V8 and liquid cooled guys..., Want to install a heater??? Here's mine Options

[Mike Bellis]

It gets cold here in Northern California often in the moorning. So I decided to build a liquid heater. First, I spent some time measuring the inside of the fresh air box. I figured I could fit a core 11x6 maximum. my son and I spent several hours at the local Pick and Pull junk yard. I settled on a Transmission cooler from a late model Ford Truck. Cooler measures 10x6.



I quick placement and I realize I need to cut! The water dam for the fan must be cut down. Make sure not to cut all of it so that it will still keep some water off the motor.



The finish cut to the dam. Ready for the lid? Not yet.

[Bruce Hinds]

Even running the heat on high with the exchanger in the fresh air box while living in Colorado I never had a problem with the system holding up to the heat.

I used a simple "T" in each of the lines running under the car to the radiator the heater core, one in, one out. I also used a high flow thermostat. It has openings around the plunger that always allows some flow.

It is always easier for the car to draw water through both the radiator and the heat exchanger than it is to just draw through the radiator. Heat and defrost is always available through the dash controls.

[ruby914]

Even running the heat on high with the exchanger in the fresh air box while living in Colorado I never had a problem with the system holding up to the heat.
Heat and defrost is always available through the dash controls.

Bruce,
Just how hot and fast do you get heat?
Maybe compared to an air cooled 914.
I would think with one fan you have much less flow.
I am convinced there is no meltdown problem in your system.
What can't determine is how hot and fast this system would work with my WRX.
I was working on the front of my car the other day, with it running, and it seemed like 5 min before the fans turned on. Seems it takes a lot of time to heat coolant where I think the manifold would go over 300 deg very fast.

Brett,
This blower is like the ones in some westy vans. Thinking if it will heat a van...
I looked at a lot of mimi van heating systems. I saw one in maybe a Astro or Aerostar van that looked like the complete unit would fit under the passenger foot bolster. It also had a very small heat exchanger. Personally I don't want any more in the passenger compartment.

[Bruce Hinds]

"Ruby"
Just how hot and fast do you get heat? Maybe compared to an air cooled 914.
Part of the problem with the teener heat is that the blower in the engine bay has to run the warm air all they way from the back through the cold longs and by the time it gets to the distrubition boxes it's really not too warm. I'm not sure about your subie, but most water cooled engines take a hose off the manifold before the thermostat so it will have constant flow and not have to wait for the "stat" to open.

I would think with one fan you have much less flow.
With the heat exchanger right at in the airbox, you might have less flow, I don't remember how the heat controls boxes worked with head coming from the back, I have those capped, now the heat only travels a very short distance before coming out the defroster vents or under the dash.

I am convened there is no meltdown problem in your system.
What can't determine is how hot and fast this system would work with my WRX.
I was working on the front of my car the other day, with it running, and it seemed like 5 min before the fans turned on. Seems it takes a lot of time to heat coolant where I think the manifold would go over 300 deg very fast.
As I mentioned above,I'm not familiar with the WRX but on most of the water cooled engine heating systems water is available before it gets to the thermostat. The Chevy has a water cooled intake system and there is a place there that a water line will go to the heating system allowing water to flow regardless of whether the thermostat is open or not. This allows heat pretty quickly. I happen to have a thermostat the has by holes around the thermostat plunger that allows a constant flow which seems to help with the cooling with the long run hoses also. I hope all this helps.