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blargon_7 
Samba Member
Joined: April 29, 2022
Posts: 61
Location: Central California
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 Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2025 10:16 pm Post subject: Some exhaust eye candy |
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I just received my Vintage Speed classic super flow exhaust from Vintagespeed's website and my heavy-duty heater boxes from So Cal Imports.
I was pretty confused with the subtle differences in the Vintage Speed products and ultimately found that the classic series has bubble ends on the muffler, as opposed to flat ends with the o2 sensor bung. I went with the classic series with the 50mm tail pipe. Kinda taking a gamble as I have never heard one in person and went off of youtube videos.
I went with the light grey heater boxes so I will be able to spot oil leaks easier, and plus I think they look cool.
These are going in my single cab with dual carbs, so I did not order heat risers.
The single cab just had J tubes and a rusted out Empi exhaust, so this is going to be a nice upgrade, just need to get around to installing it and getting the heater all hooked up will definitely be nice to have that working for next winter.
The install is dependent on me pulling the engine to address multiple things and cleaning the whole thing up basically. Which will happen very soon.
Overall, I am pretty impressed with the quality of both products so far.
I'll post pics once its all installed! |
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Malokin Martin
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Joined: August 19, 2007
Posts: 3279
Location: E-burg
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| Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2025 3:02 am Post subject: Re: Some exhaust eye candy |
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| I checked out the “socal imports” website for the heater boxes. The description didn’t really explain how these were better. Having them in your hand, how do they compare to stock boxes? |
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Glenn
Mr. 010
Joined: December 25, 2001
Posts: 79494
Location: Sneaking up behind you
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| Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2025 4:51 am Post subject: Re: Some exhaust eye candy |
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You will have to trim" the bumper so the tailpipe clears.
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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"
Member #1009
#BlueSquare
עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי |
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blargon_7
Samba Member
Joined: April 29, 2022
Posts: 61
Location: Central California
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| Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2025 5:51 am Post subject: Re: Some exhaust eye candy |
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| Malokin Martin wrote: |
| I checked out the “socal imports” website for the heater boxes. The description didn’t really explain how these were better. Having them in your hand, how do they compare to stock boxes? |
The other stock ones i have off of my bay window are original and beat to hell so first glance these are feeling better. Nothing rattles yet and they feel more stout and a bit heavier I think. But I think it has to do with the interior heat transfer fins, I read on some other website selling these that the design is better for heat transfer or something. Might just be BS, not sure. I like how thorough they were with the paint though because everything is covered.
I paid 350, not the 600 currently listed on there. That would be insane. |
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blargon_7
Samba Member
Joined: April 29, 2022
Posts: 61
Location: Central California
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| Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2025 5:52 am Post subject: Re: Some exhaust eye candy |
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| Glenn wrote: |
You will have to trim" the bumper so the tailpipe clears.
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Yep...
Is the notch you trimmed out noticeable from standing behind the bus? Or is it just on the bottom of the bumper? |
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Glenn
Mr. 010
Joined: December 25, 2001
Posts: 79494
Location: Sneaking up behind you
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| Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2025 6:10 am Post subject: Re: Some exhaust eye candy |
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Just the bottom and not noticeable.
_________________
Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"
Member #1009
#BlueSquare
עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי |
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blargon_7
Samba Member
Joined: April 29, 2022
Posts: 61
Location: Central California
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| Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2025 7:06 am Post subject: Re: Some exhaust eye candy |
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| Glenn wrote: |
| Just the bottom and not noticeable. |
Thanks glenn |
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Eric&Barb
Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2004
Posts: 25924
Location: Olympia Wash Rinse & Repeat
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blargon_7
Samba Member
Joined: April 29, 2022
Posts: 61
Location: Central California
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| Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2025 7:40 pm Post subject: Re: Some exhaust eye candy |
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hmm thank you. I'll admit that I didn't spend alot of time researching heater boxes. I am going to run them so hopefully it all works out okay.
I'm not in a super cold climate so Im sure they will be enough to knock the chill off. |
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Eric&Barb
Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2004
Posts: 25924
Location: Olympia Wash Rinse & Repeat
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| Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2025 9:08 pm Post subject: Re: Some exhaust eye candy |
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| blargon_7 wrote: |
hmm thank you. I'll admit that I didn't spend alot of time researching heater boxes. I am going to run them so hopefully it all works out okay.
I'm not in a super cold climate so Im sure they will be enough to knock the chill off. |
Understood, but you will have a hotter running engine during the hot weather, that is not good for engine longevity.
On the other hand it does get cold the farther out east you go, and not that much distance.
Talked to Steve of Wolfgang Int. years ago and he had big cooling problems with the early fresh air heater boxes with big engines. Only fixed by going to the later 1500/1600 fresh air heater boxes.
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blargon_7
Samba Member
Joined: April 29, 2022
Posts: 61
Location: Central California
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| Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2025 9:23 pm Post subject: Re: Some exhaust eye candy |
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| Eric&Barb wrote: |
| blargon_7 wrote: |
hmm thank you. I'll admit that I didn't spend alot of time researching heater boxes. I am going to run them so hopefully it all works out okay.
I'm not in a super cold climate so Im sure they will be enough to knock the chill off. |
Understood, but you will have a hotter running engine during the hot weather, that is not good for engine longevity.
On the other hand it does get cold the farther out east you go, and not that much distance.
Talked to Steve of Wolfgang Int. years ago and he had big cooling problems with the early fresh air heater boxes with big engines. Only fixed by going to the later 1500/1600 fresh air heater boxes. |
Can you explain the science behind the lack of heat conductivity of these boxes and it's relation to the engine running hot?
Would J tubes then cause an engine to run hot?
I didn't think (or assume) the heater boxes are aiding in dissipating heat from the engine under normal circumstances.
I'm not disputing what you have said and I appreciate the input but I am just curious to hear more info.
Or maybe I just totally misunderstood.
In the summer I use those caps to block off the heat ducts on the fan shroud to not even blow air on the boxes. |
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pondoras box
Samba Member
Joined: March 22, 2004
Posts: 1595
Location: Eerie PA
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| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2025 5:16 am Post subject: Re: Some exhaust eye candy |
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From what I understand is that if you have heater boxes you absolutely need the airflow from the fan shroud to get rid of the heat exchanger heat. If not the heat just radiates up and cooks the oil in the pushrod tubes and the piston and cylinders. What you’re doing is actually making it worse.
The fan shroud blows air across the fins inside and removes the heat and blows it out the exit duct and safely away from the engine effectively cooling the engine. You mess with any of that IE larger heat exchanger fins or not allowing cooling air to flow through will cause higher temps.
_________________
Looking for anything from Hal Casey Motors out of Hamburg New York, from license plate surrounds to matchbooks.
1961 23 Window (Bobo)
1965 11 Window (Zelda). https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=563183
1965 13 Window (Lucas)
1957 Oval ragtop
1960 hardtop
1964 hardtop
1965 hardtop
1973 standard bug
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=804912
1988 Cabriolet VR6 conversion
Plus a lot of other rusty junk |
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blargon_7
Samba Member
Joined: April 29, 2022
Posts: 61
Location: Central California
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| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2025 6:52 am Post subject: Re: Some exhaust eye candy |
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| pondoras box wrote: |
From what I understand is that if you have heater boxes you absolutely need the airflow from the fan shroud to get rid of the heat exchanger heat. If not the heat just radiates up and cooks the oil in the pushrod tubes and the piston and cylinders. What you’re doing is actually making it worse.
The fan shroud blows air across the fins inside and removes the heat and blows it out the exit duct and safely away from the engine effectively cooling the engine. You mess with any of that IE larger heat exchanger fins or not allowing cooling air to flow through will cause higher temps. |
Perfect, that was the explanation I was looking for.
Thank you! |
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pondoras box
Samba Member
Joined: March 22, 2004
Posts: 1595
Location: Eerie PA
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| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2025 7:20 am Post subject: Re: Some exhaust eye candy |
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If you’re not worried about a bit of power loss you could go with a larger pulley or higher flow fan. But don’t over rev the fan or it can blow apart.
_________________
Looking for anything from Hal Casey Motors out of Hamburg New York, from license plate surrounds to matchbooks.
1961 23 Window (Bobo)
1965 11 Window (Zelda). https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=563183
1965 13 Window (Lucas)
1957 Oval ragtop
1960 hardtop
1964 hardtop
1965 hardtop
1973 standard bug
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=804912
1988 Cabriolet VR6 conversion
Plus a lot of other rusty junk |
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Glenn
Mr. 010
Joined: December 25, 2001
Posts: 79494
Location: Sneaking up behind you
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| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2025 7:39 am Post subject: Re: Some exhaust eye candy |
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Here's the deal:
If you have heater boxes then connect the fresh air hoses, even if the heater boxes no connected to the body.
If you have J-tubes, then you need Industrial Tins (Type 126) to close off the gap between the sleds and heads to keep the exhaust heat out.
That's how the factory designed the systems to work.
_________________
Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"
Member #1009
#BlueSquare
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Eric&Barb
Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2004
Posts: 25924
Location: Olympia Wash Rinse & Repeat
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| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2025 9:02 am Post subject: Re: Some exhaust eye candy |
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Also by having the heater box inner pipes cooling properly in hot weather the exhaust gets cooled/shrunk so as to not have it back pressure against the cylinders and heads. Thusly everything runs cooler. Also why with the heater boxes shut off to the interior of the VW the stock air valve in the front of each box switches to venting to the outside of the heater box. Go thru the link in that post for more heater box info and study up.
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BarryL
Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2004
Posts: 15224
Location: Casa de Oro, California
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| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2025 6:26 pm Post subject: Re: Some exhaust eye candy |
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| blargon_7 wrote: |
| Eric&Barb wrote: |
| Those heater boxes are not a good option |
hmm thank you. |
Has anyone opened up one of these aftermarket heater boxes lately to see if the heat exchangers have gotten improved? |
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Glenn
Mr. 010
Joined: December 25, 2001
Posts: 79494
Location: Sneaking up behind you
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| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2025 6:31 pm Post subject: Re: Some exhaust eye candy |
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You can tell a lot by the weight.
_________________
Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"
Member #1009
#BlueSquare
עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי |
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Eric&Barb
Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2004
Posts: 25924
Location: Olympia Wash Rinse & Repeat
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| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2025 7:20 pm Post subject: Re: Some exhaust eye candy |
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| BarryL wrote: |
| blargon_7 wrote: |
| Eric&Barb wrote: |
| Those heater boxes are not a good option |
hmm thank you. |
Has anyone opened up one of these aftermarket heater boxes lately to see if the heat exchangers have gotten improved? |
One needs to only look up the rear of the exhaust tube with a flashlight in a dark room. Peering past that first small curve will show the inside fining.
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blargon_7
Samba Member
Joined: April 29, 2022
Posts: 61
Location: Central California
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| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2025 7:52 pm Post subject: Re: Some exhaust eye candy |
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| Eric&Barb wrote: |
| BarryL wrote: |
| blargon_7 wrote: |
| Eric&Barb wrote: |
| Those heater boxes are not a good option |
hmm thank you. |
Has anyone opened up one of these aftermarket heater boxes lately to see if the heat exchangers have gotten improved? |
One needs to only look up the rear of the exhaust tube with a flashlight in a dark room. Peering past that first small curve will show the inside fining. |
Here is the inside. Unfortunately it doesn't look very heavy duty as stated on their site.
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