Club 80-90 Forums

looking for help and ideas here for a homemade heating system (trying to avoid spending loads on expensive heat exchangers).my plan is to weld up my own exhaust on my 2ltr CU Aircooled type 4 engine out of steel pipe (4into1 type).im then thinking of coiling some copper pipe around one or two of the exhaust pipes which will be encased/insulated(same position as old exchangers) im then going to blow air through the coil which should the heat up then through a pipe up front to the stock vents etc..im playing with the idea of taking the air from the standard blower on the engine or put an electric one in which can be adjusted (fan speed) if i use the stock blower i will have to think of a way of blocking/re directing the air when the heating is not required. any extra ideas or help/advise,has anyone else done there own system because stock is so expensive.

kinnel mate, just wait till dubfreeze. get some exchangers !!! lets face it, they are designed to "warm yer van up" after all. or to save all the f*****g about, get a watercooler !!

what he said and they will work

jed

If you're thinking of going to all that effort why not fabricate some new skins for the alloy heat exchanger elements

Aircooled vw drivers have had to face up to expensive replacement heat exchangers for 40 years, and no-one has yet come up with a better solution than buying new heat exchangers

*or fitting a watercooled engine / eber heater / buying an old watercooled audi for winter

Leroy99
Sounds like a lot of fuss - if you're so interested in a bit of welding therapy I've got a pair of exchangers spare - just need a touch of TLC to work well but the shrouds are good - yours for £50

I did think of doing something similar, but with microbore radiator pipe, wrapped around the manifold, and filled with water, and using a heater off something like a mini, so that I had a water filled heating system. Would need to set up a header tank arrangment and an electric water pump. But I'm trying to get the Eber to work, and sort the standard heating out first-one of the flaps off the heat exchanger is missing and the cables are a bit knackered. But I do have a shedload of microbore pipe if all else fails. And thermals.

he he put a big coat on and dont go far lol [2lac ]