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Rulebook Firewall Question

To: land-speed@autox.team.net
Subject: Rulebook Firewall Question
From: "Albaugh, Neil" <albaugh_neil@ti.com>
Date: Fri, 5 Apr 2002 11:23:52 -0600
List;

I received my new 2002 SCTA Rulebook in the mail yesterday and started
reading it to make sure I build my car in compliance with the regulations.
The "firewall" requirement seems to be somewhat vague in that it requires a
minimum 0.090" metal firewall between the driver & engine. The vagueness is
in the word "metal"-- it is not specific about what firewall material is
acceptable. This even implies that a 0.090" 5052-0 aluminum firewall would
be acceptable. 

Last year I bought some thinner Inconel sheets with the idea of riveting
them to the chassis tubes (with Monel rivets) and using Inconel as my
firewall. It looks as if this won't be legal even though Inconel is a high-
temperature stainless steel that is used to fabricate jet engines. Aluminum,
on the other hand, looks to be a perfectly legal firewall material even
though it melts at less than 1000 degrees. That doesn't seem to be
consistent with safety-- I'd rather be behind (actually, 'ahead of' in my
case-- a mid- engine setup) an Inconel firewall than one made of most other
"metals."

Is there any flexibility in this rule interpretation?  

Regards, Neil     Tucson, AZ  (end of whining & sniveling)

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