Extinguisher with metal bracket?

[Evan Bottcher]

Looking to replace my out of date extinguisher - visited the local super cheap auto and bunnings and all the different extinguishers had plastic brackets.  Anyone recommend a place that sells extinguishers with metal brackets?

I expect to have to change the bracket with the extinguisher as from experience the new one never seems to fit the old bracket...

[rain902]

bunnings does sell a cams approved one - its about $3 more for the metal bracket vs the plastic bracket. remember to pull the extinguisher out of the box and check the date - they can vary wildly!

[Evan Bottcher]

Okey dokes - not at the wee little Bunnings in Coburg then.  Need to go to a mega-Bunnings in the burbs.

thanks!

Evan.

[Stuart Thomson]

Big W also sells 'em Evan.

Again remove from box to check the date.

Cheers
Stuart

[Evan Bottcher]

Teruo very kindly picked one up for me and it's secured in my vehicle ready for the weekend.  That's what a club is all about - a common interest and helping each other out.  *gush*

[Sheldon McIntosh]

that is beautiful man.  And that's why I joined the club.  Maybe one day someone willl buy me a fire extuinguisher too.

Ahhh

[Andrew Woff]

Most of your local Autobarns will also stock metal bracketed extinguishers

[Southern75]

Just so you are aware, while a metal braket is a good idea, no scrutineer can prevent you from using an extinguisher with a plastic bracket as long as it holds the extinguisher securely.... if they try to prevent you, it's because they aren't reading their CAMS manual.

As for metal brakets a scrutineer can prevent you from using some of them if they don't believe it holds the unit securely.
The quell cams approved ones (with the two stainless clamping bands) from bunnings/bigw w are good and are well priced, but they are kinda an odd size, but it fits in some very discreet places in 75's 90's GTV's and the newer alfas.

You can also get a gforce rated braket from rev race gear which is made from stainless and very light and holds things very securely. These are about 15 - 20 bucks if i remember correctly .... these hold most of the cheap extinguishers from supercheap very well, and it a very popular option among racers and supersprinters up here in sydney.

Just also remeber that many supersprinters get rorted on fire extinguishers as the CAMS manual claims that an extinguisher's date is SIX years if the car is road registered ... but only three years if unregistered.  This one is overlooked by many scrutineers as most are just too used to inspecting 'serious' race cars ..... Same with harness regulations too.

[Evan Bottcher]

Hi Matthew - thanks for the information, but I need to clarify the bracket issue.  AROCA Vic club sprint supplementary regulations specifically state that a metal bracket is a requirement for fire extinguishers, so regardless of the CAMS manual this requirement can and will be enforced by our scrutineers. 

In our supp regs section 3.2:
"A fire extinguisher AS 1841.5, rigidly mounted with metal bracket and readily accessible.  (BCF / Halon types are illegal)."

Our scrutineering checklists include the detail about 3 years vs. 6 years for fire extinguishers.  It seems like an odd specification for me - I guess the reasoning is that non-registered cars will not be used as often and therefore the extinguisher is more likely to settle?

Regardless either way I'm told it's advisable to take your extinguisher out every few months and give it a shake so that the powder doesn't settle and cake.

[rain902]

Just also remeber that many supersprinters get rorted on fire extinguishers as the CAMS manual claims that an extinguisher's date is SIX years if the car is road registered ... but only three years if unregistered.  This one is overlooked by many scrutineers as most are just too used to inspecting 'serious' race cars ..... Same with harness regulations too.

cams manual 2005 schedule H (p6.17) 4 (note 1) states "unless otherwise specified, road registered cars competing in club or multiclub level speed events are exempt from the this requirement"   - this requirement being section 4 - including the 3 yearly and six yearly service tests. 

Our supp regs do not impose any constraints upon the extinguisher other than the metal bracket over the cams requirements.  And yes, if I find an extinguisher screwed into a plastic dash trim I will knock it back - and it wont be the first time


As for harness regulations - lets not go there right now - As per the cams requirements we rigidly enforce harness eligibility based upon date, condition and mounting parameters (across several different standards - FIA; SFI; AS2596; and ECE. Thats a whole other thread - everyone in the club knows that harnesses are my pet subject, on a par with helmets 

tis all about making sure none of us get hurt out there 

[Southern75]

Yeah i agree but commonsense (while rarely common) should prevail, and competitors need to mount their extinguisher properly and ensure that while a braket may be metal it may not necessarily be appropriate.

CAMS standard requirements schedule H claim that an exinisher must be able to remain secured under 25g acceleration. Whilst not a physicist i know many metal brakets especially ones from supercheap and kmart etc are inappropriate.

I think that your sup reg is good but perhaps incomplete and the CAMS manual is too scientific but if you think about it, it makes sense

[Victor Lee]

Hey Teuro!

My fire extinguisher is dated 2002 in our road registered yellow Alfetta GTV6.      In your opinion, do I need to get a new one or not?

Cheers

Victor

[a sharp]

Victor
If it is log booked or has a ROPS (rollcage) CAMS calls it a racecar.

Anthony

[Victor Lee]

Bummer!    Worth a try!

[Scott Farquharson]

Hi Matthew - thanks for the information, but I need to clarify the bracket issue.  AROCA Vic club sprint supplementary regulations specifically state that a metal bracket is a requirement for fire extinguishers, so regardless of the CAMS manual this requirement can and will be enforced by our scrutineers. 

In our supp regs section 3.2:
"A fire extinguisher AS 1841.5, rigidly mounted with metal bracket and readily accessible.  (BCF / Halon types are illegal)."

Our scrutineering checklists include the detail about 3 years vs. 6 years for fire extinguishers.  It seems like an odd specification for me - I guess the reasoning is that non-registered cars will not be used as often and therefore the extinguisher is more likely to settle?

Regardless either way I'm told it's advisable to take your extinguisher out every few months and give it a shake so that the powder doesn't settle and cake.

I wasn't aware that our sup regs differed from the NCR's (should re-read them!) The question is why?  I think we should be following the NCR's as closely as possible unless we have a very good reason.  I don't think this is one of them.  The NCR's provide the specification for brackets which should be met by competitors.  Our requirement makes this confusing and unclear.  We should change it back to the NCR's.  We take a risk every time we vary from the NCR's as they represent the accepted risk management practices accepted by the insurers.

If a "metal bracket" (meeting our requirement) were to fail that didn't meet the NCR's spec then we have to justify why this is so.  Can anybody give me a good reason as to why we vary from the NCR's??

I will suggest to the committee that we review the sup regs to identify any variance from the NCR's and if there is a variance to justify why we vary.