Diesel Cabin Heater, ...anyone try? Options

[Mark Henry]

I purchased an old Eberspacher gas-fired heater to install in my conversion car. It could be done, but I eventually went with heat exchangers as I know they’ll bake you in a -6 if properly working. Now that they’re available through Porsche for the -6 (or some beautiful stainless ones through mb911), I don’t know if it’s worth the hassles of designing and installing a gas or diesel heater. Used SSIs are seen often enough for the -4s as well (though do need to be tested for cracks). There are photos of a system installed in the front trunk of a 914, but I’ve never heard of anyone that actually has seen one.

No matter what system you choose, be sure to keep a CO detector in the car as any leaks could kill you.

I had a friend that had a brother get killed in a motor home from a heater. Went to sleep and never woke up.
Family was never the same.

Bob B

Aircraft Spruce sells a little button CO2 sensor that you can stick right in the center of your tach.
They only last 18 months from opening the pack, but they're something like $7 each.
If you sleep in your car you want something with an alarm.

Leaking heater box can kill you just as fast as a gas heater. Likely won't kill you in a moving 914, the top leaks too much, but CO2 poisoning is a bitch.

[Wyvern]

I would go with something like this.

http://www.my12voltstore.com/12_Volt_Ducte...p/sd12-4000.htm

[mepstein]

I would go with something like this.

http://www.my12voltstore.com/12_Volt_Ducte...p/sd12-4000.htm

The problem is, a 480 watt electric heater won't heat up your car. At all.

[Mark Henry]

I would go with something like this.

http://www.my12voltstore.com/12_Volt_Ducte...p/sd12-4000.htm

The problem is, a 480 watt electric heater won't heat up your car. At all.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

Nothing new here, never heard of a single success story.

[timothy_nd28]

Aircraft Spruce sells a little button CO2 sensor that you can stick right in the center of your tach.
They only last 18 months from opening the pack, but they're something like $7 each.
If you sleep in your car you want something with an alarm.

Leaking heater box can kill you just as fast as a gas heater. Likely won't kill you in a moving 914, the top leaks too much, but CO2 poisoning is a bitch.

IUPAC nomenclature states that just a 1 multiplier is to be called mono, and 2 multiplier is di, a three multiplier is a tri, and so on... CO2 would be carbon dioxide, which is not all that deadly compared to its cousin CO (carbon monoxide).

[jd74914]

Aircraft Spruce sells a little button CO2 sensor that you can stick right in the center of your tach.
They only last 18 months from opening the pack, but they're something like $7 each.
If you sleep in your car you want something with an alarm.

Leaking heater box can kill you just as fast as a gas heater. Likely won't kill you in a moving 914, the top leaks too much, but CO2 poisoning is a bitch.

IUPAC nomenclature states that just a 1 multiplier is to be called mono, and 2 multiplier is di, a three multiplier is a tri, and so on... CO2 would be carbon dioxide, which is not all that deadly compared to its cousin CO (carbon monoxide).

CO2 is quite poisonous actually (I've worked on some large systems which inerted with CO2 instead of the more common nitrogen-quite scary). It's not considered as deadly because you need a much larger concentration to kill you, but burning produces much more CO2 than CO. I'd honestly be concerned about both, with CO2 a greater concern as efficiency of the burn and efficacy of the emissions system increases (ie: sucking on a modern car's tailpipe will likely kill you with CO2 before CO).

Edit:Don't get me wrong, in a cheap knockoff diesel burner CO is pretty scary though. Chances are it doesn't have any of the emissions refinements so CO may be orders of magnitutde higher than the German unit and risk of exposure is probably also higher due to lower quality heat exchanger materials.

[jd74914]

Looky looky....5K / 4 outlet

It would be interesting to take one of these apart...wonder if they have a burner eye like the Eberspacher units?

[JmuRiz]

Even think of just getting some seat heaters and wearing a hat/gloves when it's cold?

Would be the most simple solution in my eyes.

[mepstein]

Even think of just getting some seat heaters and wearing a hat/gloves when it's cold?

Would be the most simple solution in my eyes.

My first 914 was a dd while I was in high school and some of college. No heat. I’m never doing that again. The nice thing about our 4’s and 6’s is the heating system is already figured out and parts are available. Just bolt it on.

[JRust]

Heater Ross posted this on FB thread. Looks pretty simple just not sure on it's output. If you have no heat I would think this would be fine

[Dr Evil]

Heater Ross posted this on FB thread. Looks pretty simple just not sure on it's output. If you have no heat I would think this would be fine

See post #22 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Boomingbeetle]

I always liked the Stewart-Warner "southwind" units better than the Eber's, back in my type-1 days... I think I still have 2 of them boxed up in the garage if anyone is interested.