V8 and liquid cooled guys..., Want to install a heater??? Here's mine Options

[Mike Bellis]

It gets cold here in Northern California often in the moorning. So I decided to build a liquid heater. First, I spent some time measuring the inside of the fresh air box. I figured I could fit a core 11x6 maximum. my son and I spent several hours at the local Pick and Pull junk yard. I settled on a Transmission cooler from a late model Ford Truck. Cooler measures 10x6.



I quick placement and I realize I need to cut! The water dam for the fan must be cut down. Make sure not to cut all of it so that it will still keep some water off the motor.



The finish cut to the dam. Ready for the lid? Not yet.

[computers4kids]

Mike, I understand your logic with wanting to run hoses to the engine, but I would like to tap into the radiator since mine always runs between 180-190. My biggest concern is how to run the hoses and the introduction of a "high spot" in the system.

So if a valve is inserted in the high spot, would it be a good way to bleed the entire system with the heater on? This may be a dumb question, but how do you know all the air is out of the system?

[Mike Bellis]

Mike, I understand your logic with wanting to run hoses to the engine, but I would like to tap into the radiator since mine always runs between 180-190. My biggest concern is how to run the hoses and the introduction of a "high spot" in the system.

So if a valve is inserted in the high spot, would it be a good way to bleed the entire system with the heater on? This may be a dumb question, but how do you know all the air is out of the system?

The number one reason I know all the air is out, because it runs too cool. If air was trapped in the system it would run hotter. I also have a steep driveway. I have parked both directions and opened the high spots looking for air. I have an aluminum vessel for the hoses to pass through at the engine bay. This is the rear high spot. My radiator leans back and has a petcock at the highest spot in front.

It would not be hard to tap into the radiator hoses with a T, but you then have to re-bleed the system. and recover all that glycol in the system. Ethelene Glycol is hazardous to the environment.

As part of my job, We use liquid monitoring equipment. To purge the air out of our system we use a vacuum pump pulling through a vessel. The system is sealed except for the vacuum port. the vessel connects between the vac pump and vac port. this keeps any liquid out of the pump. if the system is sealed, the vac pump will pull all the air to the vessel. This technique can be used for purgng air from our cooling systems too.