Engine Lid Lock thoughts?

[Abscate]

95% of US drivers can’t open their hood on the road, but their cars don’t burn up unless they are Teslas.

Maintain your fuel system and wiring, lock up your engine with impunity
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.ssS!

[Randytheorgfarmer]

Hello Guys!

I was reading about Jake Raby. I put this in my notes for fire control, Jake uses this cheap system called Blazecut an automatic fire suppression system.
I will be using it on our 75 Riviera bus.

Randy

[andrewtf]

This is certainly not everyone's solution....
I would not do this to the exterior of my bus... but...

On Big Emma, we installed an exterior hasp for a padlock. And an internal battery cut off.

Big Emma is a 'world traveler', often, frankly, is visiting sketchy locations. The purpose of having this on the exterior and visible is to discourage someone from even trying to open it. Usually these are crimes of opportunity and speed, so something that says it will be more difficult than it is worth, is typically all that is needed.

Anyone that REALLY wants to get in .... can and will.

FYI - we also installed 'hidden' locks on all the doors (and windows). It can all be bolted closed in about a minute.
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'75 Riviera - 'BIG EMMA' (Pan American highway trip paused for a make over)
'77 Riviera - Murphy' (being reborn.... slowly)
'63 Austin Healey

[Randytheorgfarmer]

Hello Again,

The fire suppression system goes in the engine compartment. Totally self contained.

Randy

[andrewtf]

The BlazeCut system is self contained.

We have it in both of our buses (the shorter version).
There are several threads about it.
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'75 Riviera - 'BIG EMMA' (Pan American highway trip paused for a make over)
'77 Riviera - Murphy' (being reborn.... slowly)
'63 Austin Healey

[jeridmark]

Thank you everyone for the input. You are the best.

[Abscate]

Blaze cut won’t save you from a fuel fed fire.

Fix your bus. Then stop worrying about it
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.ssS!

[jtauxe]

Folks here seem to be way overthinking this.

I use an engine compartment lock in any place that I think people might mess with it. When I lock it, I also open the large knife switch that I have on the negative battery terminal. This serves as a theft deterrent, since the bus won't run with no battery, and a (casual) thief cannot get into the engine compartment to connect it.

It also means that if I want to use the car I need to unlock the engine compartment and reattach the negative battery terminal. Not a big problem.

I never drive with the engine compartment locked. My system ensures that.
_________________
John
"Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie..." - Colin Hay and Ron Strykert
http://vw.tauxe.net
1969 Transporter, 1971 Westfalia, 1976, 1977, 1976, 1977, 1971, 1973, 1977 Westfalias,
1979 Champagne Sunroof, 1974 Westfalia Automatic, 1979 Transporter, 1972 Sportsmobile, 1973 Transporter Wild Westerner, 1974 Westfalia parts bus, 1975 Mexican single cab *FOR SALE*, 1978 Irish 4-door double cab RHD

[VOLTWAGEN]

My views are in the case of a fire you shouldn't be opening the engine hatch anyway, you should be tackling it down the vents, if you open up the engine hatch all you are doing is supplying oxygen to the fire, high chance you will get a flashback, which will burn you

I do not have a lock on mine as I live in a relatively safe place, but I do maintain my hoses etc and I also have a 3m BlazeCut installed on the roof of the engine bay, If something happened I'd be tackling it down the vents

[SGKent]

[KTPhil]

I have blazecut and I won't lock it while driving, ever since the drive home from purchasing the bus and it jammed at the first stop. I worried about potential fuel leaks or worse, even with the blazecut. I also carried a manual FE which as posted would be aimed under the car.

[CrRusty]

The Blaze Cut explodes when it reaches a certain temperature. The explosion creates a very loud "Bang" which should be an earlier warning that there is a fire back there. Otherwise one could continue to drive for a while before noticing a fire. You obviously will need additional fire extinguisher or two. Like others have said spray the fire extinguisher down the engine bay vents from above. Some have tired to open the hatch but waist precious time.
I consider the blaze cut as a fire warning alarm system.

[KTPhil]

BlazeCut isn't a one and done solution, but as posted, it gives some warning, and more importantly, can give a precious 10-15 seconds of suppression before the fire can start up again. That can be a lifesaver, or a Bus-saver, giving you time to exit and maybe take further actions.

[udidwht]

Did just that roughly 30 years ago. No attempts.
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1972 Westy Hardtop/Type-4 2056cc
96mm Biral AA P/C's~7.8:1CR
Headflow Masters New AMC 42x36mm heads w/Porsche swivel adjusters
71mm Stroke
73 Web Cam w/Web solids
Dual 40mm IDF Webers - LM-2 - 47.5 idles/125 mains/190 air corr./F11 tubes/28mm Vents - Float height 10.45mm/Drop 32mm
Bosch SVDA w/Pertronix module (7.5 initial 28 total @ 3400rpm)
Bosch W8CC plugs
Pertronix Flamethrower 40K coil
S&S 4-1 w/Walker QP 17862
3 rib 002 Trans
185R14 Hankook tires

[jeridmark]

I have the blaze cut system going to be installed.