TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri Jul 04, 2008 11:01 am

I'm currently in the process of repainting my '72 super beetle. The plan is to repaint, raise and put a 7 piece baja kit on it. I also have some ideas on modifying my fresh air fan with ceramic heaters, and rebuilding my heater boxes. My main concern isn't the temperature inside the car, but rather the engine. I know that cars in alaska (and extremely cold temperatures) are equipped with engine block heaters. Do beetles need those (being that they are air cooled)? If they do is there someone who manufactures one?

Thanks,
Jerad

Fri Jul 04, 2008 11:03 am

The VW Beetle was the first car at the bottom of the world (Antarctica) because the air-cooled engine can handle such extreme cold. Cranking might be a bit slow in the frigid weather, but otherwise you'll be OK.

Fri Jul 04, 2008 11:26 am

The idea of the block warmers is to keep the water in the block from freezing. since there is no water...........

Fri Jul 04, 2008 12:00 pm

You would do well getting an oil heater. I have seen several types: one replaces the drain plug anothe replaces the dip stick. this will "prewarm" your very cold oil making life a lot better for your air cooled VW.

Dynosoar

Fri Jul 04, 2008 12:04 pm

There are plug in magnetic heaters that we used to stick to our oil pans to keep the oil warm and to crank easier in the winter. I think you can still buy them.

Fri Jul 04, 2008 12:43 pm

I would just run thinner oil. I've been running a baja (daily driver) for the last 5 years here in Colorado. 10w30 oil and no problems starting. Lowest temp so far has been -17ºF.

Max

Fri Jul 04, 2008 1:23 pm

As for the heads, you could get chrome valve covers because chrome runs hotter and it will insulate the heat better. Alaska would probably be the only place you could get away with chrome and actually have a reason for using it.

Fri Jul 04, 2008 3:34 pm

My Beetle came from the Yukon. I use it now all year in the B.C. interior.

If your heat channels are good and the system in good repair you will have lots of heat. I am plenty warm and windows defrosted at below 0'F temps.

It is a little slow to warm up is all. I have a gas heater for that. It fires in 20 secs and I stop seeing my breath in about 4 min and I'm too hot and turn it off after about 20 min. By then the stock heat is keeping up. Gas heaters were common in Canada. Every VW I've owned has had one and I have 6 of them now.(3 for buses)

Any kind of electric heat will not work. Do a search, it's been beaten to death. Do the math. Not enough amps.

Block heaters are still available. I have one and use it. The engine starts better and warms up much faster. It bolts to the oil drain plate. I can't remember who sells it. Here is the install instructions.

My car also had a dealer installed battery charger under the back seat wired to the block heater wire.

I use 4 studded tires and it's like a tank in snow. I pull the Subaru's out of the snow! LOL

Make sure your thermostat and flaps work. In extreme cold like we get here (-40) they never open right up.

I am going to try electric heat for my rear defrost since the grid is toast (literally) but it may be pitiful due to low watts.

jim

Fri Jul 04, 2008 3:44 pm

My little heater above uses 12 Volts X 10 amps = 120 Watts. It's barely warm.

A blow drier is 1200 Watts, 10 X as much. Sit in your car in the winter and see if you can warm the interior with a blow drier. And that would be without wind and seal issues.

How many Watts is your ceramic heater?

Oh, and a gas heater can be run with the engine off. Nice when waiting in the car or pre heating. I used to eat lunch in the bush at -20F in my crew cab VW for 45 min, in my shirt sleeves, and never wore the battery down. Uses about a pint of gas per hour.

jim