heat exchanger question............

RASTAVAN

is that better for a topic? anyway, my bus has no heater boxes, rusted off or whatever and even though im in florida(no haters please) it still gets quite chilly here in north/central.

i dont want to spend $300+ on a set of heat exchangers so i was thinking of making my own. im good at fabricating and i thought of making a sort of heat muff like we use on airplanes for cadin heat. any threads on this?

and yes, i looked, but maybe my search titles were wrong.

thanks again.

Joey · Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2013 6:53 am Post subject:

Is the outer sheet metal just rusted off or are the complete units rusted off? If the outer sheet metal is just rusted off and you still have the cast fins on there just re-create the outer sheet metal.
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Joey

‘60 Kombi - '74 Bus - '79 Panel - '65 Beetle

RASTAVAN · Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2013 11:39 am Post subject:

SGKent · Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2013 12:46 pm Post subject:

I could be wrong but from your photo it looks like you have an early bay - of course since you don't list what you have we must guess. If it is an early bay then I think, and someone can correct me, that you can use a set of late bug heat exchangers with a small kit that modifies them. If so they only sell for about $40 a set. If you have a 1972 bay with a pancake engine then you need to know that a good part of your head cooling comes from the heat exchangers which when not working will cause head overheating - which in turn will cost a whole lot more than $300 to fix when you drop a valve seat or worse, a valve.

Danwvw · Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2013 1:03 pm Post subject:

In this photo it looks like it a 68-71 with a bug engine! https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1136903.jpg
http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/wolfsburg_new/fuelsystem/heater_box.cfm
This is an interesting blog going on this subject! http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/588064-home-made-heat-exchanger.html
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1960 Beetle And 1679cc DP W-100 & Dual Zeniths!

Dansux · Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2013 2:10 pm Post subject:

I recently put my stock heat exchangers and flappers back together. After chasing down the missing parts I'm not to impressed with the results.

I'm still searching all the threads & and reading up on more heating options.

I want to add a second battery and a 2000W power inverter for tailgating & camping. So I think I'm going to also just pick up a small ceramic heater to use for supplemental heat and call it a day.

Vince Waldon · Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2013 3:45 pm Post subject:

Dunno if you've done the math, but if not, and assuming you use something like a 1000W space heater:

1000W / 12V = 83A drawn from your battery, assuming your inverter is 100% efficient, which sadly it won't be.

Gonna need a big bank of batteries to run more than a matter of minutes. Smile

Like I said, maybe you've done the math and figured out how you plan to deal with watts being watts... I mention it only because this time of year the diesel threads are full of guys wondering why they can't just plug the car's block heater into their car's battery thru an inverter and keep their engine warm all night. Smile

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Vince Waldon Edmonton Alberta CANADA
1970 baywindow

Randy in Maine · Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2013 3:48 pm Post subject:

I would think you could find a good set of HE in the classifieds for reasonable money.

Dansux · Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2013 5:42 pm Post subject:

Vince Waldon · Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2013 5:48 pm Post subject:

I like where you're going... and it just might work.

Oh wait... it requires getting your bus to 88 miles an hour or thereabouts, and we all know that's never gonna happen. Crying or Very sad

Darnit... so close. Oh well, back to the drawing board. Laughing

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

(sorry for the diversion, OP!)
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Vince Waldon Edmonton Alberta CANADA
1970 baywindow

RASTAVAN · Posted: Tue Dec 17, 2013 5:23 am Post subject:

RASTAVAN · Posted: Tue Dec 17, 2013 5:25 am Post subject:

SGKent · Posted: Tue Dec 17, 2013 8:20 am Post subject:

geopanoramic · Posted: Tue Dec 17, 2013 4:09 pm Post subject:

ummm. Never figured out what year your bus was, but I have 75 (heat exhangers that I am not doing anything with). The flanges of the piples at the muffler ends rusted off. Other than (!) the sheet metal is all there.....

My solution for my 75 was to buy new 72-74 style exhaust headers / heater boxs. Not cheap! I don't recommend the Danish ones I bought from BusDepot - but they are not bad and presently in their 4th year.

Original German ones in good shape would be the way to go IF you can find them. Good luck with your fabrication!

Busdepot · Samba Member Joined: March 24, 2004 Posts: 1358

geopanoramic · Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2013 11:04 am Post subject:

Indeed! - What BusDepot said. Thanks for the clarification!

Sorry for mindlessly slagging Bus Depot in my last post. I have always had great options, service and even advise from you guys. I did not mean to say that the way I said it (above), but merely was stating the fact or information that I got my exhaust system from you guys maybe 5 years ago or so.

In fact, you were the ones that told me to switch to the 72-74 as the 75 is an odd year/ no exhaust parts. That required more adjustments and parts of course, like finding the correct front air controllers etc, and some slightly different lower tin, but no big deal! It was way worth it!

Yes two new heater boxes and one very nice German original muffler I bought from y'all. Grand total of 1000$ - or 989$ or something. I guess that's just the way it goes. I think above I was voicing my frustration for spending money instead of going to the junk yard... Apologies.

Buying from you guys was the right thing. However one of my heater boxes came with a mis-crimped leaky box, which I fixed with stove asbestos gasket and stove cement, before painting the primed gray sheet metal. Ergo the "slight lower quality level." Clearly the cheap new Englander in me was still annoyed Razz

, but I got over it ! (I certainly wasn't going to ship the one heater box back or complain, but here I am complaining years later Laughing

.

Because I live in the West I tend to order less from you, but I did study your website often this last summer with the new North Idaho 72 project. I think I also had a clutch snafu with you later on (again the 75 was different) - but you guys totally got it solved.

You must have automatic web based "Bus Depot" notifications in order to control stuff like this and maintain shop image. I am glad we were able to reconnect, sort this out, and have likewise provided the community with useful information. Thanks for being around Bus Depot! It's such a loveless world! But I love you never the less!

:2gunfire: Boo hoo!

(PS I think we are still on topic!)

Busdepot · Samba Member Joined: March 24, 2004 Posts: 1358

SGKent · Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2013 2:14 pm Post subject:

geopanoramic · Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2013 5:47 pm Post subject:

Right-oh Ron!

Of course, I forgot that typically thread updates get sent to people's emails so they can link back to the thread.... I think I have that turned off, so as not to clutter my email account.

My exchange with you above reminded me however how different my perspective would be if I had an associated business....

I really appreciate these forums and people willing to share stoke and help. Anyway - back to heat exchangers!

Wildthings · Samba Member Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 52442

Wonder if it would be possible to use a Dansk heater shell on a OEM VW heater box? Often the shells die while there is still plenty of life in the pipes themselves.

The OP might be able to get by with 411/412 heater boxes in Florida. No where near the heat output as bus boxes, but they can often be found in pretty decent condition.


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