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Does your heater work in your v drive?


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I have a new V drive and I am wondering if it is too far away for the heater to run warm? The heater blows well but it isn't exactly warm air. I was told the boat had to be running for a while for it to feel warm. Well after running it for an hour it cannot be called warm. I have already taken it to the dealer once and was told somthing was hooked up backwards.....got it home....same results. When it first goes on it feels warm then it gets cool at best. Two friends were in the boat and they both own Comp. Matercrafts and they both agreed the heater does not work as it should.

I read a link on here where someone talked about switching the y conncetion to before the impeller. If I buy a brand new boat, shouldn't this be working without having to rig it?

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Is there a direct contact at Malibu???

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I thought that Malibu had changed this on the 2008's and newer. I guess I guessed wrong.

Here's what you need

http://www.heatercraft.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=H424

UNLESS your heater NEVER gets warm. Is it warm if you go over 15MPH? Mine is ONLY cold if I am idling. If I rev the engine or start driving, it warms right up.

I need the part in the above link, but have not gone to the trouble of ordering it. Basically, the hose(5/8") coming from your Heater that goes into the Water Circulating pump, needs to go to the 5/8" nipple on that part. The 1 1/4" hard sided intake hose BEFORE the impeller is where it all goes. The Y points away from the impeller.

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The heater works great in my boat, but I've added the Y adapter refereed to in Mikes post above.

Just remember that unless you have the Y adapter, the boat MUST be moving faster than no wake speed, before you will feel any heat.

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I thought that Malibu had changed this on the 2008's and newer. I guess I guessed wrong.

Here's what you need

http://www.heatercraft.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=H424

UNLESS your heater NEVER gets warm. Is it warm if you go over 15MPH? Mine is ONLY cold if I am idling. If I rev the engine or start driving, it warms right up.

I need the part in the above link, but have not gone to the trouble of ordering it. Basically, the hose(5/8") coming from your Heater that goes into the Water Circulating pump, needs to go to the 5/8" nipple on that part. The 1 1/4" hard sided intake hose BEFORE the impeller is where it all goes. The Y points away from the impeller.

Malibu has been using the Y adapter since 2004 IIRC, however they just keep installing it in the wrong place (after the impeller versus before. However if the heater never gets warm, something is blocks or a hose is kinked.

-Chris

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Do you by chance have the Hammerhead? The '08 I've seen has a different hookup than my Monsoon. If this is the case, you need to be more specific, because much of the advice you may receive will not be applicable.

Remove the the hoses from intake/output and blow through one of them. You should be able to push water through the heater core and have it flow out the other hose. If so, the heater core/hoses are not blocked.

Regardless, if you want good heat at any speed, or any heat at idle speed, the Y fitting should be before the impeller. I really don't know why Malibu insists on installing it after.

With a 'before impeller' installation, as Chris mentioned, the branches of the Y should be away from the impeller. If the Y is after the impeller, the branches should be nearer the impeller.

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Regardless, if you want good heat at any speed, or any heat at idle speed, the Y fitting should be before the impeller. I really don't know why Malibu insists on

Me thinks it has something to do with coast gaurd certs and cutting into that hardwall hose under the water line. There is NO way they don't know the "correct" way to do it.

Or they are just lazy...that nice soft rubber hose cuts like buttah!

Edited by 99response
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Do you by chance have the Hammerhead? The '08 I've seen has a different hookup than my Monsoon. If this is the case, you need to be more specific, because much of the advice you may receive will not be applicable.

Remove the the hoses from intake/output and blow through one of them. You should be able to push water through the heater core and have it flow out the other hose. If so, the heater core/hoses are not blocked.

Regardless, if you want good heat at any speed, or any heat at idle speed, the Y fitting should be before the impeller. I really don't know why Malibu insists on installing it after.

With a 'before impeller' installation, as Chris mentioned, the branches of the Y should be away from the impeller. If the Y is after the impeller, the branches should be nearer the impeller.

I have the Monsoon engine

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something to do with coast gaurd certs and cutting into that hardwall hose

Coast Guard? WTH do they know about ski boats? ;) Interesting point though, I double-clamp below the water line.

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something to do with coast gaurd certs and cutting into that hardwall hose

Coast Guard? WTH do they know about ski boats? ;) Interesting point though, I double-clamp below the water line.

You would....

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Do you by chance have the Hammerhead? The '08 I've seen has a different hookup than my Monsoon. If this is the case, you need to be more specific, because much of the advice you may receive will not be applicable.

Remove the the hoses from intake/output and blow through one of them. You should be able to push water through the heater core and have it flow out the other hose. If so, the heater core/hoses are not blocked.

Regardless, if you want good heat at any speed, or any heat at idle speed, the Y fitting should be before the impeller. I really don't know why Malibu insists on installing it after.

With a 'before impeller' installation, as Chris mentioned, the branches of the Y should be away from the impeller. If the Y is after the impeller, the branches should be nearer the impeller.

At this point my heater seems to work fine at boarding speed, but this is something i want to check before my fall riding and i'm complaining cause the heat is poor, i'm a little slow i know Dontknow.gif but if it's installed before the impeller isn't that cold lake water. Dontknow.gif I believ mine is installed just before the long black tube which i think is the tranny cooler is this the right location....oh and i have a shower so should i see two of these fittings back to back, 1 for shower, 1 for heater. Unfortunately i can't run to the garage and check as i'm still stuck behind my desk.

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Dontknow.gif but if it's installed before the impeller isn't that cold lake water. Dontknow.gif I believ mine is installed just before the long black tube which i think is the tranny cooler is this the right location....oh and i have a shower so should i see two of these fittings back to back, 1 for shower, 1 for heater. Unfortunately i can't run to the garage and check as i'm still stuck behind my desk.

If I understand you correctly, your Y fitting is after the impeller, and before your tranny cooler. This is where the factory puts them. If you: remove the fitting, replace it with a pvc tube, then cut your main intake line prior to the impeller, install Y with branches facing away from impeller; then you will have better heat a idle speed. This is how the water is pulled through your heater core. It is the 'outlet'. The source of warm water is the other, similar, 5/8" hose coming from the manifold toward the top of your motor.

Your shower is likely sourced from the block. I don't have one so someone else can be more specific with you on that.

something to do with coast gaurd certs and cutting into that hardwall hose

Coast Guard? WTH do they know about ski boats? ;) Interesting point though, I double-clamp below the water line.

You would....

Chris, you can :biteme:

Tease2.gif

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  • 1 month later...

I figured I should come back and update this post in case anyone else was having problems. My dealer rerouted the lines NOW the heater runs hot...seems to be some sort of design defect on the bu...but it is working great now and I am happy since the weather is going to cool down here shortly.

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I had the same thought as showtime for the longest time. I didn't understand why you'r pulling water from before the impeller.

So I just wanted to clear this up. The reason this fix works is because its using the power of the impeller to pull the hot water from the engine through the heater core and back to the intake.

Questions about this as my system, which I assume was the fix for the lack of heat at idle 10 years ago uses this.

http://www.heatercraft.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=H415

You don't have to worry about pumping hot water back through the boat?? I assume its not that much recirculating volume..

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You don't have to worry about pumping hot water back through the boat?? I assume its not that much recirculating volume..

The volume is not that much, as you said. In fact, the 5/8" goes onto an appropriate size fitting, but the inside of the fitting is 'plugged' and has only a small hole for the water to flow through.

Additionally, the heated water cools as it circulates, is mixed with colder raw water, and the engine thermostat does its job.

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I know the first step to recovery is to admit it, so I'm dumb... :unsure:

I have the factory install of the Y pipe after the impeller and plan on installing in front of the impeller to improve the heat at idle. I also plan on installing a second heater for the passenger and to install this in a series with the existing heater. So where I'm confused is the direction of the Y fitting when I relocate it. Do I make the Y end closest to the intake in the hull and the single end closest to the impeller? Any tips on installing in a series as I recall Onamission did this and I think he said it worked well.. thanks

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I know the first step to recovery is to admit it, so I'm dumb... :unsure:

I have the factory install of the Y pipe after the impeller and plan on installing in front of the impeller to improve the heat at idle. I also plan on installing a second heater for the passenger and to install this in a series with the existing heater. So where I'm confused is the direction of the Y fitting when I relocate it. Do I make the Y end closest to the intake in the hull and the single end closest to the impeller? Any tips on installing in a series as I recall Onamission did this and I think he said it worked well.. thanks

You have your "Y" orientation correct--if it is BEFORE the impeller, the branches are away from the impeller; trunk is closer to impeller.

To install the second heater, you need some more 5/8 hose. The original hose should go from manifold to driver's heater, then run a hose from there under the floor and across to the passenger heater, another hose from the outlet of that one under the floor to the Y fitting. Nice!

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