What is with all the Prevost engine fires??

luvrbus · March 08, 2012, 07:55:51 AM

Zero is on the right page the C-4 oils are not approved for the Allison B-500 or any new Allison models

good luck

Zeroclearance · March 08, 2012, 09:49:59 AM

Muddog, with the newer XL's and H3's.. The airflow from the radiator is directed right to the engine. The exhaust and turbocharger is 14 inches away from the fan blade. Ken posted a video of his 14ltr install. I am seriously considering installing a Horton 2 stage fan. Having constant airflow over the engine is a plus.

Zeroclearance · March 08, 2012, 10:33:32 AM

Anyone with a later Prevost like Ken and Bob.. Might want to take a look at this product.

http://fireade.com/products/view/FireAde2000

I have recently purchased a 19ltr pail. I am going to mix it at 6%. As a community we should design a fire supression system. We have some smart engineers on this forum by trade.

I was thinking that since we have a steady supply of air pressure on board, a small pressure air tank from Harbour freight plumbed into another refillable water tank 20 to 30 gallons in size should work. The tech department at Fireade told me that 2 large fire extinguishers have put out engine fires of this size. The valves can be both electrical and manual release. AS a side note, the tech guys said that you could run pressure tests and system tests on your engine every 60 days and have the cleanest (soap and water) engine on the road. At a 10% mix you have a high FOAM application.

rv_safetyman · March 08, 2012, 12:29:08 PM

Well, for the umpteenth time we have a call to design a fire suppression system.

I designed and have marketed just such a unit for the past 8 years. Been a vendor at most of the FMCA and bus related events.

At the end of this month I will be closing the business and filing bankruptcy.

Anyone want a good tax right-off business?

Jim

Zeroclearance · March 08, 2012, 01:11:19 PM

Jim. I'm sorry about the status of your business. All of us that are self-employed have had to make changes. Sometimes very painful. A suggestion would be to offer engineering design prints and sell them on Ebay. The trend is to purchase components one at a time and build your own systems. This isn't limited to just fire safety items. From homemade split system A/C heatpumps to XYZ..

rv_safetyman · March 08, 2012, 01:32:06 PM

The product I designed was the detection side of the system. I out-purchased the suppression side of the system.

I will retain the "intellectual property" and the right to sell my product.

I am setting up a webpage that will mainly be a contact page for folks who are interested in the detection side of the system. My focus will be industrial customers. In the past few years I have developed a small industrial market and that is what I will aim for.

The RV and Bus market is a terrible place to try to sell most any product and has been for the past few years.

I will also consider being a supplier to a distributor, but I won't hold my breath.

I developed a new detection system for a company who wants to market it into some large industrial markets. However, that is, at best, a long term project. The system passed every test that the customer (and his customer) wanted, but the economy is just not conducive to companies buying "optional" equipment.

Jim

Cycletek · March 08, 2012, 02:16:18 PM

I purchased a Halon 1301 system for my GMC engine compartment, it is an older NASCAR unit and it wasn't too expensive. I am also moving the exhaust muffler from under the wooden floor and I am replacing it with a 2 into 1 muffler and putting it vertical next to the clutch/transmission. To get the pipes up I bought two turbo manifolds to run the exhaust up and over the motor to the muffler. I will post pictures when I start. I am doing this because of all I have read about underfloor fires on 4905's.....plus it will sound a bit throatier with this muffler......custom bike builder thing I guess

rv_safetyman · March 08, 2012, 02:36:01 PM

Halon is an excellent fire suppression agent in a ***CLOSED*** compartment. Our engine compartments have huge amounts of air flow and the halon agent could easily be disbursed before the fire is suppressed.

Jim

Zeroclearance · March 08, 2012, 02:38:34 PM

Tracy, the only problem with Halon is that it can react and turn into Phosgene (spell) which is a deadly gas. I am in no way saying that your system is wrong. There might be newer and better products that one can use.

Cycletek · March 08, 2012, 04:45:34 PM

Thank you for the input, there maybe better stuff than the Halon 1301, I figure it is better than nothing at this point, plus I have built a spray bar to better disperse it. I plan to wrap the exhaust after I fab it up and weld it, so as to lower the engine compartment temperature. I can and will seek the best possible situation and also glean from you all's experiences to do so! Please do not hesitate to give your input because it is always appreciated! I have learned very well from being wrong in the past, learned "Know it all's" learn very little!

Thanks Tracy

buswarrior · March 09, 2012, 07:36:11 AM

If you want ideas, swing 'round the local transit or coach garage and get someone to show you the current, from the factory systems.

Natural gas powered coaches were the first that went this way because of the gas paranoia.

sacrificial wire loops, optical sensors, alarms to warn the driver, automatic and manual activation from the driver's seat.

Extinguisher piped in steel to multiple nozzles strategically aimed, large bottle often mounted behind the tail lights in the rear corner.

No need for the busnut to re-invent the wheel, it is already round.

And as noted by Jim, the evidence is clear, we busnuts aren't likely to install one, a system has been readily available from one of our own for years.

happy coaching!
buswarrior