Allison M916 + Mk48 Cab = 6x6 "FEMTT"

USAFSS-ColdWarrior said:

I look forward to following your new build thread.

Just one suggestion (aka: word of warning):
To avoid close encounters of the WEBSITE RULES kind, you should avoid any and all references to ZOMBIES, PREPPING, APOCALYPSE, DOOMSDAY, and SHTF EVENTS as any such discussion is a violation of those polices and is strictly enforced.

Carry on.

Click to expand...

Got it....my bad!!! Will be careful not to go past "Adventure Motorhome".....lol

Thanks For the good "advise" USAFSS-ColdWarrior, I did not even think about that.....

Soni

Pump and Hose REEL for the FSM....

We are making pretty good progress on the FEMTT's 'FSM' and are just about down to some wiring and plumbing.
The 1" 'Booster Hose' power reel is painted and installed and the manifold that connects the front and rear 600 gallon compartment is in place.
All we are lacking to bolt the diesel powered fire pump in place, are some modification to the pipe threads for the in- and outlets. My new 'helper' Branko modified the muffler to have the exit point up, so it can be routed through the top of the pump compartment. I hope this will reduce the amount of diesel smoke that the pump operator has to inhale.

I was going to use an Optima battery to run the starter on the pump and to power the Hannay hose reel, but as it turns out the reel is 24V!
A fact the seller on Ebay conveniently forgot to mention....lol.
Of course if I would have tried to find a 24V one, it would have been totally impossible to find anywhere!
So I guess I'm going to have to either run a 24V 6 gauge wire back there just for the reel, or use a series-parallel switch and utilize the 12V from the truck and the starter/booster battery from the fire pump to make the 24V needed.

Anyway, here are a few pics from yesterday and today:

Some are of a water transfer from the 5000 gallon tank behind the M920A1 in to the FEMTT's FSM. It is filled with 1200 gallons of H2O now, so it is time to try the crane on it tomorrow.....will report on the findings. If it can't lift it safely I will do something like what 'Andrmorr' has suggested in post #1077!

The others are of the MX7000 light bar installation and the progress in the pump compartment of the FEMTT's FSM....The open spot in the right top area of the compartment is where the fire pump is going to reside.....

My friend stopped by and stated that he never though he would ever see me paint anything RED!!!!! lol


Soni

Fsm plumbing done.....!

So after installing the pump, we got all the plumbing done today. It is a 6hp Yanmar diesel pump that will move 65 gallons per minute against a 50 foot head, is self priming and has one 1 1/2" and two 1" outlets.

I fired it up for a test run earlier and I'm quite satisfied with it's performance.
Using the 1 1/2" sectioned hose and a Acron pistol grip nozzle, it will shoot the water almost 100 feet! (Sorry, was so excited I forgot to take pics.....lol)

I have not had a chance to try the crane on the full module yet but I'm looking forward to testing it tomorrow.....

This is what the rear pump & hose compartment looks like now:

Soni

Nice work. Good engineering and execution.
I really like the modularity of this.
Pete

Wonder if Uncle Sugar would be interested in your design and it's capabilities. ......probably not, it's too functional and cost effective........single vehicle for single mission.=(

Looks awesome and should work as well. I was wondering if somewhere doen the hose you had considered a foam eductor unit for those special fires. My original fire truck FT500 came with a built in tank for foam... it required dumping the 5 gal bucket into the foam receptacle and from that point on, the truck, via foam eductor, {a ventury} would suck the foam at the proper percentages and if only one quart of foam solution did it, you now have 5 gals of foam solution in the foam tank. Foam blocks access to oxygen to the original application ... therefore, no oxigen... no burn while at the same time a cooling of hot metal occurrs when foam comes in contact, savoiding re-ignition... a well worthwhile incorporation option into any fire fighting system. We use Fireade 2000... pricey, but works well

Holy cow...

scootertrs said:

Looks awesome and should work as well. I was wondering if somewhere doen the hose you had considered a foam eductor unit for those special fires. My original fire truck FT500 came with a built in tank for foam... it required dumping the 5 gal bucket into the foam receptacle and from that point on, the truck, via foam eductor, {a ventury} would suck the foam at the proper percentages and if only one quart of foam solution did it, you now have 5 gals of foam solution in the foam tank. Foam blocks access to oxygen to the original application ... therefore, no oxigen... no burn while at the same time a cooling of hot metal occurrs when foam comes in contact, savoiding re-ignition... a well worthwhile incorporation option into any fire fighting system. We use Fireade 2000... pricey, but works well

Click to expand...

Our dept never took it's main pumper out to brush fires, kinda defeated it's purpose and we had brush trucks. If I understand correctly this will be used for brush fires. Foam is great for car and structural fires but not so much brush, that's what I've always been taught.

You are correct, but if a piece of equipment does catch fire or certain patch is ignited, the foam is a great resource to have, specially if it can be added for little money... a foam eductor is nothing more than a variable ventury that sucks the foam solution out of the 5 gal. container and blends it at the desired ratio (depends on what type of fire you are fighting) . remember, the foam solution will be at a ratio of between 1.5% to 3%, so someetimes we have used a spike nozzle where a 10 foot spike is inserted into the smoldering pile and the foam solution is injected into the pile... actually works very well... much better than water alone. I have been working a lot on ground mulch fires.

scootertrs said:

You are correct, but if a piece of equipment does catch fire or certain patch is ignited, the foam is a great resource to have, specially if it can be added for little money... a foam eductor is nothing more than a variable ventury that sucks the foam solution out of the 5 gal. container and blends it at the desired ratio (depends on what type of fire you are fighting) . remember, the foam solution will be at a ratio of between 1.5% to 3%, so someetimes we have used a spike nozzle where a 10 foot spike is inserted into the smoldering pile and the foam solution is injected into the pile... actually works very well... much better than water alone. I have been working a lot on ground mulch fires.

Click to expand...

I agree with you.

scootertrs said:

Looks awesome and should work as well. I was wondering if somewhere doen the hose you had considered a foam eductor unit for those special fires. My original fire truck FT500 came with a built in tank for foam... it required dumping the 5 gal bucket into the foam receptacle and from that point on, the truck, via foam eductor, {a ventury} would suck the foam at the proper percentages and if only one quart of foam solution did it, you now have 5 gals of foam solution in the foam tank. Foam blocks access to oxygen to the original application ... therefore, no oxigen... no burn while at the same time a cooling of hot metal occurrs when foam comes in contact, savoiding re-ignition... a well worthwhile incorporation option into any fire fighting system. We use Fireade 2000... pricey, but works well

Click to expand...

Thanks Scootertrs,
I would like to try the Fireade 2000 and went on their website. According to them the closest distributor for it is on the east coast! I'm in New Mexico and was wondering if by any chance you would know if there is a nation wide distributor for the Fireade 2000?

Thanks Soni

There are many 2nd hand fire supply /surplus outfits. ManyFD's will gladly give you a couple of 5 gal tubs just for asking, since you will be helping them out. If not, shipping is not that badand the distributor for fireade 2000 may be willing to spot you a couple of drums as PR, I know they did to get me to try it. Now I have sold (by word of mouth) dozens. Impressive demos putting out that pool of ignited oil right? and the eductor that attaches in line with 2.5 in nst or 1.5nst can be had on ebay rel. cheap

I just found the phone number for a good source(used fire suppression supply equipment place-he has helped me get and keep my FT500 Fire fighting setup on my Deuce running) his name is Dennis and his outfit is Quad city something or other... prices are very fair and he is very helpful. If you wish, you can tell him Raul from Miami sent you... I don't think he will throw you rocks, I pay all my bills -. But he can guide you into the fire stuff world... which is totally different... that nst stuff... always gets me. I am sure he has several foam eductors available, plus strobes and lights, sirens, etc. I just saw several eductors on sale on ebay. He might even have a source on the fiireade 2000... I would stay away from all others, I have a friend in Miami Dade FD that states that fireade 2000 is pretty much an all around fire suppression foam, and before they had to keep several different types in stock, (purple, etc) depending on the fire but according to the supplier and him, this takes care of all types of fire.

Any updates on the HET project?

Ya, no kidding, your fans await!

Al Jones
Brookings, SD wishing I had 2% of your fabrication skills...

Sorry guys....I have to finish a gasoline to diesel conversion in a client's XM474 before we can go full blast on the 'Adventure HET' project. We had some down time, waiting for the 6V53 Detroit / Allison power pack, that's why we started on the HET.

Well, in the mean time, I guess I could do a quick thread on the engine swap in the tank and APC section....

Soni

Wow. I hope the madness never ends Dr. Frankenstein!

Awesome, what more could anyone say except for thank-you for sharing.

Any updates on the HET or FEMTT

Brush fires are best fought with a Class A foam ("wetting agent") at between .1% and .3% (1/10% to 3/10%). "Wetting agents" or "Class A foams" function by reducing the surface tension of the water molecule, allowing it to soak into the fuel more efficiently and creating less run-off. Run-off is simply wasted firefighting agent.

Class B fires are liquid fuel fires. Gasoline, diesel fuel, alcohols, etc are Class B fuels. These fuels burn by vaporizing first, and then the flammable vapor burns. Class B foam suppresses vapors by forming a film on top of the fuel, thus suppressing fires. These foams are mixed with water, and are "Aqueous Film-Forming Foams", or "AFFF". Therefore, Class B foams are only truly effective against pool fires: a puddle (two dimensional) of liquid fuel burning. A piece of equipment or vehicle burning presents a "three-dimensional fire" with no flat surface for the foam to form a film on.

Actually, unless you're fighting a true pool fire, I would recommend simply using Class A foam, which works like a soap and breaks up the liquid fuel and cools it below its ignition temperature.

Class A foam concentrates are widely available, cheaper by far than Class B or multi-type foam concentrates, and the proportioning systems are simpler and cheaper. If you don't want to mechanically proportion the foam, you can "batch mix" foam solution by simply adding the correct amount of foam concentrate to the tank of water to achieve the correct percentage. 1/10% in a 2000 gallon tank is 2 gallons. Give it a stir with the recirculation valve and you're good to go.