull the pin it forces it out.. it will stop it from rattling.

Thanks! :party:

Mine is just in front of the harness bar running side to side screwed into the top of the package shelf. I can reach it with my harness attached if I'm trapped. I cannot reach the floor in front of my seat if I am trapped in my harness.

What about the tranny tunnel on the passenger side? A lot more accessible than the passenger floor, especially when harnessed.

Is that metal package shelf cover thick enough to hold it securely? Did you use come kind of backing plate to reinforce? I'm thinking that mounting there with a decent backing plate would work nicely. That area is otherwise not used for anything.

That was exactly my thought. If it would hold under a hard impact.

Just strap it to the harness bar. Essentially the same location, and then you know it isn't going anywhere.

Bolts and washers were used, not sheet metal screws or the like.

I mounted mine to the cross bar off the main hoop. I used a regular fire extinguisher bracket which I attached to the bar with band clamps.

ABC Dry chem has the potential to destroy engine internals due to it's mica content. Halotron is a clean option.

True, but I don't think I could reach back like that with my harness on.

Maybe if I could figure out how to mount it so the va or would be right above the trunk/gas door release.

Yes secure is important. I also don't want to have to listen to a bag of nails rattle every mile of a commute. Slip of paper or some rubber slipped in the metal mounts could work though.

Whatever you do ensure you lube/grease the pin so it easily comes out when you pull it.

A little piece of masking tape works fine.

JBWeld will fix any noises you have. :) :) :)
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1377959586

I agree this would probably work. My friend used a few small pieces off of a sheet of notebook paper to get a rattle to go away in my car a few years back.

This is how I did mine, just started last night. Then got hungry, then quit.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1377961949

Well if we all had money for a fire system, we wouldn't have this thread. It's much harder to mount when it needs to be easily accessible.

I know, I was just showing my little project.

If you can't afford the ~$400 for a system, perhaps you need to reconsider your priorities. :party: