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stuffing 28k btu heater under dash

15K views 51 replies 7 participants last post by  Fairmont79 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Well i have been kicking this idea around for a while and decided to pull the trigger. (disclaimer... if anyone trys to do this im not responsible for anything! do so at your own risk.) i went and bought a heater from summit. it was their 28,000 BTU model. i absolutely did not want to lose any storage under my hood and also did not want to have a heater sitting on the floor so i focused on putting it under the dash. i gotta say there is alot of room under there but at the same time there is none.
i made a card board box the same size as this heater before buying it and got it to fit but once i stuffed the actual unit in there it did not fit.


i decided to cut the center brace that supports the dash and deal with the repercussions. this thing was my biggest obstacle under there. I took a box cutter and heated it up with a propane torch to get it red hot. it cut through it like butter.






once this part was removed there was a hole in the firewall. it was a windy day and i could feel a breeze through this hole. i decided to fill it in with great stuff foam. (sorry, no pic of the foam.)



with that brace out of the way i had lots of room. i got it up as far as i could before it was about to make contact with the tray that is in the dash and i had plenty of room left and right. i doubt i could fit the 40,000 unit in there. It was impossible to get a drill under there to pre drill the holes for the unit to get mounted so i went back to my propane torch. i took an old allen wrench and clamped it into my vise grips, heated it up red hot and pushed it into the firewall. this trick worked great!







once i had everything buttoned up, the dash was very stable even without that brace. i didnt attach any vent hoses at this point, i wanted to test it down the road. after a weekend of riding i now believe i dont have to worry about bracing the center of the dash at all. next weekend i will be installing the vents and heater hoses. i know that this unit is higher than the radiator so i will be installing the pump setup like arctic cats kit has.

last pic... the switch location.
 
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#2 ·
I wish I would have bought the smaller one, mine is under the hood and there's times I wish I had the storage back. Being inside the cab you'll be recirculating the warmer air through the core which should help, mine is always pulling outside cold air.
 

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#4 ·
i was coming across this quite a bit when i was researching. i could see where it wouldnt heat as well sucking in fresh cold air. that is one big heater you got though. id think it would still heat really good.

Pretty nifty install! You can always make a bracket to support the dash!
thanks. im sure i will be revisiting this project to get that done. i have already thought of an aluminum angle bar that goes around the heater. i cant even tell the support is gone at this point so its going to wait
 
#3 ·
Pretty nifty install! You can always make a bracket to support the dash!
 
#6 ·
i noticed your 3/8 to 5/8 connection by the heater. i have been all over this place looking for one and nobody has it. have you ever had issues with that connection?
 
#7 ·
I need to update my stored pics, that's an old one. I had a problem finding a fitting also, in that pic I put a barbed fitting inside the 3/8 hose then slid it inside the 5/8 and clamped them together. I never had a problem with it but I have changed it, I found some brass fittings at a hardware store I could put together to make the reduced fitting. I also added a radiator flush fitting like the Arctic Cat kits to make it easier to fill.
 

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#11 ·
ive been working on this thing here and there during the week but my phone smashed so im waiting on my replacement so no pics at this point. the new phone is at the post office now. ive been hesitant on cutting into the main lines until i found that 3/8 to 5/8 connector so i have started a second project on it. dome lights. got switches for the doors so they activate it. i will post that one later too in a separate post. at this point i have the 5/8 line hooked to the core and through the firewall, fan wired in, vents cut in and vent hose attatched. i gotta say this little thing blows air hard! my wife sat in it and her hair was blowing around when i hit it on high. :p its not that loud either.



i think i will be doing the barb inside the hose until i find a good connector. i know they are at the hardware. i got the flush kit, i knew i would need that. its cheap too. $2.10 at napa.

I found all kinds of unique type fittings at a Heating and cooling supplier! A lot of hot water heat systems use them. Also you could try Vintage Air, they make HVAC systems for the hot rod crowd!
i may have to look that one up!

that looks fantastic tucked up in there. very sharp install.
thanks. there is an issue with the HDX and routing the vent hoses. i will be posting that one later this weekend.

Should work great where you have it located. I used the same model pump Arctic Cat has in their kit but it quit working last year so I replaced it with a cheaper one from Amazon. Here's the links:

I bought mine from eBay for around $40
Heater Craft - Pump 12v 1 Gallon Per Minute Shrflo for Arctic Cat

Here's what I'm using now:

https://www.amazon.com/Amarine-made-Water-Pressure-Diaphragm-Pump/dp/B00WYMC492/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474653483&sr=8-1&keywords=Amarine-made+12v+Water+Pressure+Diaphragm+Pump+4.3+L%2Fmin+1.1+GPM+35+PSI+-+Caravan%2Frv%2Fboat%2Fmarine
DANG! i will be remembering that pump! i got mine off ebay for about 35 bucks shipped. thought that was a great deal :eek:
 
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#8 ·
I found all kinds of unique type fittings at a Heating and cooling supplier! A lot of hot water heat systems use them. Also you could try Vintage Air, they make HVAC systems for the hot rod crowd!
 
#9 ·
that looks fantastic tucked up in there. very sharp install.
 
#10 ·
Should work great where you have it located. I used the same model pump Arctic Cat has in their kit but it quit working last year so I replaced it with a cheaper one from Amazon. Here's the links:

I bought mine from eBay for around $40
Heater Craft - Pump 12v 1 Gallon Per Minute Shrflo for Arctic Cat

Here's what I'm using now:

https://www.amazon.com/Amarine-made-Water-Pressure-Diaphragm-Pump/dp/B00WYMC492/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474653483&sr=8-1&keywords=Amarine-made+12v+Water+Pressure+Diaphragm+Pump+4.3+L%2Fmin+1.1+GPM+35+PSI+-+Caravan%2Frv%2Fboat%2Fmarine
 
#12 · (Edited by Moderator)
well this has been an interesting weekend. i went to cut the main lines for the radiator hoping to get this done fast so i wouldnt lose much antifreeze but ran into an issue. everything i read said this machine had 3/4 lines. wrong, their 1 inch. i had to run 35 miles to the closest town with an auto parts store and still found they didnt have what i needed. i ended up talking with a hardware store guy and he gave me some tee's that he claimed were rated up to 380 degrees. if it gets that hot i have bigger issues than a tee melting. and yes... i lost all my antifreeze during the run to get parts.
next issue was the pump. i got it in earlier this week and checked it out. all seemed good. i went to plum it in and the inlet nipple fell off. it didnt snap, it fell off. i noticed some glue residue on the inside of the nipple so the guy must have glued it and sold it on ebay. yep, im a sucker. he has not responded to my inquiry as of yet. so with that its back to the hardware store in my town to get a 3/8 barbed connector to splice the hose together till my new pump comes in.
also the old saying... when in rome... i decided to install an inline heater for the engine since i was going to have to fill up the radiator anyway. the guy that put the heater clamps on my wheeler at the factory i would like to buy a beer for then spit in it before giving it to him. all the hose clamps were set to have the belly pan removed to access easily. it took forever and i lost alot of skin.
i had a ride to go to saturday afternoon so i was in a hurry. i got the antifreeze back up and brought it with to top off along the trail glad i did. it took alot. i was really surprised during the ride though. i was getting very low heat coming through the vents. there isnt any restrictions and no pump but it was flowing into the heater core through a 3/8 hose. if i had to go up a hill it would really kick out the heat. we didnt really need the heat but it was nice around 11pm. then the real kick to the groin came. i must have caught a stick and it ripped my cv boot. it was causing the rig to really labor going down a sloppy gravel road. when i got to town i thought it was on fire. the rain and gravel mud got into the joint and wrecked it. it also took out the wheel bearing. soooooo it got trailered home and is a lawn ornament till the parts come in.
so for the little i got to use the heater it was really good. nice low heat, fan isnt noisy at all, and the CFM is really great! my wife actually had to close her vent.
well here are some more pics

5/8 to 3/8 brass reducer


the cheesy tee's... i think i will be looking for the good ones to replace this.



my broken brand new pump


my temporary splice until the next new pump comes in


my engine heater install


the vent locations and heater hose locations






I decided against defroster vents. i have the LXC cab with the latch right in the middle on the dash. i have a little fan that blows on the windshield and that should take care of all of it. heat rises so that will help circulate the air more (i believe).
 
#13 ·
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#14 ·
Great install! Just like most projects you plan, and plan, and it still bites ya in the ass!LOL
 
#15 ·
thanks guys. i bought the pump mlh1962 linked to. it states that it is 35 psi with a pressure switch shut off. this got me to thinking, what would happen if i hooked up an inline heater valve (dead head i believe they call it - not a bypass) and used a cable to meter the flow. in theory it should shut off and kick back in when the psi drops. im not sure what the kick in psi is but from what i experienced this weekend it shouldnt need much for cool nights. it may just constantly turn on and off too which would just burn it out. but then again i may be over thinking this. the hamster in my head is always spinning the wheel ;)
this setup would have to be before the heater core. they cant take much psi.
i may be way off on this but what do you guys think?

the pump i bought
https://www.amazon.com/Amarine-made-Water-Pressure-Diaphragm-Pump/dp/B00WYMC492/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474653483&sr=8-1&keywords=Amarine-made+12v+Water+Pressure+Diaphragm+Pump+4.3+L%2Fmin+1.1+GPM+35+PSI+-+Caravan%2Frv%2Fboat%2Fmarine


the valve im thinking of buying
https://www.amazon.com/Four-Seasons-74627-Heater-Valve/dp/B000C2UVVO/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1474905451&sr=8-5&keywords=heater+valve


the valve control i will be installing
https://www.amazon.com/Stens-295-406-Throttle-Control-Replaces/dp/B001OK4J0M/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1474905738&sr=8-4&keywords=throttle+control
 
#16 · (Edited)
I put a switch on mine so I can just shut the pump off when I don't want it running, you'll still get some flow to the heater. Putting the shut off valve on the output side and gating it down could work, if I remember right the SHRFLO pump Arctic Cat used had a lot lower shut off pressure. I always worried about building up system pressure because of the radiator pop off pressure.

If it works I could do away with the switch.
 
#17 ·
well i ordered the heater valve. i needed one anyway. the pump will be in today so i will start testing it outside of the prowler to see what pressure on/off is set to. researching these rv pumps has turned up some scary stuff along with some interesting stuff. i found most are rated to 136°F(60°) Max operating temps. i guess we will see about that. also i have found that the psi is adjustable under that cover. most have a visible screw while others are protected. i will have to see if this one is adjustable.
the second part was i found that these motors speeds are able to be regulated. this gives another option rather than pressure. at 12 volts it pumps 1.1 gallons per minute but it can run down to 3 or 4 volts. this would cut the flow down as well. that in theory would allow the heat to be regulated with a 12 volt variable speed controller switch. these switches can be picked up pretty cheap.
 
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#18 ·
Lot of thinking on this one! Be interesting to see the end results! Thanks for sharing.
 
#19 · (Edited by Moderator)
well that was a fun 7 hour repair. dang axles. nothing went back together right. oh well, i got to the heater yesterday and did some testing.

i tested the pump outside of the prowler and found that with a brass valve it would shut off the pump at 35 psi. it wouldnt turn back on until 15 psi. this was going to work great i thought. i got the heater valve in the mail and put it in along with the pump. i ran the system from the lower radiator hose to the pump to the heater valve and then to the heater core. this will allow all the pressure to be between the pump and the valve. well the heater valve is not rated to 35 psi so it lets water bypass. because of this, it wont shut the pump off. so onto plan b. i have the pump wired into the fan switch so when the switch is in any position except off, the pump runs. i will get a second switch (master switch) to kill power to it so i can use the fan during warmer days (my wifes request). the metal one might be rated at a higher psi but i didnt want the metal one. with all the water and snow it will be exposed to i figured i would be replacing it every year. those things lock up all the time so its the main reason for going plastic. on the positive side, i do not have to worry about the pump kicking on and off when i meter the flow for desired heat.

the pump is actually louder inside the cab than it is outside of it. i believe this has to do with it being mounted to the frame. my belief is that the vibration of the pump is transferring sound though the frame into the cab. i will be looking into a thick piece of rubber like from a rock conveyor or something so its not so flexible. i will also be looking into making a shield for it which may help as well.

im waiting to get oil for an oil change which is overdue so i wont be testing it for a couple days. if it doesnt have sufficient heat, im going to look into wrapping the 3/8 hose with pipe insulation to help. for every inch you have heat dissipation so anything helps i guess. from the first weekend i rode it i doubt i would have to do this. that brass reducer i put in was so hot i couldnt touch it.

on a side note... this heater valve can be changed to any position for the cable. it can have the control mount moved from left to right sides to change if it is a pull closed or a push closed. it can also be changed from the flow in side of the valve to the flow out side. this is important depending on where your putting it under your hood. i did not have to change it for my application.

here are a couple pics of the stuff

heater valve installed. i havent ordered the control yet. was going to wait to see what ends i needed and length of cable.


heater pump.
 
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#20 ·
well i got my first test run with it. im not too pleased.

while it did kick out heat, it was not what i expected. with the outside temps at 45 F i was able to sit in it wearing just a tshirt but my wife was cold. ya i understand its not a car with huge btu's but it would be nice to get the max i can get. there are alot of areas that need sealing up, especially around the area the steering goes through the firewall. it was a constant cold breeze. also it wasnt hot heat unless it was sitting idle. im believing this is due to possibly sucking cooler water from the radiator. my thoughts are... it is less restrictive to pull backwards from the radiator than it is from the motor, possibly due to the mechanical water pump. maybe a 1 gpm pump is too much. i am going to be researching this some more. maybe a check valve to only allow coolant to flow one direction? restriction valve? i dont know yet but that is where my thoughts are going at the moment. it was brought to my attention to verify the temperature sensor location before doing this. im almost positive it is on the engine and not the radiator. if its the radiator i could be in trouble and would need to set up a gauge for the motor. this is something i was planning on anyway.

the cfm was almost too much when set on low but that wont be a problem. at least i can crank it up if i want.

the bad part is my pump burned out after 25 minutes of running. i didnt have the valve restricted at all so that should not have been an issue. i guess you get what you pay for.
 
#21 ·
It does take quite a while to heat up since you have to wait for the thermostat to open before you start getting heated coolant. Surprised that pump stopped working already, I've had mine in since February and it's still going strong. The fan is the same on mine I only use low, with mine being under the hood it doesn't help to use med or high since my air intake is restricted to what it sucks in through the leaks. I used a rubber floor mat and cut slits to fit around the steering column and brake peddle to seal that big hole in the firewall, then take it off during the summer months.

One thing I wonder about is the tee you're using instead of a Y-fitting, the Y might give it an easier flow direction. I'm using a Y 1" to 5/8", the 5/8" runs to my storage box and then reduced to the 3/8.
 
#22 · (Edited)

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#23 ·
that is the pump i was thinking of giving a try. i have a larger model of the same pump on my atv sprayer that has been a die hard. its ran since 2007 without missing a beat.

i might have to try that y pipe. i can see water taking the path of least resistance and if its already angled, it should in theory have more resistance from the radiator than the engine. i had the y pipe to start but it was 3/4 inch instead of the 1 inch i needed. just my luck haha
 
#24 ·
well here is an old bump but i wanted to give some feedback on what i found with the pump.
i havent done anything with my rig all winter but the spring bug got me. i chased wires to make sure i was getting power to the pump and found i was getting it to one side but not the other. turned out the pressure switch burned out. i must have had it set pretty low. anyway i bypassed the pressure switch and i have heat again. actually better heat than i did the last time i tried it. i may be getting air pockets out of the heater core i didnt know about.
i have a atv ride happening good friday so i will be giving the heater a good work out that day im sure. also i am debating on hooking up a battery charger to the rig and just letting the pump run for a half hour or so with the front end jacked up a few feet.
 
#25 ·
Look forward to your results! Me, I just stay inside when it is cold out! LOL
 
#26 ·
or head south :)
 
#27 ·
That too! LOL
 
#28 ·
well i got to tinkering with it a little today. It is 32 degrees Fahrenheit today so i thought it would be a good day for testing. not so much for working. ;) well i jacked up the front and let the pump run for about an hour then took it for a drive. it had no change, still not so warm but helped.

next i decided to give it a winter front. i didnt take any pics of this but its pretty self explanatory. i took a piece of truck mud flap, cut it to fit against the radiator and taped it in place. there is a screen protector that sits about half an inch in front of the radiator so there was that gap. i was hoping that if it needs it, the fan could still pull air in. this was just for a test anyway. i took it for a drive being very careful to watch for the temp light. it never came on and this helped a lot. especially when i got up to about 45 mph. still i wasnt too happy. so i grabbed some coffee and started drilling my brain.

after my 3rd cup of coffee i had a brainstorm. i was not thinking about all my extra coolant line. when i work with hydraulics, extra line is better especially for cooling. not so much for a heating system. well i dug through my piles of plumbing in the basement for some 1/2 inch pipe wrap and found one chunk. i wrapped it from the T at the radiator to the pump then from the pump to the 3/8 to 5/8 coupler. i took it for a ride (with the winter front in place) and it was warm but i didnt think it was warm enough. defiantly better though. once i got home i opened the door and realized just how warm it was once i was exposed to the outside air. i decided to take it for another ride but this time without my coat. it was nice! it didnt cook me out or anything but i was really comfortable.

I have zero complaints now other than finding all the wind leaks like around the steering post. i will tackle that tomorrow. i am also going to grab a 3/4 chunk of pipe wrap at the hardware store to wrap the 5/8 hose later this week as well. if i am thinking of keeping a winter front on it i am going to have to get a temp gauge in it as well so its time to start shopping.

here is the pipe wrap before and after.
 

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#29 · (Edited)
I was messing with mine a month ago when I added the coolant recovery jug. I had to bleed the system and bled it with the heater running. Just for the heck of it I put a meat thermometer at the dash vent and was getting about 90 degree's from it. Those heat duct hoses that run out and below loose a lot of heat. I'm gonna play with mine, too. The worst is the air leaks in the cab. My doors have huge gaps I fill with stick on insulation strips. And I made rubber gaskets to seal the bottom of the doors. The sides of the rear window leaks like heck. Its not a Mercedes, I know, our A/C's aren't built for comfort. But the new Polaris and Can Am's are super nice machines that have an edge on A/C in that respect. Maybe the new A/C management will take it up a step.
Side note on the recovery jug. With the heater installed so high, after sitting the coolant flows down from the heater back into the jug. It raises the level to about an inch from overflowing. When I start it, it stays at that level until I run the heater, then it goes down to the cold line. As long as it's not puking, I'm not gonna worry about it. But adding that jug was a super good move---> Thanks RD!
 
#31 ·
I'll check mine again but I used a meat thermometer like you did and mine was way over 100 but I ran my duct hoses straight through the firewall from the storage area. I've gotten very busy lately and haven't had time to even drive mine for quite a while.
 
#30 ·
Still wonder why AC did not include those on early 650, and 700's!
 
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