TheSamba.com :: View topic - Center heat pipe using exhaust piping with pictures

Sat Feb 11, 2012 9:44 pm

I searched around on the samba and couldn't find any write ups on center tubes. People talked about them but not really gave any insight. Here is my install of a center heat tube using exhaust piping found at your local auto parts and your local hardware store.
I have to point out that my bus is a hacked up mess. I don't have most of the heat piping under my bus. I'm working with what I have left after the previous owner or body shop cut it out.

Here are the parts:
3x 2 inch by 2 inch rubber plumbing connecters (hardware store)
1x 3 inch reducer to 2 inch rubber plumbing connecter (hardware store)
1x 2.5 OD with 2.5 ID end exhaust pipe, straight 18 inches long
1x 2.5 OD with 2.5 ID 45 degree exhaust elbow
2x 2.25 OD flex exhaust pipe, 18 inches long
about 6 FT long 2.5 OD straight exhaust pipe (I bought this at NAPA for $14 for the whole 6FT piece. It was so cheap I bought extra)
2x sheet metal screws
a little RTV sealant

Here are the pictures some with explanations:
These are the tools I used to cut the exhaust pipes, 4 inch metal cut off wheel, tape measurer, clamp to draw a straight line around the pipe when I cut it.

Starting from the back, This is the 45 degree elbow going up to the passenger side heater box. I trimmed this side of the elbow until it fit thru the center body hole and the original heat pipe. Ignore the little piece of black rubber above the 2 inch rubber connecter. It's a fix I had to do.

Here is the other side of the elbow going thru the body hole. This side of the elbow is the 2.5 ID and going into the elbow is the 2.5 OD straight pipe.

This is looking from the other side. You can see in the background part of the hacked up Y heat tube.

This picture shows the 2.5 OD straight pipe coming out of the rear 45 degree elbow (to the right) going into the 18 inch straight pipe. The long 2.5 OD straight pipe is cut to fit. Once you get all your front and rear pieces in place. Measure and cut the extra long straight piece. (read the whole post then come back to this)

Long 2.5 OD straight piece on right going into straight 18 inch piece on left. the 18 inch straight goes into the body hole to the left first. more explanation later. keep reading.

another one of above

OK now starts the fun stuff. haha. this is the part of the install that I thought about the most. How am I going to connect the pipe from the body hole to the elbow in the front without hitting something.
Here is the 18 straight pipe going thru the body hole to the 2.25 OD flex pipe.

The pipe to the left is the 2.25 OD flex pipe uncut then a 2x2 rubber connector to the other 2.25 OD flex pipe cut to fit.

This picture is taken a little further to the left. Here you can see why I decided to reduce the size of exhaust pipe from 2.5 OD to 2.25 OD. When I was at the store I took both sizes out the boxes and see which one flexed the most. The 2.25 OD flexed more but not much more. It gave me enough flex to make it over the beam.

Here is the 2.25 OD flex pipe "flexing" over the top of the beam and down to the 2 x 3 rubber reducer. The 3 inch side of the rubber reducer is attached to last part of the original front heat tube.

Here is the piece of the original stock heat straight and elbow attached to the 3 inch side of the reducer.

here is another long view

Here is how I assembled the center heat tube. The key part to remember is you can not just cut 1 long straight piece of pipe and it will fit. Even VW made the center pipe in 2 pieces. OK.
I first installed the rear elbow (after it was trimmed and test fit about 3 times) Then I installed the front flex pipes and installed the 18 inch straight pipe.

Once I had all of these pieces in place and was happy. I measured from the inside of the rear elbow (2.5 ID side should be pointing to the front) to the inside of the front 18 inch straight (2.5 ID should be point in to the back). When I measured it was about 34 inches long. Yours will be a different so don't just grab a piece of pipe and cut it to 34 inches.

Once I finally cut the long center straight 2.5 OD pipe. I took apart the front small piece of flex pipe so I could slide the 18 inch 2.5 OD pipe forward. Then this gave me room to install the long center pipe.

OK final assembly. You may want to scroll back up while you read the next part to make sense of it.

I put a thin coat of RTV sealant on one end of the long center pipe and I tapped the long 2.5 OD center pipe into the rear elbow. Then put another thin coat of RTV on the other end of the long center pipe. Then I tapped the 18 inch straight piece onto the long center pipe. Surprisingly once the elbow and 2 straight pieces were hammered together the whole center pipe was solid as a rock. I actually took a piece of wood and a mini sledgehammer really wacked the heck out the end of the 18 inch straight so the long center pipe would seat on both the elbow and 18 inch straight pipe ends.
But to make sure they don't come apart. I drilled and installed a sheet metal screw at the elbow joint and straight joint.

here is a picture of the flex pipe packaging

The next step is to insulate the pipe and work on the heater box end. I will update the thread once thats done. It's a shame to cover up such a nice piece of pipe.

I hope this helps someone out there. If you have any questions let me know.

Sat Feb 11, 2012 9:55 pm

Nice write up! My center tube is pretty crusty, so i will need to replace it. This gives me some ideas of what is involved.

How bigf of a motor are you running? I have a 1776, and would hate to choke the exhuaust.

Sat Feb 11, 2012 10:00 pm

I'm running a stock 1600cc dual port with 34 pict and stock exhaust. Nothing fancy. I've seen those high performance heater boxes but I don't know if they'll put out enough heat to heat up the front. I'm going to run a pair of old German heater boxes.

Thank you for the complement!!

Sat Feb 11, 2012 10:10 pm

looks good i am going to re do mine as well i put in some pvc plumbing pipe as a temp and it works well so far

Sun Feb 12, 2012 7:14 am

Well done! And god write up!

Sun Feb 12, 2012 2:02 pm

was looking for something like that

good :idea:

Sun Feb 12, 2012 2:11 pm

Might want to check out that ebrake cable.

Sun Feb 12, 2012 2:39 pm

Nice write up. My pipe is completely gone, and I was looking into a replacement. I think Gerson makes one.. but not sure which route to go. This gives me something to think about. thanks!

Mon Feb 13, 2012 5:28 am

Thank you everyone!!

Pickens, I noticed the cable when I was under there. Time to order some new ones.

I would stay away from the PVC piping. When the PVC starts to melt there has to be some nasty fumes.

I heard Gerson makes the center pipe but I couldn't find anywhere that had them instock. Plus it would have been a lot more expensive.

My estimated total for the heat pipe
3x 2by2 rubber plumbing connecters, $5 each
1x 3by2 rubber plumbing connecter, $6
1x 2.5OD with 2.5 ID end exhaust pipe, straight 18 inches long, $8
1x 2.5 OD with 2.5 ID 45 degree exhaust elbow, $7
2x 2.25 OD flex exhaust pipe, 18 inches long $7
about 6 FT long 2.5 OD straight exhaust pipe $14 (only NAPA carries it)
2x sheet metal screws, 1 cent
a little RTV sealant, fraction of a penny

Total around $64 plus some change

Mon Feb 13, 2012 8:48 am

I just cut the heating parts from another Bus I had:

And welded them into my Singlecab:

I made some 2" wide collars to attach the Y pipe to the 2 ducts mounted on the truck, and at the front connection too.

Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:11 pm

Here is the update on the heat installation in my 64 Panel Van.

The next step was to connect the heater boxes. The Driver side is going to heat the cargo area. The Passenger side will connect to the center heat pipe to heat the front.

Here are the parts:
2x 11 inch long 60mm by 60mm diameter NOS heat tubes. (I found them on EBAY really cheap)
2x pieces of the 2.5 OD straight exhaust pipe (cut to fit from the long piece of exhaust I bought from NAPA. Go to beginning of post for more info)
1x 2 inch by 2 inch rubber plumbing connecters (hardware store)
4x larger hose clamps

Here are the pictures with explanations:
PLEASE LOOK AWAY FOR THE FAINT OF HEART or IF YOU HAVE A WEAK STOMACH.
I took at 2 1/2 inch bi metal hole saw and cut a hole in the rear cargo area just below where the rear seat would be installed. I cut the hole on an angle since the heat pipe coming from underneath is coming in on an angle.

here is the 2 1/2 inch bi metal hole saw i used. I bought it at Lowe's

Here is the finished hole. I cleaned any burrs and repainted the area.

here is a look from under the bus by the driver side heater box. This is the hole I just cut out. As you can see the previous owner cut out the original heat pipe connection.

picture of the NOS heat tube. It's about 11 inches long

Then I cut off about an 8 or 9 inch piece of the 2.5 OD exhaust pipe. Painted it and installed inside the heat tube making it 18 inches long all together. Clamped it to make a one piece assembly.

Then I took the whole assembly and slide the black pipe end from under the bus into the new hole in the cargo area. Once it was in the new hole I could push and pull the heater tube onto the driver side heater box.

here is the view of the heater tube (in the distant) installed with a clamp on the freshly painted driver side heater box.

view of the heater pipe in the cargo area. Now we have heat for the cargo area.

Now for the Passenger side. This side wasn't so dramatic, but it finished up the connection for the center heat tube.
I took the other NOS heater tube, a 2x2 rubber plumbing connector and I cut to fit a small piece about 4 inches long of the 2.5 OD exhaust pipe (again info about pipe at first post)

I left all the clamps off the parts until final installation. Since there was no clamps the 2.5 OD exhaust pipe could slide into the heater tube with no resistantance. This made it easier to install.

To install I put the heater tube onto the passenger side heater box then slide the 2.5 OD pipe/2by2 rubber connecter to meet up with the what was left of the original heat piping. Here it is extended and clamped.

here is another view of it extended.

NOW this is where you can see how the passenger side heat tube assembly connects to the center heat tube.

Now I have both heater boxes hooked up to piping/duct work to heat the interior of the bus.

Next I hooked up the heater cable. I found an NOS cable on the samba. Thank you!!

The installation of the cable was a pain. I had to "adjust" or bend the wire a few times to get the cable ends to line up with the heater box levers. Plus, The cables have to perfectly straight for the turn handle to work properly. But I got it figured out and both boxes open and close completely. I can see why VW switched over to levers.

I hooked up the engine piping and I'm about to fire it up. I have to take some pictures of it.
If you have any questions feel free to ask me.

Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:25 pm

we make the correct center heat tube for $85.00

Tue Apr 10, 2012 8:40 am

Hopefully those Fernco's don't melt. That could get messy.

Mon Sep 03, 2012 8:33 am

Any updates on how this worked out? Any melting of the plumbing connectors?

Mon Sep 03, 2012 4:21 pm

:( How sad. Why not do it right? You could submit this to " There I fix'ed it"

Mon Sep 03, 2012 4:59 pm

skramyrral wrote: :( How sad. Why not do it right? You could submit this to " There I fix'ed it"

Don't hate on him because he didn't keep it all original. Some need the heat if they are in colder climates and this is their only vehicle. also looks like he would need to source allot of the original connections. For around 100 bucks (and no shipping) plus an afternoon of work he has heat.

Tue Sep 04, 2012 7:42 am

Kevin,
The heat is working great. In the spring I went on a 200 mile road trip with the heat on the whole time. There wasn't any funky smell. When i got home i checked for melted or any signs of melting. None at all.

I was surprised how much air was moving out of my vents. Even with only 1 fan shroud duct pushing the air to the front it worked great. Except the driver side defogger must have a little clog. The passenger side was clear as day. haha!

When I hit the highway a bunch of stuff can flying out the defoggers. If I hit a bump some more stuff would fly out. It was pretty funny..

The heat was pretty steady but it was raining and the center tube isn't insulated so the water was cooling the center tube down. But when we were slowing down it heated right back up.

Everyone has an opinion.. To each their own...

Fri Dec 14, 2012 7:36 pm

Hey Conrad,

That is a great write up, fantastic photos. I'm just replacing the main tube on mine. ~4' long 2.5" pipe.

I have the original insulation, not sure if I'm going to reuse it, or find something different. Have you researched insulation options?

Also where are you living/driving? IE what temps are you driving in, that this system provides adequate heat)

Sat Dec 15, 2012 1:55 pm

For future reference, if you want to do this is a quick or temp fix, NAPA sells the flexible exhaust tubing by the foot cut from 10 and 25 ft rolls. You can make most of the bends without having all the different connections.

Sat Dec 15, 2012 11:45 pm

I just recently hooked up my heater boxes. Now I need some ideas on how to insulate the heater pipe. I have some extra foil bubble wrap but idk if it will melt. So idk if I should use it. What are you guys using?