Re: [T3] "gasoline heater"

[DGaries808@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/2/02 12:28:07 PM Central Standard Time, 
c-navarro@nwu.edu writes:

<< Subj:     Re: [T3] "gasoline heater"
 Date:  1/2/02 12:28:07 PM Central Standard Time
 From:  c-navarro@nwu.edu (Charles L. Navarro)
 To:    type3@vwtype3.org (T3 Mailing List)
 
 Well I can myself vouch for the safety and effectiveness of the Eberspacher
 gas heaters. I have a complete setup for a type 3 waiting around for me
 until I have the time to install it, but I have had the fun time of doing a
 totally custom gas heater setup using a type 4 ba4 gas heater underneath the
 rear seat. I was aprehensive as to how safe this would be, but we built a
 little custom exhaust for it and sealed it with muffler mender just to be
 safe. We also made a few heat shields and insulated them with
 fiberglass-like heat shielding. We then installed 2 150 cfm bilge blowers to
 provide the recirculated airflow. Well, to let you know how well this thing
 works...in three minutes the interior goes from about 40 F to 120 F. The
 recirculated air gets so hot that the powercoating on the gas heater starts
 to brown and give off a little smoke. Right at this point the heater blows
 the fuse and cuts off the fuel flow, leaving the combustion blower blowing
 and the ingition system firing until the unit totally cools down. It turns
 out that our thermosat (the thingy on the dash) has a burnt out transistor
 and thus has a problem impedence-matching with voltage with the thermosat in
 the gas heater, so it doesnt cut off before it overheats. So I can indeed
 attest to the safety features- they do work.
 
 Happy hunting!
 
 Charles Navarro
 '72 sb in IL
 ----- Original Message -----
 From: "shackedup" <shackedup@home.com>
 To: "T3 Mailing List" <type3@vwtype3.org>
 Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2002 7:19 AM
 Subject: Re: [T3] "gasoline heater"
 
 
 > Most, if not all VWs came with a gas-fired heater as an option.  There
 were
 > different models and configurations used over the years but most mounted
 in
 > the front trunk and drew fuel with an independant fuel pump direrctly from
 > the gas tank.  The factory installed heaters were made by Eberspacher  and
 > dealer-installed units were made by Stewart-Warner and Hupp (just found
 out
 > about that one thanks to Everett!) and maybe other makers.  Generally
 > speaking when operational these things poured out heat but in almost every
 > arrangement there is no provision to get the heat to the windshield!
 There
 > was a short run of cars in 1969 that added the gas heater inline the stock
 > heating system and these naturally allowed heat to be directed everywhere
 > the stock system allowed.  At some point in production ALL Canadian T3s
 > started getting factory-installed gas heaters.
 >
 > People are pretty scared of these things but I've looked at a lot of VWs
 in
 > junkyards that have or have had gas heaters.  I've yet to see one with a
 > blackened front trunk or any other evidence of an explosion!
 >
 > Andre
 >
 >
 > > I've seen numerous Type 3's offered for sale with "gasoline fired
 > > heaters".....Can anyone out there tell me the details of this
 > > system....specs, how does it work, etc.
 > >
 > > Thanks,
 > > Joe
 
I've got a gasoline heater in my 1973 Thing. But I have abandoned it because 
of "perceived" failure. A man can't find anyone anymore that knows how to 
work on a
gasoline heater. There's an ole boy in Colorado somewhere who is alway drunk 
before noon, but knows the gasoline heater. I have read about safety of the 
gasoline heater, but I can't bring myself to try it. My view is that if they 
were so good and safe, why did VW also abandon them? 

My solution is to just not drive the Thing during the winter. Not a good 
solution for everyone, I know ...

Don Garies
dgaries808@aol.com
  

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