Circulating tank heaters - page 2 - General - VWDiesel.net The IDI, TDI, and mTDI source.

• #15 by ToddA1 on 08 Sep, 2011 19:26
• Quote from: mtrans on 08 Sep, 2011 12:52

  What about disel air heater in INTAKE,anybody use that?
  

  
  
  I think those are only for emissions in the newer direct injection engines.  From what I've read, they help with smoke on cold starts.
  
  
  

  Quote from: maxfax on 08 Sep, 2011 17:08

  I'll try to explain...   I had the heater inlet connected to the side of the cyl head..  THen out of the heater core into the metal pipe..  I cut the metal pipe off just below where the expansion tank connected and connected that to the inlet of the heater, then connected the outlet to the water pump..    Pushing the coolant uphill seemed to be no problem for it.. 
  

  
  
  If I'm reading that correctly, it sounds like you took a section out of the metal coolant pipe and ran the heater directly inline.
  - The heater's inlet was connected to the section of steel pipe closest to the firewall.
  - The heater's outlet was connected to the section of steel pipe closest to the water pump. 
  
  If that's the case, and you were able to get the heater core warm, it sounds like it should work. 
  - The tank heater was fed by the expansion tank and heater core.
  - The warmed coolant was pushed to the pump, all the way through the head and maybe some made its way into the block.
  - From the head, the warmed coolant went back to the heater core.
  - Back to step 1..... wet, lather, rinse, repeat.
  
  Im guessing you could reverse the connections and it wouldnt make a difference.  The main thing to remember is to mount the tank heater as low as possible.
  
  The supplied plastic "Y" wasn't used..... correct?
  
  Good stuff, thanks! 
  
  -Todd
• #16 by maxfax on 08 Sep, 2011 20:42
• You got it..  It's inline with no "Y's"..  It would always have the head nice and warm, and the block was even somewhat warm..  Where my issues arose is that the coolant went to heat exchangers and the WVO tank before it got to the heater core.. Probably with a bigger heater and enough time it would have worked...  I'd bet with just the heater core in the loop it would work fine... Also, with plumbing it this way, it made it pretty easy to mount the thing to the bottom of the rad support..  Not many other places in a MK1 to put it...
  
  
  The intake heaters were more for cold starting and smoke..  Perkins and Cummins use them exclusively for starting instead of glow plugs..  One would probably help warm up the engine faster, but I'd imagine you'd need a good batt and alt to keep everything working....
• #17 by ToddA1 on 09 Sep, 2011 07:27
• I'm probably overthinking this, but because I have the heating capacity, why not heat more coolant...
  
  I thought of using the lower radiator hose as the inlet to the heater and the lower heater core hose as the outlet from the heater, with the supplied "Y".  The only reason for using the lower heater core hose, is that it's a shorter run from the upper core hose, to the flange on the rear of the head. 
  
  - Feed the heater from the lower rad hose; the thermostat will prevent pulling from the block.
  - Heated coolant gets pushed through the core and into the rear of the head.
  - Flow continues through the entire head and maybe into the block.
  - Heated coolant exits the head, via the upper radiator hose and pump bypass hose.
  - Heated coolant is drawn through the radiator and back to the tank heater.  I'm only thinking a small residual amount will be pushed through the steel pipe to the heater core.
  - From here, the cycle continues.
  
  
  On a side note I Googled the intake heater grids.  Apparently, you'd need some type of control, or manually drop the heater out of the circuit in 15-20 second intervals.  It's designed to be like this, otherwise you end up burning your alternator out.  These things are a huge amperage draw, and were designed for the cold smoking and emissions, as previously mentioned. 
  
  I guess, starting with the GPs and then designing a system to run the grid, will get the engine temperature up faster, getting heat faster.  It'd be a lot of work, but it'd be pretty crafty.
  
  -Todd
• #18 by mtrans on 09 Sep, 2011 11:47
• Todd
  First I don`t use tank heater,but if you use for WVO I read that WVO boys heat only pick up no all tank,also
  too much heat on WVO tank isn`t good.http://www.arctic-fox.com/
  There is one electric -induction heater I`ll like to look,but I am afraid because that thing melt steel for 15 Amp.