Heater hoses in Mk1 4 dr....

[c-issler]

Hi. I don't officially have a project because I'm slack and I suck at all things mechanical.....but I'm stumped by this one and need help. I'm going to dispense with the factory heating option in my Golf and go with a EV (electric vehicle) mod which involves the use of a ceramic heater element, the empty heater core and a solid state relay so that no water is allowed to pass through the firewall and pool in the footwell of my car. How do I blank off the two hoses (circled) that run out of the right hand side of the block and through the rubber grommit? Do I plug them or make a u-hose arrangement? Many thanks in advance. Feel free to shoot down my plans if you can offer a better way to heat and demist my car after you've read the NZ guy's blog about converting his Mistubishi to electric power.

http://www.kiwiev.com/index.htm



C-issler

[h100vw]

Block them off. That's what happens when you turn the heat off from inside the car.

Gavin

[c-issler]

Thanks for response hot100vw. What do you recommend to block off with?
Having watched the youtube vid again of the heater element install, the input on the solid state relay (0-200v 10ah DC I think) is the full 144 volts of his EV battery system!! What is the output of an alternator when the car is running? Bear in mind that the element is running off 240 volt power and rated at 1500W. I have always thought that for this mod to work it would require the car to be running but know nothing of the voltage involved in automotive wiring. Obviously running the mod off/via the alternator isn't possible or is it? Any advice once again appreciated.
C-issler.

Addit: http://www.whitworths.com.au/main_it...AbsolutePage=1
Is this where I should be heading?

[Peter Jones]

Personally I wouldn't recommend taking this path at all.

EVs have no choice.

In a watercooled car the heat is free.

If you use an electric heater that power has to come from the motor which reduces the amount of power available to actually propel the car and will consume more fuel.

You mention a 1500w element. To make 1500w in a 12 volt car you'd be pulling 125Amps from your alternator. A MK1 typically has a 55 Amp alternator. So assuming you upgrade to an alternator that can supply this thing it's still going to rob the engine of HP. Alternators are reasonably efficient, but that 1500W is probably goning to cost you 2000W (2KW) straight off your flywheel.

If you're determined to head down this path have a look at the electric heaters used in Hot Rods and tractors. They're usually around the 10Amp mark (120Watts) and would be better suited to your application. Like this one.


http://www.castleauto.com.au/hs_dbas...krYWxsc2VhcmNo

That invertor you linked to would be useless to power any sort of heating device.

The conventional water heater uses waste heat and the blower fan uses very little power.

Honestly the best use of your time and money would be to simply bite the bullet and replace the heater core and hoses.

Hope this helps.

Pete

[c-issler]

Thanks for the very valuable lesson in car electrics Pete. I will be taking your advice and going with conventional waste heat usage. I'll just have to be super pedantic about the grommits and hoses not leaking when I'm finished. I might have to hit Tim up for a core on one of his OS orders in the next few weeks. Thanks for that link too. No end of those whatchamacallit sites around is there?

[Peter Jones]

No need to be super pedantic, just use new hoses and clamps and it will seal up OK.

Remember that the old core, hoses and clamps are 30 years old. New parts will work like new parts and should last that long again.

The cores usually leak from the end caps rather than being corroded through. If your'e careful you can prise the header tanks off the old core and re-seal them. I pull the end caps off by prising up all the tabs carefully.

Once the caps are off you just clean out all the cores by threading a bit of rope or something through them.

To re seal I use a generous amount of silicon and recrimp the tabs using a bench vice to fold them all over at once. (Techniques vary)

Give it a day or two for the silastic to dry and then pressure test it. Block off one side of the core and attach the other to your garden tap (Use scrap hose and lots of hose clamps) Turn the tap up full and cross your fingers! If you've fixed it properly there won't be any leaks. If you've missed abit or your connections aren't solid you're gonna get wet

Pete

[c-issler]

Yeah, the one that I've got is only leaking at the join where the three small bolts are. If I pull it apart and silicone tape or silastic the join before reassembling it should be alright. I'll do the leak test method you mentioned as there was quite a mess in the passenger side footwell on first inspection



The sound deadening was saturated and smelly. I've heard it described as like having a poultice applied to the bodywork of your car - the perfect breeding ground for rust!
I've wire brushed it and chiselled all the crap out of there and hope that soldering small patches of steel over the pea-sized holes that are there and coating them with POR-15 will not attract any undue attention. Once again feel free to weigh in and flame away.
C-issler.

[Peter Jones]

Looks like that's been leaking for quite a while.

If the rust is only minor the Por 15 and a bit of fibreglass will do the trick. Make sure you do under the car too.

Welding up the rust holes would be ideal, but can often be more trouble than it's worth. I'd just fibreglass it and paint over it with a bit of body deadener unless you're in danger of falling through the holes.

Pete

[Volksee77]

Mate i have removed my heater core for my rally car and found that there is a water hos for a camira which is the correct diameter and has a 180 degree bend in it so just trim to fit and that will by pass the heater core