BlazeCut Installation, What I learned.... Options

[oakdalecurtis]

I purchased the 6 foot BlazeCut Fire Suppression System. This length only requires one length down one side of the lid, one curve, and one length back the other side of the lid. I also found that the stiff tubing does not like to bend into a tight enough arc to fit into the confines of the engine lid. The tube kinked at the center of the curve, but I don't think it damaged it. I bought an electrical gray pipe curve, 3/4" ID, split it with my band saw, and zip tied and taped it around the BlazeCut tubing at the center of the arc where the tubing wanted to kink. This supported and held the tubing, keeping the tubing in the required arc while preventing it from kinking. I also found that plastic zip ties were not strong enough to hold the tubing in position under the engine lid. The stiff BlazeCut tubing does not like to bend or go where you want it to very easily. As you can see, I removed my rain tray a while ago since I never take the car out in bad weather and the engine runs cooler without it.
I fastened the tubing to the underside of the engine lid using metal pipe claps, 3/4 ID, and short self tapping metal screws into the lid supports. I wrapped the BlazeCut in heavy plumbers tape wherever it came in contact with the metal lid. I also cut thin strips of black tape and put them on the top side of the BlazeCut tube so you could not easily see the white tubing through the engine grill from the outside.
If you look on the left side of my engine lid, you can also see a steel braided cable I added a while back so I don't have to hold on to the engine lid when I open it. Without the cable, if you popped the engine lid and didn't hold it, it would fly open and put a lot of bending force on the hinges, which I have already rewelded once. Now the cable catches it before it works on the hinges.
BTW, if you have a weak opening engine cover, here's a link to an easy and simple fix that lets you put more pop in the opening, especially with the extra weight of the BlazeCut under the lid. My lids pops open fully now, even with the tubing under it.
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...=290514&hl=
I hope I never have to find out how well the BlazeCut tubing works!