mx5cartalk.com

hi, does anyone know the clearance of the firewall behind the seats and the fuel tank? i want to mount a fire extinguisher there. I currently have a shorty console and the extinguisher is infront of the fuel door knob but its always digging into my elbow.

I wouldn't recommend it, if you have to emergency brake or get a big hit from behind the bracket could come undone and fire the extinguisher towards your head or the windscreen.

I originally had mine between the 2 seats above the fuel door leaver but decided it was better/safer to mount in front of the passenger seat.

Okibi wrote:I wouldn't recommend it, if you have to emergency brake or get a big hit from behind the bracket could come undone and fire the extinguisher towards your head or the windscreen.

I originally had mine between the 2 seats above the fuel door leaver but decided it was better/safer to mount in front of the passenger seat.

x 2

If you go racing, it won't comply as you need to be able to reach it whilst still belted in your seat.
Also, if you have the seat hard up against it, and you get rear-ended, it exacerbates the whiplash effect.
Just curious... this topic is a bit moot because I don't understand why you need someone else to tell you how much space there is behind the seat

i need to know how much space there is between the firewall and the fuel tank. not seat.. according to okibi in the even of a crash ill just have to reach my hand across and the extinguisher will fly straighi into it .

So you want to cut a hole in the firewall where the fuel tank is to mount the fire extinguisher further back? I'd say its a bad idea but I hate to interfere with natural selection.

i just need to know how much clearance there is so i can mount the fire extinguisher on that surface and not punch a hole into the fuel tank which is directly behind it.

vrmmmpshhh wrote::? i just need to know how much clearance there is so i can mount the fire extinguisher on that surface and not punch a hole into the fuel tank which is directly behind it.

Its Chrissy so I'll be nice, (for once )

Do you have a roll bar fitted??? If not take the covers off and have a gander. I'm sure their is roughly 5mm clearance so
enough to fit some screws through and miss the tank. Now if your fitting it properly you'll be using "nutserts"
in which case I doubt there is enough room to do it PROPERLY!!!!

Just fit a tube over the drill bit (1/8 I would imagine) so you won't drill through the tank.Then use self tappers.

t

yes i have a very beefy rollbar in place with fixed back buckets so removing everything would be a huge pain. was hoping to have enough room to have brackets on both sides with bolts going through them, but if its only 5mm there is no way.

I'll also be nice because of the festive season:

The correct and safest place for a fire extinguisher in an MX5 and most other cars is under the front of the passenger seat. You can buy or make an alloy plate to mount it there. The plate attaches to the front two passenger seat runner mounts.

This arrangement makes the extinguisher available when you need it, stops it flying around and killing you or others in an accident, avoids the possibility of you drilling a hole in your fuel tank, and does not put your extinguisher where it (or the self tappers holding it) could squash into your fuel tank in an accident.

vrmmmpshhh wrote::? i just need to know how much clearance there is so i can mount the fire extinguisher on that surface and not punch a hole into the fuel tank which is directly behind it.

Seems I am the only one who understood this first post in the thread.

Theres like 40mm or more. But getting behind there for a nut and bolt is just pulling the carpet back and 5 or 6 super easy phillips heads.

Dann

vrmmmpshhh wrote::? i just need to know how much clearance there is so i can mount the fire extinguisher on that surface and not punch a hole into the fuel tank which is directly behind it.

Sorry, fair question. I should have read your first post more carefully.

Steampunk wrote:If you go racing, it won't comply as you need to be able to reach it whilst still belted in your seat.

Sorry but this statement is not true for CAMS events, on two counts. Firstly, fire extinguishers are NOT required for CAMS race meetings. Secondly, they are required for speed events (supersprints), but there is nothing in the CAMS General Regulations about needing to reach it whilst still belted in your seat- the driver just needs to be able to remove the fire extinguisher without the aid of tools. Link to the General Requirements is here:
http://www.camsmanual.com.au/pdf/10_gen ... 2012-2.pdf

Some events go a little further (eg CAMS Nsw Supersprints) and have Supp Regs stating fire extinguishers must be "fitted within reach of the driver". But again, there's nothing to say the driver has to be belted in at the time.