SSI heat exchanger warning Options

[SirAndy]

... do make me wonder about alternatives ...

Webasto gas heater. Used to have one in my '74 Super Beetle way back in Germany. That thing turned the beetle into a sauna in minutes with sub zero outside temps.
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[Mark Henry]

I don't at all disagree that heat exchangers are effective—I enjoyed a set of SSIs on my Type IV for 20 years, and if anything they made too much heat. So I can see where they're heavenly in colder climes.

However, those pics of SSIs (which were exceptional quality...) do make me wonder about alternatives. I don't need much in the way of heat in my 914. I usually turned the heat down on cold days, and can see where heated seats and defrost would beenough. And...A/C is more and more appealing to me. I understand electric A/C systems for Emory's 356s are pretty good these days. Makes me wonder about such a system for a 914—because where I live, and for how I use my 914, a lack of A/C is the #1 thing that keeps me from taking the car on certain drives.

I've been driving my 914 with plain headers for several years now, and the times I was bummed it didn't have heat can be counted on one hand, maybe two—but I'd still like to add heat at some point.

Gas heater on the floor of the frunk you need a 3" tube welded into the gas tank so you can run the duct into the cab. A bit of creative ductwork to each corner and you can tie into the stock dash. The heater exhaust will require a pipe front to back and yes half dozen holes are needed to do the deed.
The diesel heaters will outperform SSI's,

If you look at the one factory 914/8, this is how it's done. There was a thread with a couple of fuzzy pics of the US owned 914/8 a year or so ago.

You can get the whole china copy kit of the espar diesel bunk heater for a couple hundred bucks, but would have to mount a small fuel tank (included). There's two copies, one is smaller than the other but more money, smaller might be easier to install.
Boat guys on YT tested them and say they're perfectly safe if installed correctly, but they couldn't get them to run right on gasoline, only on diesel (kerosene, heating oil, etc.)

Edit...doh...I bet I've already posted this info. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tooth.gif)

[horizontally-opposed]

Gas heater, like HEs, is super effective and makes sense for a daily car—which is what 914s were once upon a time (and maybe still are for a very few?). Not sure I could bring myself to cut up my 914 to add a gas heater and its related components when HEs are readily available, lighter, simpler, and very effective. If I lived in a cold place, I'd definitely go with HEs over a gas heater.

My 914 doesn't get used daily anymore (last time was about 15 years ago, for a 12-month stretch), and thus doesn't need to be up to "real car" use standards. Honestly, all I probably "need" for heat is heated seats and defrost...and here in CA, the latter isn't a particularly tall ask. If a (very) little bit of heat could be redirected at my toes once the windshield is clear, well, that would be perfect.

[SirAndy]

Not sure I could bring myself to cut up my 914 to add a gas heater and its related components

Why do you have to "cut up" the car for a gas heater? The units are small enough to fit under the rear trunk and you can duct the hot air straight into the stock inlets at the longs.
All you need is to run a larger fuel supply line through the center tunnel to accommodate for the heater needs.

I'm sure Chis could make a larger diameter version of his SS fuel lines for that purpose.
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[horizontally-opposed]

Not sure I could bring myself to cut up my 914 to add a gas heater and its related components

Why do you have to "cut up" the car for a gas heater? The units are small enough to fit under the rear trunk and you can duct the hot air straight into the stock inlets at the longs.
All you need is to run a larger fuel supply line through the center tunnel to accommodate for the heater needs.

I'm sure Chis could make a larger diameter version of his SS fuel lines for that purpose.
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Hadn't thought about rear trunk…

(But I'd still probably do HEs before a gas heater.)

And still wondering about something like this. See a lot of mixed reviews, but one lead tied into the defrosters and one tied into the foot warmers might be enough to clear the glass and cut the chill—particularly in a 914 with heated seats.

https://alexnld.com/product/12v-24v-300w-ca...oster-demister/

Has anyone here tried something like this?

Edit: http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=244255

And the more you look at it, the more HEs look like the way to go even for minimal heat if weight and simplicity matter.

[brcacti]

I'm back to thinking about electric heaters for the air-cooled cars (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

Good luck with that! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bye1.gif)

Electric heaters for VW bugs, etc. have been around since the 60's, they never work worth a shit.
Too much of a draw on the alternator.

Hello, so does that mean the electric heaters will slowly ruin your alternators? or just not heat the car much?

[Superhawk996]

I'm back to thinking about electric heaters for the air-cooled cars (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

Good luck with that! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bye1.gif)

Electric heaters for VW bugs, etc. have been around since the 60's, they never work worth a shit.
Too much of a draw on the alternator.

Hello, so does that mean the electric heaters will slowly ruin your alternators? or just not heat the car much?

Simple math. At 100% efficiency 55A stock alternator x 14v = 770 Watts of power. That assumes 100% efficiency, no wiring loss, and no fan to push the hot air. And that assumes your not running anyting else like an ignition.

For relative comparison maximum UL wattatge on an electric home heater @110v will be 1500 watts.

Sure there is a lot less space to heat in a 914 but after you deduct fan load, ignition loads, lighting loads, wiring losses, and some current to keep the battery topped up, there isn't much left to do heating with. Really only a couple hundred watts.

Long ago I tried to build a resitive heater for my 1st 914 (removed HE's for weight savings!) when I had to drive it in winter because I was broke and could no longer afford a "winter beater". My 1st year of college living in Northern Michigan and 1st year having to drive it in the snow. It was a pathetic failure. The math just doesn't work. I ended up driving around with a propane fed infrared heater and leaving the window craked to avoid CO issues. Much more effective. Not so safe. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif) You never forget those days!

[euro911]

I'm back to thinking about electric heaters for the air-cooled cars (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

Good luck with that! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bye1.gif)

Electric heaters for VW bugs, etc. have been around since the 60's, they never work worth a shit.
Too much of a draw on the alternator.

Hello, so does that mean the electric heaters will slowly ruin your alternators? or just not heat the car much?

I have a 160 amp alternator kit that I purchased from Pete ( @pnewman ) for the 914: http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...=344493&hl=

... and I'll be upgrading the stock generator in the 912 to a high amperage alternator at some point.


A few points in my favor:

Both of those cars aren't considered daily drivers, so winter driving would be minimal at best.

Unlike some of you folks who reside in the mid-west and back east, I live in fairly mild climate regions, so heat would only be required during the coldest of dead-winter conditions, (which aren't really that bad). Again, winter driving of those vehicles would be minimal.

Even with the initial high current draw, thermostatic controls will more than likely keep the time element down to a minimum and reduce the load on the alternator(s). Once we're warmed up, the current draw would be minimized - to a degree (pun not intended).


I was curious to know what TESLAs utilize for heating the passenger compartments in those big, roomy sedans, so did a search. Apparently their early models were all electric, but newer models utilize a heat pump - so there's another idea to ponder ... https://www.currentautomotive.com/model-y-i...20car%20forward.

[Superhawk996]

I was curious to know what TESLAs utilize for heating the passenger compartments in those big, roomy sedans, so did a search. Apparently their early models were all electric, but newer models utilize a heat pump - so there's another idea to ponder ... https://www.currentautomotive.com/model-y-i...20car%20forward.

Not to be a kill joy but that Orange wire running to the heat pump means high voltage.

EV's open up a whole new set of possibilities, but, it is by virtue of having around a hundred kWhr of high voltage battery capacity. Battery voltage is usually about 350 volts.

[914ltd]

2021 repost
Brad

[TX914]

2021 repost
Brad

Thank-you Brad @914ltd!

[windforfun]

i believe the pipes are stainless too - a magnet should not stick - some though do have steel muffler flanges.

i assume high heat is hard on stainless ??

brad - how frequent would you say this is ??

would capping one end off and filling them with water be a good enough test ??

jim

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A magnet will stick if the metal has become magnetized over time or if it's ferromagnetic SS in the first place.