The Ultimate Stewart Warner Gas Heater Thread

Ian · Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2014 10:03 am Post subject:

In my experience, smoke in the exhaust is from a leaky fuel nozzle. On the heater I was working on, when I took it apart, the nozzle was loose! Someone must have just threaded it in by hand and forgot about it? I tightened it up with a wrench an it quit smoking.
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All your Buses are belong to us.
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IN LOVING MEMORY OF ROB CRESS 1968-2012

Unclebon · Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2014 3:45 pm Post subject:

Unclebon · Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2014 1:58 pm Post subject:

5463volks

This past weekend I purchased a 1963 Conv. Beetle and it had a Stewart Warner Gas Heater in great condition. Do not ever plan on using it since I live in South West Florida.

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PineBeatle · Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 9:12 am Post subject:

Great Thread. I too am from Colorado and with winter coming up, I thought Id revive this thread.

I have a South Wind 10603 that's been sitting in the garage for about 18 months. They guy I bought it from said he just had it cleaned up so he could put it back in his bus (well, my bus now). It looks pretty clean and serviced from what I can tell.

I want to bench test it, but I'm not quite sure the best way to go about it. According to the manual, there should be a START\OFF\RUN switch as well as a temperature control knob and a light.

My heater does not have a switch on the heater container. It looks like it was hooked up to a switch that is in the drivers compartment, but it's just an ON/OFF switch (there are not 3 positions). Also, the manual states that there is in indicator light that you use when starting as well as troubleshooting. My heater does not have a light either.

Any thoughts? Should I get an indicator light and 3 position switch and attempt to wire as shown in the manual diagrams? What's the difference between the RUN an START positions of the switch?

Can anyone tell based on the pictures how the previous owner might have had the switch hooked up and how he may have started it? The only wires coming out of the heater unit are the ground and HOT. Was the switch directly on the HOT?

I'm attempting to contact the PO as well, but wanted thoughts of the community.

thx

thx

Ian · Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 8:50 am Post subject:

Hey bud, as far as I remember, there's a hot a power and a ground. Easy enough to connect both of the hot and power to a constant 12v and the ground to the negative and test it out. Kinda like testing a used radio.

Hope that helps.
_________________
All your Buses are belong to us.
Love and good roads!
IN LOVING MEMORY OF ROB CRESS 1968-2012

umphorever · Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 5:44 pm Post subject:

I've been working on my sw heater. I've been contemplating installing a separate gas tank for the heater..like a 1 gallon lawnmower tank...has anyone attempted this?

coad · Samba Scapegoat Joined: September 12, 2002 Posts: 7552

umphorever · Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 9:27 pm Post subject:

Well...I guess that's just how I want to try and set it up. From my research they can go through around .25 gallons an hour. I'd like to have the heater be a more self contained unit.

umphorever · Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2014 12:13 pm Post subject:

I'm not getting fuel to the combustion chamber. I don't have a gauge to check the fuel pressure. I checked the gap of the points in the fuel pump and I'm at .018". I have been exploring some options. I can either source some parts from a few people I've talked to that have a heater sitting around. But they want top dollar for parts. I talked to a guy about a new spark plug (since mine has a crack on the top side), and a fuel pump. He wants 100 for the both. I got my heater for 80! So, I'm thinking a 1 gallon fuel tank connected to the unit. plumbed to an electronic fuel pump, and relay. Could do that for around 30 bucks. I'd still like to find someone with an extra spark plug for it.. I have packed some electrical tape into the crack so my spark isn't arcing off of the mounting bracket.

EDIT: I can hear that the pump is pumping when I turn the fan motor.

thomas. · Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2014 2:20 pm Post subject:

You might be able to jb weld the plug.You would probably better off getting a good one though. I tried fixing one once and the spark leaked through although I didn't use the JB weld.I just this week bought some parts off this guy.He could probably help.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1688091

umphorever · Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2014 3:16 pm Post subject:

thomas. · Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2014 7:19 pm Post subject:

The spark plugs aren't voltage specific. They work in either 6 or 12. Same with the pump , points , and condenser.Just like your bugs ignition. Splicing into the fuel line is simple as putting in a T fitting. Alot simpler than trying to find extra room for a tank and then the hassle of filling. I'm trying to get one running right now too that I bought for a bus. Most of the used ones are going to need a pump . The rubber dries out over time. Especially the brass plate with rubber valves. I put a pump on mine that I knew was good.It works but its blowing black smoke which I know isn't normal cause I have another one that the heat works good but no visible emissions. Anyway... I'm going to try an electric pump on there to see if that fixes it. I think this manual pump might have too high a pressure. I'll take some photos if anyone's interested.

thomas. · Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2014 7:49 pm Post subject:

On the first page of this thread I posted how I installed my relay on my heater thermostat to mount an elec fuel pump. You use to be able to delete photos in your gallery and I think i deleted that one and it got deleted from this thread.My screw up. I know umphorever was asking how to mount one so I had the photo on my computer so figured I'd repost it. here you go , it worked for me ...

umphorever · Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2014 8:41 pm Post subject:

thanks so much for the drawing!! It will help immensely!

thomas. · Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2014 3:31 am Post subject:

You'll need a way way to splice the connection into the thermostat so the wire you're going into will keep it's connection. I use a double connector .Don't forget to use white plumbers tape on the thread connections or it might leak. It might already be on the new pump in paste form. Another trick I do while testing the pump is use a couple foot of clear tubing into a container of water then I'll touch my positive jumper to the thermostat connection. That way you can see the water running up the clear tubing in time & know it's pumping. Then I pull the connection before the water goes in the pump. Testing with raw fuel is a pain. You should do the running test outdoors. And who wants to carry all that crap outside for the small tests. That's how I do it at least.

webbcm127 · Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2014 4:06 pm Post subject:

not sure if you can really say for certain but what would a S/W model 8332 with a bad fuel pump be worth, both fans work, have spark and I know the valves and stuff in the fuel pump are babd. If I get this I would like to just install a 12V fuel pump, from a little bit I research I found that pump should be 10-14 psi...is that correct and I was curious if it mattered what the GPH(flow) would be, with that psi I have basically only found 35GPH. thanks for any and all help!
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umphorever · Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2014 9:07 pm Post subject:

thomas. · Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 10:32 am Post subject:

webbcm127 · Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 2:05 pm Post subject:

thanks for all the info, and that lower psi pump will save me some cash! I just paid 100$ for the heater however I got a bunch of spare parts with it as well, including an extra spark plug, switch, relay, thermostat, coil, burner and blower...I feel like that was a good deal, now ill go pick up a fuel pump... found one for 25$ and get it installed, so basically a good running heater for 125$ plus extra parts...sounds good to me! Very Happy

oh one more question, should the fuel pump be a solenoid type or will it matter?
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-71 bay window deluxe, 1600dp (7 passenger for now)


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