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ccowx Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2015 Posts: 654 Location: Whitehorse Yukon
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Posted: Thu May 18, 2017 12:24 am Post subject: How important is the air cleaner heat riser? |
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I am putting some thought into my coming 1970 Westfalia engine, optimizing a mild combination for best results. I have been looking at issues of headers and manifold heat going to a center carb. I have decided on some mods to make sure that system works at full capacity with my headers.
There was also a larger heat duct of the paper/wire coil type from the aircleaner snorkel to a heater box on the stock muffler originally. It obviously fed warm are to the stock oil bath air cleaner. With the headers I now have that intake simply sucking warm-ish air from around the pipes, but no heater box of any description.
Would it be worth my time to fabricate a heater box around the headers to make that warm air duct to the air cleaner fully functional? I live in the Yukon, so it is possible that it may be driven in -35 C. temperatures on occasion. Does this duct contribute significantly to either warm up or fuel vaporization?
Thanks!
Chris |
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Wildthings Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50264
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Posted: Thu May 18, 2017 4:51 am Post subject: Re: How important is the air cleaner heat riser? |
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When I bought my first VW Thing, it was low mileage and completely stock. About the only things I could find wrong with it were that the gas gauge didn't work and that the clamp for the warm air hose to the air cleaner was loose and the hose had a tendency to fall off. For the first month or so of ownership I just filled the tank every 200 miles and didn't think much about fixing either of these problems because it was an extremely cold winter at least by local standards. However at one point I ran out of gas at only 180 miles and then spent a few minutes checking the engine over. The only thing I could find wrong was that the warm air hose had slipped off. Drove for another several weeks and ran out of gas again so once more inspected the engine only to find the hose off again. This time I was smart enough to tighten down on the clamp.
The gist of the story is that I was getting 24 mpg with the warm air connected and only 18 mpg with it disconnected. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12818 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Thu May 18, 2017 5:47 am Post subject: Re: How important is the air cleaner heat riser? |
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The pre-heat intake tube draws warm air from around the cylinders, not the exhaust, so the type of exhaust shouldn't affect the function of it. _________________ Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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Jody '71 Samba Member
Joined: July 16, 2005 Posts: 2842 Location: Manassas VA
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Posted: Thu May 18, 2017 7:16 am Post subject: Re: How important is the air cleaner heat riser? |
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You need the warm air pipe that attaches to the rear tin breast plate. It is also known as the "pre-heat warm air pipe." That can be found in "gallery" up above. _________________ '66 Beetle
2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring |
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airschooled Air-Schooled
Joined: April 04, 2012 Posts: 12688 Location: on a bike ride somewhere
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Posted: Thu May 18, 2017 8:53 am Post subject: Re: How important is the air cleaner heat riser? |
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A classified search for "stove pipe" will also show you the good duct piece. VW insulated them from the factory, but most are worn off by now. They work in cahoots with the rear cylinder tins that force heat down and out.
I appreciate the smooth drivability and efficiency so much that, three Decembers ago when errant gorilla ripped mine, I repaired it with what I had in the back seat.
_________________ Learn how your vintage VW works. And why it doesn't!
One-on-one tech help for your Volkswagen:
www.airschooled.com |
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ccowx Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2015 Posts: 654 Location: Whitehorse Yukon
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Posted: Thu May 18, 2017 11:34 pm Post subject: Re: How important is the air cleaner heat riser? |
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Thanks guys, I will check on this system and make sure it does work. As mentioned, I may find myself occasionally having to drive in -35 or so. At that temperature, things are a bit different. I drove 1800 miles up here in my old 70 at -35 and it got 12 mpg. In summer time it would have got 20+, but with marginal manifold heat and an 009 dissy under those contions, no wonder!
Thanks!
Chris
PS: Yes, it was damn cold driving all day in that temperature! |
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