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Heater Probs...........


TheTurtleMan

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I have a 97 Response w/ a 320 monsoon motor. A few week ago I added the low RPM adapt. My heater went from not working at low RPM, to not working at all. Just blows cold air all the time now. I have tried everything, and can not figure out why it is not working. Heater Craft(very nice guys) is only about 5min from my house. I took it to them, they said everything is installed correctly, and should be working. I can pull the line off the Y and let the water pump out into the hull, and then the heater will work. I don't get it. I am about ready to hook it back up to the water pump. At least then I will have some heat..............

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Any pics of your hookup?

Heater core plugged, perhaps? Unhook both hoses and blow by mouth or send low pressure compressed air through.

If you have the Y installed correctly, I don't understand how you can pull the line and have water "pump" into the hull.

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I'm wondering if the Y-adapter is actually installed backwards if it works when it is disconnected. But I gotta believe Heatercraft would have recognized that right away.

Mike

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Yup. The Y is installed the right way. And the heater core is fine. You can blow thru it w/ no probs. I even took my garden hose and shot water thru both ways to see if anything was plugged in it. For some reason it seams like there isn't enough suction thru the Y. Also checked the thermostat. It was fine, but I replaced anyway.

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Do you have the Y installed before, or after, the raw water pump? I've seen some discussion as to the pros and cons of each method, but mine is installed in-line before the rwp and works fine at idle. It seems to me that installing after the pump could actually pressurize the heater from the wrong end.

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After, witch is the way Heater Craft said to install it, and the way Malibu does also. I think they only do it that way because of something to do w/ winterization.

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Interesting. I have heard that this is the way Malibu does it from the factory. The idea of the low rpm fix is that the water is pulled through the heater by the raw water pump. Seems to me that the strongest pull would be from placing the Y pre-pump. After the pump, you would have a verturi effect allowing the Y to pull, but there should also be a tendency for there to be a bit of pressure in the hose after the pump.

If it weren't for the angle of the Y fitting, I don't this arrangement would pull at all. For example, if you drilled two holes in the hose, one before and one after the rwp, I would expect the pre-pump hole to pull in air and the after-pump hole to spray out water. Just my 2 cents.

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Well, I think I just figured it out. I pulled the heat exchanger for the trans off, and it have a bunch of rubber in there. Must have been from the water pump. Previous owner must have lost one and not cleaned it out. I guess that would explain why it wasn't working. Too much pressure. I will need a decent day to run out to the lake and see if that was it for sure. Looking at that heat exchanger, I think it would be a good idea to take that bottom hose off and make sure it is clean every once in awhile.

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Aha, never even though of that. If it were bad enough to affect the heater, do you happen to know what temp your engine was normally running at?

Another reason to install it before the raw water pump I guess.

I've heard conflicting things from different people on this. I know (or have heard) that Malibu is now doing it after the raw water pump and obviously HeaterCraft told you that's how it should be done. However, the instructions that came with my fix from HeaterCraft said to do it before the raw water pump. So it at least sounds like they have waffled on this one a bit.

One advantage I can see to doing it after the pump and trans cooler is that there is no risk of inhaling weeds and other crap into the heater core beacuse the trans cooler filter would catch them.

Mike

Edited by mlange
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my heater is not working well either. i think its becuase my engine does not get upto a hot enough temp. it runs a about 140. is that normal or too low to produce heat.

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Aha, never even though of that.  If it were bad enough to affect the heater, do you happen to know what temp your engine was normally running at?

Another reason to install it before the raw water pump I guess. 

I've heard conflicting things from different people on this.  I know (or have heard) that Malibu is now doing it after the raw water pump and obviously HeaterCraft told you that's how it should be done.  However, the instructions that came with my fix from HeaterCraft said to do it before the raw water pump.  So it at least sounds like they have waffled on this one a bit.

One advantage I can see to doing it after the pump and trans cooler is that there is no risk of inhaling weeds and other crap into the heater core beacuse the trans cooler filter would catch them.

Mike

I installed mine before as well per the heatercraft original instructions. maybe we should contact dan.

would love it if mine was a little warmer. skied today - probably last day without a dry suit...

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Aha, never even though of that.  If it were bad enough to affect the heater, do you happen to know what temp your engine was normally running at?

It was running at 140. That was what the stock thermostat was. Heatercraft gave me a 160 to put in. The rubber pieces didn't affect the motor temp, but caused enough back pressure to not let it flow. At least that is what I am hoping.

Jeff is the guy at Heatercraft that does all the tech stuff......

Edited by TheTurtleMan
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I just received my adapter fitting this week from Heatercraft. The instructions state:

1) REMOVE EXISTING RETURN LINE FROM CIRC. PUMP AND PLUG W/1/2"MPT BRASS OR GALVANIZED PLUG. (IF APPLICABLE)

2) FIND RAW WATER PUMP INTAKE LINE AND REMOVE A 5/8" SECTION BETWEEN THE THRU-HULL FITTING AND THE RAW WATER PUMP.

3) INSTALL "Y" FITTING AS SHOW ABOVE WITH 5/8" BRANCH FACING THE CORRECT DIRECTION.

4) TIGHTEN HOSE CLAMPS.

This matches picture shown above from BarefootOz.

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Well damn.............. It didn't fix it. Mad.gif I don't know what to do now.

I guess I will move it over to the other side of the pump. Heatercraft said that only thing that could have a prob that way is that it could have a chance on vapor locking when you start the motor. More so when you take it out for the first time in the year w/ empty lines. I doubt there would be a prob though.

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hey? this is new to me,i,ve always used a simple T and worked well.

Altough the motor runs a few degree,s colder that way.I don,t know why.

But how big should that little hole be inside the Y piece...in cm?

i use this route to heat up the propane regulator.

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BenBu,

As stated in previous posts the small hole does slow down the amount of water that returns to the engine thus the hot water stays in the heater core longer, that is the reason why you get warmer air while at idle. This is the way Dan explained it to me several years ago. This was discussed on MBO in case you want to do a search.

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