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Mark Lewalski
Samba Member
Joined: June 19, 2010
Posts: 406
Location: Safety Harbor, FL (Tampa Bay)
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 Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 3:00 pm Post subject: Defrost booster kit for a '74 Thing... Can it be done? |
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My friend put a kit like this in his bug and it worked wonders. Can this be put in a '74 Thing? Has anyone done it before?
If not, is there some other mod that can get the same effect for the heat/defrost?
Thanks, Mark
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'89 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg "Bluestar" (given to and owned by my son now)
'87 Vanagon Weekender
'74 Thing |
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norcalmike
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2005
Posts: 4784
Location: Marina, CA
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| Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 3:47 pm Post subject: |
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| i dont see why not |
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sixty9fasty
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2004
Posts: 1066
Location: crockett, ca
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| Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 5:10 pm Post subject: |
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My question is why would you need that in Floriduh?
It's currently ten degrees warmer there than here, and I'm about to go cruise around topless in a short sleeve shirt.... |
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Worknclassbug
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Joined: February 05, 2006
Posts: 266
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| Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 5:40 pm Post subject: |
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Maybe he's foggin up the windows in the rain???...
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73 Thing
71 Karmann Ghia (2.2L Subaru Conversion)
72 Deluxe Transporter
Huntington WV
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Ferretkona
Samba Member
Joined: December 03, 2005
Posts: 1306
Location: Columbia, CA
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| Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 7:19 pm Post subject: |
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Early mornings near the beach everything is covered in dew.
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74 181 Thing
2008 Ford Sport Trac V8 4x4
2008 Ford Escape V6 |
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NOVA Airhead
Samba Member
Joined: July 20, 2005
Posts: 5221
Location: Richmond, VA
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| Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 9:22 am Post subject: |
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I was thinking of trying one of those myself. The only potential problem is if you have any exhaust leaks they will be magnified with this blowing into the cabin.
However exhaust leaks should be addressed anyway.
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Yarkle
Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2009
Posts: 1218
Location: the Hills of Western Maine
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| Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 2:30 pm Post subject: |
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http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=212318&highlight=defrost+fan
I think the booster kits are just boat bilge fans , an you can get them alot cheaper at homedepot or any marine store..i think hooking it up to the assembly at the front of the tunnel (im at work and cant remember the right name for it) so it draws air though the systme and pushes it up to the dash will owrk, thats what im going to try..eventually. |
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NOVA Airhead
Samba Member
Joined: July 20, 2005
Posts: 5221
Location: Richmond, VA
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| Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 3:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Yarkle wrote: |
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=212318&highlight=defrost+fan
I think the booster kits are just boat bilge fans , an you can get them alot cheaper at homedepot or any marine store..i think hooking it up to the assembly at the front of the tunnel (im at work and cant remember the right name for it) so it draws air though the systme and pushes it up to the dash will owrk, thats what im going to try..eventually. |
I have a fan at the top outlet on my tunnel. I am pretty new to Things but assumed this came from the factory. Is this not the case?
It works great for blowing warm air onto the windshield.
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Semper_Dad
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2005
Posts: 3510
Location: Indiana
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| Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 3:25 pm Post subject: |
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| NOVA Airhead wrote: |
| Yarkle wrote: |
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=212318&highlight=defrost+fan
I think the booster kits are just boat bilge fans , an you can get them alot cheaper at homedepot or any marine store..i think hooking it up to the assembly at the front of the tunnel (im at work and cant remember the right name for it) so it draws air though the systme and pushes it up to the dash will owrk, thats what im going to try..eventually. |
I have a fan at the top outlet on my tunnel. I am pretty new to Things but assumed this came from the factory. Is this not the case?
It works great for blowing warm air onto the windshield.
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No, not factory, but creative.
That's more if the direction I'd like to go. I was worried about having eanough room to operate the pedals with my big feet. Would be real nice to find a in-line fan that would fit behind the dash.
Something like this:
Specification:
•Airflow: 87cfm (147m3/h
•Hose size: 2.5" (63.5mm)
•Length: 6.3/8" (161.5mm)
•Weight: 370grams
•12v 1.35amps
Kit Contents:
•1x Fan
•2x Aluminium Fabricated Ducts
•1x Side Mounting Bracket
•4x Stainless Steel Cap Head Bolts
•8x Stainless Steel Washers
•4x Stainless Steel Nyloc Nuts
Last edited by Semper_Dad on Fri Jan 21, 2011 3:34 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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uberautowerks
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2005
Posts: 1600
Location: Longmont Co
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| Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 3:28 pm Post subject: |
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Nova... Very much not stock. Very common to see two of these under the rear seat of a Beetle.
Be careful with the bilge fans they are NOT meant to move hot air. I have MELTED them. However, one placed in the defrost duct works wonders and it's far enough away from the heat to not melt.
Also, make sure you pick up the 12 volt version. I've seen them in 24 and 36.
Downside.... VERY VERY NOISY 
I've installed that kit in the OP's picture several times over the years (in Beetles and Ghias) and I've never been very happy with it. The fans just don't push enough air.
On the other hand.. The metal "Squirrel cage" style fans, like Nova has, work great, under the rear seat, one per side. But the right unit might not fit next to the battery. Perhaps under the car?
Last thing... fans don't "Suck" nearly as well as they push. Or so my Brother-in-law the heating/AC guy informed me. So you want them close to or even before the heat source.
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--- The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair.
- Douglas Adams -
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'74 Thing (White)
'71 Single cab (White too)
'70 Weekender (White three)
'05 Evolution VIII (White also!!!)
'68 F-250 (White over black) |
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junioroppenbaum
Samba Member
Joined: May 27, 2010
Posts: 13
Location: canada
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| Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 8:17 am Post subject: just a thought.... |
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I don't have one on hand or I would look but...
could a cooling fan from a desktop computer be used to move the air? |
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Semper_Dad
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2005
Posts: 3510
Location: Indiana
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| Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 9:21 am Post subject: Re: just a thought.... |
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| junioroppenbaum wrote: |
I don't have one on hand or I would look but...
could a cooling fan from a desktop computer be used to move the air? |
Don't think it would take the heat. |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50352
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| Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 5:10 am Post subject: Re: just a thought.... |
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| junioroppenbaum wrote: |
I don't have one on hand or I would look but...
could a cooling fan from a desktop computer be used to move the air? |
Check the amp draw against a centrifugal fan or even an inline blower. Almost not worth looking up.
Semper_Dad
Have you actually seen and/or used one of these units? Can the guts handle typical ACVW heater temperatures? Still pretty low amp draw. 
http://www.t7design.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=87&products_id=235 |
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Semper_Dad
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Joined: May 14, 2005
Posts: 3510
Location: Indiana
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| Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 10:19 am Post subject: Re: just a thought.... |
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No, I haven't seen one yet. But I came across this one when I was specifically looking for something compact that would move hot air. The site is specifically for heating components. The aluminum housing what caught my eye first. 87cfm is not too bad. Typical 3" bilge blower blowes at 135 CFM |
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Wildthings
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Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50352
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| Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 10:40 am Post subject: Re: just a thought.... |
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| Semper_Dad wrote: |
No, I haven't seen one yet. But I came across this one when I was specifically looking for something compact that would move hot air. The site is specifically for heating components. The aluminum housing what caught my eye first. 87cfm is not too bad. Typical 3" bilge blower blowes at 135 CFM |
I sent them off an email asking what kind of temperatures their blower can handle and if the guts were plastic or metal. |
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NOVA Airhead
Samba Member
Joined: July 20, 2005
Posts: 5221
Location: Richmond, VA
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| Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 1:42 pm Post subject: |
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Here is a thread from the Super Forum on this subject. The Mechotronix system looked pretty good but they appear to be out of business.
The consensus appear to be that you need a fan that is made of metal to handle the heat.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=218662&highlight=mechotronix
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50352
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| Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 1:54 pm Post subject: Re: just a thought.... |
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Got this email back from T7Design:
"I am unsure exactly what temps the fan will handle, I think anything over
50c (122°F) and you are asking for trouble.
The fan housing and impeller are plastic. The fan is rated at 100,000 hrs
MTBF, this works out at just over 11 years running 24/7. If we reduced the
MTBF by a factor of 10 at 50c (just a guess) thats still just over 1 year
running 24/7. Considering the amount of use a vehicle gets I think that you
wouldn't have to worry about the fan."
Still might be worth a try especially if its mounted far forward and some set up is added so some cool air gets sucked into the duct work just before the fan. |
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Mark Lewalski
Samba Member
Joined: June 19, 2010
Posts: 406
Location: Safety Harbor, FL (Tampa Bay)
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| Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 2:06 pm Post subject: |
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So thanks for all the input to my question.
Although it doesn't get as cold down here as up north, some mornings it is in the low 30's and still humid. The windshield can get iced up from that. Mainly though, I suspect that it would help to defog the windshield during the rainy months.
I wasn't sure (and still not really) about the underseat tunnel in a bug vs. a Thing. I probably need to go to a show or my local VDub shop and look for myself.
The unit that my buddy put in his bug was indeed pretty noisy with kind of a whine to it. We were in Germany and we didn't care much since we could finally get warm.
Mark
_________________
'89 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg "Bluestar" (given to and owned by my son now)
'87 Vanagon Weekender
'74 Thing |
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Semper_Dad
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2005
Posts: 3510
Location: Indiana
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| Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 2:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Mark Lewalski wrote: |
So thanks for all the input to my question.
Although it doesn't get as cold down here as up north, some mornings it is in the low 30's and still humid. The windshield can get iced up from that. Mainly though, I suspect that it would help to defog the windshield during the rainy months.
I wasn't sure (and still not really) about the underseat tunnel in a bug vs. a Thing. I probably need to go to a show or my local VDub shop and look for myself.
The unit that my buddy put in his bug was indeed pretty noisy with kind of a whine to it. We were in Germany and we didn't care much since we could finally get warm.
Mark |
Unlike a bug, A Thing does not have heater channels out on the edge of the body.
Before 1974 most Things came with a independent gas heater mounted in the front trunk. Most commonly the Eberspacher BN4.
After 1974 the Thing adopted the Bug's heat exchangers (boxes) and were ducted to the rear seating area. From the rear ducts the warm air was sent forward via 2 paper/foil ducts on each side of the tunnel into a central plenum mounted just forward of the shifter. Manual operated cables would allow the user to direct air up to the defrost ducts or dump into the cabin.
There should be plenty of threads and pictures in the gallery detailing each one of the systems above. |
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