I know that this is the R53 forum but in case anyone was searching broadly for fire extinguisher installations, the Brey-Krause Fire Extinguisher Mounts will not fit the R56.

Email from LPI, July '08:
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Hello,
Something changed on the seat bracket in 2007 so the brackets we sell are only good for the 2001 to 2006 Mini Cooper and Cooper S models.

Monty Anderson

Livermore Performance, Inc.
3987 First Street, Suite G
Livermore, CA 94551
Phone: 925-292-5522
Fax: 925-292-5524
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if i purchased the bracket from brey krause, i dont see how a FE mounts to the bracket. I wasnt planning on getting the starcraft FE with those straps, so how does any other FE mount?

 

See this page:
http://www.bkauto.com/mini/fire_exti...ounts_mini.php

If you buy a FE mount that is made for the BK mount (such as SafeCraft), the mounting bracket for the FE matches up to the hole pattern on the BK mount. If you're going to use some other FE, you buy the adapter at the bottom of the page above, this fits a "standard" FE mount to the BK mount.

 

Thanks alot! Not sure how i came up with "starcraft" tho (one of those nights i guess) but i really appreciate the input.

 

By the way, is there a clearence issue with the mount and that seat lever on the left? Just looks a little tight.

 

Depends on how much clearance you want - I've shortened my mount by about 2" and can still get my hand in there to work my seat.

 

Fits fine. One other thing: depending on your extinguisher, you may want to use a rubberband around the lever and stuff to keep it from rattling (not the mount, but the FE lever mechanism).

Matt

 

Be careful with Halon. If you use it in a confined car, it may suffocate you. Of course, if you're in a car, you're probably not going to sit there fighting it while it's burning, but if in an accident and the bottle ruptures you could be in serious poo poo. I don't say this for a debate to erupt, just something to think about.

 

All good tips . I was gonna use a Kidde extinguisher i saw in NAPA autoparts. I think that should fit fine.

 

If that kills me, at least I'll be immortalized as victim of a freak accident. So there's an upside to offset the tiny level of risk.

 

A couple of heads-up.......Halon will not help you with an electrical or fluid fire. It only displaces the oxygen thus starving the fire, but if the material burning only needs oxygen to start back up again (already has heat and fuel) Halon will not keep it out. Only powder will smother the material on fire preventing the reignition. Secondly, if you do have a powder type FE you need to rotate it or take it out and bang on it with a rubber mallet. The powder will compact and not work if it has been in the car for long. Our FE service company now req's that the FE's in our fleet vehicles get "massaged" every six months.

 

Hmmmmm. I hear you... but then why even bother with Halon and other clean-agent fire suppression in data centers? Because the number one thing you're fighting there are electrical fires.... true, in theory you're cutting power as well as deploying halon - but that might also be the case in a car fire once ignition was turned off (or battery disconnect was used, if you have one).

Not trying to start an argument - just trying to understand this.

And fluid fires often need re-ignition once they're out - flammable liquid + air + spark (or heat) = fire. So unless you're still above the flash point for the fluid, knocking the fire out with halon and cutting power would likely do the trick - yes?

 

In a controlled data center the doors will close until opened after fire is out, thus no more oxygen and none is introduced until the fire dept. deems it is safe to.
As for the liquid based fire, if you have a car that is on fire from a fuel leak and it has cooled down far enough that the hot parts will no longer spark a flame the halon will work, but if there are hot parts around that could reignite the fluid the halon will not work.

This is why the only extinguishers found at the track and in the race cars are the powder type.

Halon and it's succesors are great products, you just need to make sure you are using the right product for the fire you are trying to put out.

 

Um.... so why are there companies in the business of selling halon and equivalent clean agent gasseous systems for motorsports?
http://safecraft.com/MinstalledExtinguisher.asp
http://www.livermoreperformance.com/...e_systems.html
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Fire-B...-Lbs,8411.html
http://www.ogracing.com/catalog/4-Ga...INGUISHER-9-LB

I guess they never sell any... since the only ones on race cars are the powder type... ?

 

I stand corrected on the use of Halon and it's newer versions in race cars. They indeed are recommended and sold. Thanks for the links. Did some more research on my own instead of listening to my friends......(LOL) and found that the reason for the change from powder/foam to the halon type of agent in car extinguishers was for driver safety. It simply allowed the driver a safer way to get out of the car. It put out the fire long enough to get out of the car w/o having to deal with the powder or foam.

I still stand by the contention that for our purposes Halon is not the best way to try and put out a fire if you want to try and save the car.

 

Guys I know this is an older post but thought I would add my two cents here for future reads.
We sell an extinguisher bracket for Mini's and we only sell the Halgaurd (Halon replacement) extinguishers. They are rated B & C Which is Liquids and Electrical. These are aviation grade extinguishers so they are more that adequate for cars. Here are the manufactures facts.
Clean agent has the following benifits over other non clean agents:
•No thermal shock to electronics
•No mess or damage to vehicle or surfaces
•Liquefied gas extinguishes hard-to-reach fires
•Does not impair operator's vision
•EPA approved
•Listed and rated 1B:C by Underwriters Laboratories
•Rechargeable and Made in U.S.A.
Here is our bracket mounted in a R53

More info and a video of an install can be seen here:
http://speedtactics.com/mini_feb_0206.php
Let me know if you have any questions we are a small Mom and Pop business and are here to help.