Heater boxes and high performance in the same sentence ?

[gitchesum]

Here is my dilemma...I'm building a 1955cc engine and what concerns me now is the exhaust. I see a lot of builds with heater boxes that seem pretty restrictive. Some guys are running 1 5/8 pipes hooked up to these little pipes from the heater boxes. I believe the 2 front cylinders at that point don't have the breathing capabilities that the rear 2 cylinders have.....am I missing something ? I would really like to have heat this Winter...I'll be driving my bug till it snows....and then some.
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Looking for SP Kadron manifolds...please !!



57 SC
61 rag w/356B brakes
61 356B
Honda XLR 250, 69 Z50, Yamaha 100 Enduro...and others.
GMC SLT 4x4 Dmax
Kubota L3710, not enuf attachments.
And various VW's that come and go...

[modok]

The heater boxes are an OK match for the stock heads (valve size), so as long as you keep the system matched up it should all work well enough.
Match the carbs and exhaust and heads so they all are in thier happy zone at the same time and YOu will be happy too, add a bit of CAM and it will still have enough top end power to get the job done, get into the next gear anyway

Could probably get 70 or80 HP out of a conservative setup, the extra CCs mainly serving bring the power down to lower rpms, which is kinda NICE you know, for some types of driving. Won't gain a lot of SPEED or top end BUT you'll never need to downshift.

[74 Thing]

What size are you exhaust valves? With 32 I would run the stock OEM vw boxes, with 35.5 I would go with 1 1/2" heater boxes and a header and with 37 I would run 1 5/8".

Once you move up to 1 1/2" and 1 5/8" heater boxes there are no fins inside just a j tube wrapped inside.

Most place carry the 1 1/2" boxes and A1 and CSP make the 1 5/8" as well as the 1 3/4" boxes (page down on these links):
http://vwparts.aircooled.net/SearchResults.asp?Search=heater
http://www2.cip1.com/SearchResults.asp?searching=Y...amp;page=2

[bluebus86]

at near $700 for the high flow heater box (which is not as efective as the finned factory box) you might as well consider a gasoline heater (see the want ads) One will be going into my 2180 powered car.

[dan97019]

I just put a 1 1/2 system with the non finned heater boxes on my bug over the summer, so far the temp has only got to the low 50's and they still blow plenty of hot air. We will have to see what happens when it gets really cold though.

[live4power]

The Bergs built a 2275cc engine for the engine builder challange with 172hp at 6500rpm. It had a 1-3/4 header with heater boxes. So to answer your question yes it seems you can still make some power with heater boxes.
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Current Project: 63' Rag top with 71 IRS pan, for street/strip

[Alstrup]

Before we go into all sorts of siscussions and recommendations I think its in order to ask:
Stock heater boxes ? or
Performance heater boxes ?

T

[RailBoy]

Heard you can get up to like 110HP with Stock Heater Boxes. It is all in the heads, carbs, cam, and header, but 1 3/8" heater boxes are just the same as 1 3/8" Header, so, guess what people say about getting up to 110HP with
1 3/8" exhaust also goes for stock heat..... RB

[live4power]

It's all a compromise, Lose a little heat to gain some HP, or lose a little HP to gain more heat. You must decide which you would prefer.
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Current Project: 63' Rag top with 71 IRS pan, for street/strip

[RailBoy]

Like Live said.... You can do an 1849 with the Stock 1 3/8" Heater Boxes at that projected 110HP, or the next level is mid sized 2 liters that need 1 1/2" exhaust, but, also HP gains are there were as you are topped out at the 110HP.... Oh, got this 110HP number from a builder/manufacturer, so, guess this number is right on pushing this amount of HP through stock heaters, but I bet it is in the top range.... RB

[vwracerdave]

I wouldn't put stock heater boxes on anything larger then a 1776 with 80 HP.
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2017 Street Comp Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble, OK
2010 Sportsman ET Champion - Mid-America Dragway - Arkansas City, KS
1997 Sportsman ET Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble ,OK

[craigman]

[mark tucker]

just get some 1 5/8 j tubes (or what ever your using) and cut appart the heater boxes,take the old out and put the new in, you can also, amke them work for heat oif you want to by adding some fins to the j tubes to pull heat out of the tube and transfer it to the air&the box so you can have heat.(but I just use the heat from my oil cooler when the snow gets too deep)

[bugnut68]

[live4power]

[gitchesum]

Not gonna spend $700 for HiPer heater boxes...no way. I'll suffer thru with my stock ones at this point...I'm not building a 7K screamer or race track engine...just a low rpm street car. I'll maybe put on a different exhaust in the Summer. I'll bet there are a few 2 litre engine out there with stock restrictive exhaust also.
I do like Mark Tuckers idea of fabbing some heater boxes from bigger J tubes....I have extra boxes...I'm gonna try that too.

And yes ...we do get snow and minus 20 degree weather...the bug stays in the shop at that point.

Thanks for all the feedback.
_________________
Looking for SP Kadron manifolds...please !!



57 SC
61 rag w/356B brakes
61 356B
Honda XLR 250, 69 Z50, Yamaha 100 Enduro...and others.
GMC SLT 4x4 Dmax
Kubota L3710, not enuf attachments.
And various VW's that come and go...

[vaughn bros.]

After I drew this, I realized the fins would LOOSE heat and they look ghey.

[andk5591]

OK - is this a street car or race car? Go to this link and scroll down to find the chart. I am soooooo sick of "bigger is better" when it comes to headers.... Unless you are worried about spending a lot of time above 5000 RPMS, then keep heat and stay with a 1 3/8" http://shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=138366
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D-Dubya Manx clone 1914. Ex wifes car.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Ex-wifes car.
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
There's more, but not keeping them...

[Max Welton]

Something that should help heat-exchanger performance is external insulation, something like the stock type-3s got.

Max
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1967 Type-3 Fastback
Under the Knife https://shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=151582
Home Stretch https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=767836

[gitchesum]