Knowing that our Europa’s have a history of spontaneously igniting, I wanted to take appropriate measures to minimize that likelihood and then put the fire out if possible. While the motor was out, I replaced all of the gas line with brass T ‘s and modern rubber fuel line that is tolerant of ethanol contaminated fuels. I also added a fuel shut off valve and a battery cut off switch. I researched fire suppression systems but was put off by the prices and the need for plumbing the lines to all of the locations where I wanted protection. There is also the issue of residue left from the suppression media.
Of course I’m concerned about fire while I’m in the car but equally concerning is a fire starting while parked in the pole building/garage where I have two other vehicles and all that stuff we gather after a lifetime of existence. I haven’t calculated the gallons of gas/flammable liquids in there.
So, recently I became aware of a brand called Blaze Cut that appealed to me. There are other brands that perform similarly. Essentially, it’s a pressurized hose filled with a fire suppressor. The hose is designed to rupture at a fire caused temperature, releasing the mixture that starves the fire of oxygen. This is technology similar to an “Element” hand held extinguisher. I have one of those in the cabin, mounted to the driver’s seat. Both of these leave very little residue.
The Blaze Cut is self contained, fairly easy to install and are attractively priced. I bought the six foot length and paid $247, shipped free. In the picture below, I centered it over the motor area with extra line on the side of the carbs. A smaller line, three foot long is available and, depending on the vendor, comes in black or white for the same price.
You may have other needs and budget but this worked for me and I thought others might be interested.
