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david_594 Samba Member
Joined: November 08, 2006 Posts: 484 Location: Columbus, OH
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Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 6:43 pm Post subject: Heater Tube Replacement |
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So I finally got around to replacing the heater tube on my bus. Just in time for a nice hot summer.
Before all of this my bus would barely make enough heat in the winter to keep my windshield defrosted. And whenever I touched the heater pipe I could hear crunching within the outer wrapping. Pictures for your enjoyment...
So when I unwrapped my original heater tube this basically fell on my head. Its pretty obvious where my heat was going.
So the replacement. I used a 2.5" 403 grade stainless steel pipe. I bought a 5' section off ebay for $48 and cut it down to ~50" in length. This gave me just enough length to slide it in both ends of my original pipe. The original was ~2.75" in diameter so this gave reasonable snug, but far from airtight seal.
Once it was in place I placed a few pop rivets in at each end to secure it somewhat.
I then wrapped each end with many layers of Nashua brand 324A "Cold Weather" foil tape. This tape is rated for temps up to 325* Fahrenheit and really the only foil tape I could find with a suitable temp range at home depot.
After than I decided to insulate it by first wrapping it in a 2" piece of fiberglass insulation, and then wrapping that with a piece of Reflectex.
I the taped the reflectex together using the same Nashua tape.
Overall the project cost me about $75 which I think is pretty reasonable and I feel like my replacement is well sealed, insulated and there is no reason why it shouldn't last another 40 years. _________________ 1968 westy weekender
2000 jetta tdi
79 vespa p200e |
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calebmelvin Samba Member
Joined: July 19, 2006 Posts: 3140 Location: Seattle, WA
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rcnotes Samba Member
Joined: July 09, 2005 Posts: 641 Location: Ann Arbor, MI
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Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 6:56 am Post subject: |
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Nice job! |
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Tom Powell Samba Member
Joined: December 01, 2005 Posts: 4855 Location: Kaneohe
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Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 10:43 pm Post subject: |
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Just read your posting on your new heater tube. This winter i didn't get the volume of air or the heat that I did last year and there was noise from the right side vent. Tomorrow morning I'll crawl under the camper and squeeze my heater tube and see if it crunches or crackles. I'll bet mine needs replacing also. Thanks for the post, the pictures, and the repair info.
Aloha
tp |
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foxtail1 Samba Member
Joined: February 04, 2008 Posts: 706 Location: graham
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Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 7:27 am Post subject: |
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It looks like there will be a lot of squeezing going on, me to after I saw the photos of your heat tube. That will have to wait until summer time. _________________ As they say, "You never know until you ask the question."
64 bug
64 bus
59 ghia
71 bus |
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Wildthings Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50261
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Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 10:10 am Post subject: |
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Just a suggestion, use stainless steel stove pipe and/or close cell foam insulation, the fiberglass insulation is going to get wet, hold water and rust out steel or even galvanized steel pipe pretty quickly. |
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SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41031 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 10:45 am Post subject: |
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also - that tape has a tendency to loosen with time. Use cable ties to back it up. _________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
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rustbus Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2009 Posts: 2078 Location: alberta
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Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 11:05 am Post subject: |
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On the farm we have 3" aluminum irrigation piping - i used a section of this and it works great, and keeps the vehicle weight down for efficiency _________________ May of '72 Deluxe. 2.0L L-Jet CS & 091 trans conversion
my Bus thread |
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Wildthings Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50261
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Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 6:55 pm Post subject: |
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rustbus wrote: |
On the farm we have 3" aluminum irrigation piping - i used a section of this and it works great, and keeps the vehicle weight down for efficiency |
Nice idea, I may go that route the next time I fix up a heater system. |
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SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41031 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 7:29 pm Post subject: |
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I am kind of at a loss here. My heater tube is like an accordian and runs all the way from the back to the front. It is double walled and is sealed with flexible rubber membranes. The pipe in the photo looks like it was rusty thin wall steel. Do some years have a hard tube instead of a flexible one? _________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
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Wildthings Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50261
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Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 7:41 pm Post subject: |
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SGKent wrote: |
I am kind of at a loss here. My heater tube is like an accordian and runs all the way from the back to the front. It is double walled and is sealed with flexible rubber membranes. The pipe in the photo looks like it was rusty thin wall steel. Do some years have a hard tube instead of a flexible one? |
Earlier models had steel tubing while later ones had the corrugated paper. Both have there failings. |
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BuckeyeBus Samba Member
Joined: November 28, 2008 Posts: 22 Location: Batavia, Ohio
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Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 7:41 pm Post subject: Main Heater Tube |
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Is there anything inherently dangerous about using standard auto exhaust pipe for a tube replacement? |
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busdaddy Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004 Posts: 51057 Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 7:59 pm Post subject: |
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Nope, as long as it fits it works fine. _________________ Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.
Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
Слава Україні! |
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SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41031 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 8:05 pm Post subject: Re: Main Heater Tube |
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BuckeyeBus wrote: |
Is there anything inherently dangerous about using standard auto exhaust pipe for a tube replacement? |
As long as it isn't hooked up to the tailpipe
I'd try to stay with something stainless and avoid anything that melts when wrapping it. The temperature coming off the heat exchangers will melt plastic quickly. _________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
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Tcash Samba Member
Joined: July 20, 2011 Posts: 12844 Location: San Jose, California, USA
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Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2016 9:51 am Post subject: Re: Heater Tube Replacement |
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Heater Tube Replacement
aerosurfer wrote: |
Wanted to share my new heat tube version I did this week. The old diverter was completely gone, and the whole system was poorly rigged (incompletley at that too) from the P.O.
Cut out a like new diverter piece from a parts bus, and finally got around to crafting it all up.
from the Hardware store I used
Two 3"to 4" aluminum connectors
3" Piece of aluminum ducting, Came as a 5' section
4" flexible dryer tubing
3" flexible dryer tubing
Aluminum tape
Roll of Reflectix
First I only wanted to do this once (in theory) so I made sure to POR15 the underside of the floor and frame above where the tube will be
Then I welded the diverter back into position. The dryer tubing hanging down is the 3" tubing up over the beam to the heater tree in the cabin, partly wrapped in reflectix. The aluminum tape on the intake side of the diverter is to widen the opening as that will receive the 4" end of one of the connectors
With the original fiberglass diaper back in place. Taped and sealed
Now the 3" aluminum tube, cut in the middle to allow it to be snug in both ends
Started wrapping Reflectix in sections over the aluminum pipe
Off the the rear Y pipe I inserted the 3" end of the other connector into it. Once again with Speed tape on the outside diameter of 3" side of the connector to seal and snug it, then forced the other half of the 3" aluminum pipe into the 4" section
I was able to cut it so it was very snug in the gap. This I only used speed tape to seal the sections
On the rear part, the Reflectix slides snugly into the gap of the 4" connector around the 3" pipe. I didnt get a picture of it, but before I put on the other half of the pipe i slid the 4" dryer flex tube over the reflectix as additional insulation and protection. And all sealed up.
I still have some more reflectix to add the front hose, and I have to install and cover the other outlets in the diverter, but I can report the heat is very nice and pretty strong. Elsewhere in the system its sealed , but not perfect off the heater boxes and flappers. I had nothing to compare it to prior (in any bus), but it blows out of the defrost vent very well. I know some have said to delete the diverter junction all together, but it was such a perfect part and I was able to get the forward floor vent tube and a non broken cable for it. Still have to make something or use SCAT tubing for the vent under the rear bed |
heater tube replacement solution
Welt wrote: |
Before removing the rotisserie, some final things were done down under. Copied the original insulation with aluminized fibreglass fabric and ceramic wool.
Installed everything with aluminium tape and galvanized steel wire.
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aerosurfer Samba Member
Joined: March 25, 2012 Posts: 1602 Location: Indianapolis, IN
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Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2016 10:17 am Post subject: Re: Heater Tube Replacement |
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That's my write up on the aluminum heat duct and I can say it has held up very well so far. Blows nice and hot.
Also if anyone needs the fiberglass insulating piece on the Y pipe I just listed one in the classifieds
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1963275 _________________ Rebuild your own FI Harness..My Harness
77 Westy 2.0L Rockin and Rolling Resto!
72 Sportsmobile (sold)
79 Tran$porter... Parts car money machine (gone) |
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jtauxe Samba Member
Joined: September 30, 2004 Posts: 5778 Location: Los Alamos, New Mexico
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Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2016 1:53 pm Post subject: Re: Heater Tube Replacement |
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My metal guy in Denver replaced the heater tube with a 3.5" stove pipe. It has an inner and outer layer, and insulation between.
Here is the double cab on the rotisserie:
And another pic of the pipe, sealed up:
_________________ John
"Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie..." - Colin Hay and Ron Strykert
http://vw.tauxe.net
1969 Transporter, 1971 Westfalia, 1976, 1977, 1976, 1977, 1971, 1973, 1977 Westfalias,
1979 Champagne Sunroof, 1974 Westfalia Automatic, 1979 Transporter, 1972 Sportsmobile, 1973 Transporter Wild Westerner, 1974 Westfalia parts bus, 1975 Mexican single cab *FOR SALE*, 1978 Irish 4-door double cab RHD
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otiswesty Samba Member
Joined: November 21, 2006 Posts: 1729 Location: Portland
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Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 12:51 pm Post subject: Re: Heater Tube Replacement |
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Looks like just the right size
_________________ 1978 Sage Green P22 Westfalia
1989 T3 Syncro Single cab
Just a regular guy |
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DougB Samba Member
Joined: January 09, 2007 Posts: 1076 Location: Falls Church, Virginia, USA
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Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 7:19 am Post subject: Re: Heater Tube Replacement |
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If you don't mind me asking, what's the length on that stove pipe segment you installed? It looks like one pre-made unit (no cutting visible), so it makes me think it was bought to the correct dimensions.
Thanks in advance!
- Doug _________________ '75 Campmobile (tin-top to SpaceRoof)
'73 Fastback
'52 BMW R67/2
'41 Zundapp KS600
'55 Puch SGS250
A very, very understanding wife |
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Gregg in the 603 Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2013 Posts: 398 Location: New Hampshire, USA
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Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 4:21 pm Post subject: Re: Heater Tube Replacement |
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I used the exact same piece, bought it right off the shelf at Home Depot. Don't remember the size, but something standard, maybe 4 feet? Grab a tape measure _________________ 1979 Mexico Beige Westy auto
Dirty Dover, NH |
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