The official Chinese Diesel Heater thread (Webasto Knockoff)

[Chris-a]

Ive read nearly this entire thread in preparation for installing my own CDH. I believe there was one brief discussion/debate regarding where to hook up the heater fuel line in a diesel engine vehicle. Mine will be going into my ahu tdi swapped Syncro.


T into fuel return line from filter(someone mentioned possible air bubbles), T into fuel tank to filter line or somewhere else? Anyone with experience care to comment?
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I gotta have nice tools, just look at the cars I drive.

Current: 87 Syncro AHU Tdi Westy'ish?
Previous: 77 Westy, 72 Tin Top Camper, 69 Passenger

[vanis13]

[4Gears4Tires]

I can't imagine it matters where you T into the tank, before the fuel pump or right before the return line enters the tank. As long as the fuel level is above the nipple, it'll have fuel. As far as bubbles go, where would the air come from? It can't be suddenly appear at the return unless you have a fuel leak. Maybe cavitation, e.g. vapor bubbles, but if you have that in your fuel system it needs to be addressed for the well running of your motor. The FPR should not be creating cavitation.

I'd probably T it on whichever side it's going to live in. So if it's behind the dash, fuel out. If it's near the fridge, fuel return.
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'87 Syncro Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition
'85 Westy Sciuridae Domus Edition

[shagginwagon83]

I heard also about tee-ing into the return line. When I added a Webasto to a syncro, we tee'd into the return line. No issues.
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"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin

[joetiger]

Friendly reminder that these filters are garbage. My heater wasn't firing because there was a huge crack in this new one and kerosene was pouring out of it. And down my arm, of course. (I use Klean Heat Kerosene instead of diesel. Expensive, but it makes my van smell like bygone days at my grandparent's house on Cotile Lake, Lousiana.)

Another friendly reminder, hoarding is good for you. I found a brand-new Eberspacher filter in my box o' heater parts. Thanks, Four Years Ago Joe, for hooking me up.

Five year-old $120 heater is back in business, doing its thing.
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Joe T.

'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'91 Wolfsburg Carat "Barchetta"
'02 Baja-ish Beetle "Bubbles"

"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron

"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond

Justice for Megan: https://linktr.ee/justiceformegantrussell

[82westyrabbit]

In the end I went with a 7K heater that has a 5K low setting. I went with this heater because i bought three of them to heat my airplane hangar over the winter. My heater is going underneath a truck TF49 refrigerator.

My heater is bolted directly to the floor, and I repurposed the propane tank to use as its fuel tank.

I'm still working on getting it wired up because it is part of a bigger project. I'll post pictures as I go along. John

[Chris-a]

[dobryan]

[Chris-a]

[LarsHepping]

[fxr]

[quote="LarsHepping"]

[fxr]

[LarsHepping]

[Phishman068]

You definitely need to mount it flat to a flat surface to get a good seal, and yes- that section of the furnace gets VERY hot. It's not allowed to be in contact with wood, and I think the design specs for that particular espar are something like 1'' in all direction from the closes piece of wood.

I've installed them on the floor, and done so by cutting a piece of floor out bigger then the heater and grafting in a flat plate of metal, sealing that securely to the ridges of the floor, and then just securing the furnace to the flat plate as designed.
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http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=559766&highlight=winter+rust
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482402&highlight=sunroof+syncro
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569774
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6864936#6864936

"Along with the ability to go fast, one looses the desire to hurry."

[nilbog]

I mounted my newly installed CDH directly on the westy wood in my rear bench, with a 4" hole drilled straight through to underside . Should I go back and remove all the wood around the furnace

I think probably yes ...

[bobbyblack]

I made my mount with a tin can and the provided plate, but they are sitting on a small wood slat base sandwich between the mount plate/can and the metal bed of the bus. Until you just said this, I have never given it a second thought. I've seen plenty of pix showing the use of wood tho, and never heard of problems? I've seen my combustion chamber get to nearly 500 deg F.

Anyone?

-bobby
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[shagginwagon83]

I used wood for awhile with a 4k and 2k heater - as I needed the height increased to output it via Westy circuit breaker hole. I did not witness any burning on the removed wood.

I now have my heater flipped around (output heat via stove face) and am using a custom turrent base, which is attached to the westy wood flooring. It's been like this for about 3 years now of pretty heavy use.

My heater mounting is similar to Vanis's now.

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"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin

[dhaavers]

[67rustavenger]

[bobbyblack]

When I built my "can" I started with a covered tin cookie jar. I cut down the can, fit everything so that the inlet, outlet and fuel line went in and the lid fit on, hanging upside down, covering all the hose clamps. It was a real beauty, imho. The few comments I was compelled by suggested that the heat would be too much and could melt the fuel line. I had triple wrapped that in layers of heat shrink. The tolerance was tight, I agreed. I relented, and pulled the cover down, and cut it out/off.

BUT, I had run that heater full blast for almost a week in sub freezing weather, so it absolutely was MAX heat for days on end. When I took it apart there was absolutely NO thermal degradation to the fuel line+shrink wraps.

I'm Not complaining. I'm just saying that I had an idea, went with it, and got flipped out by comments that then lead me to take action. I have no idea how things might have turned out if I had 'kept it in the can'.

You can look back in this thread for reference pix.

-bobby
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch