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Heater Install Question


CedarLakeSkier

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So I purchased a heater as part of a group buy.

I'm trying to plan the installation. Since the boat is two states away from me right now i thought I'd ask a couple of questions that maybe someone with a boat nearby could answer.

I have searched and found some "text" instructions on where the hot water should attach (Intake manifold near thermostat) but many of the articles are so old the pictures are gone or there were never pictures to begin with.

I have a 2006 LCR. If I remember correctly, where the raw water goes into the thermostat there are actually 4 hoses. Perhaps if I was in the boat it would be apparent where I should connect the hot water feed, but since I'm not I was hoping someone had a picture of where I would tap in to this.

Also, I have several connectors that were supplied with the heater. I'm sure they are covering all situations, but does anyone know what connector (or combination of connectors) are actually used for the Indmar LCR? I'm hoping to install some shut off valves and would like to know the correct size to get.

Final question for now is this. I'm installing the "Y" adapter on the fresh water intake. What is the best way to incorporate a shut off valve to this location? would I just get a set of 5/8 barbed connectors that attach to a vavle and put it in-line?

Thanks for answers and any other advice you folks have for the install. I'll try to shoot some pictures and maybe even put together a "how to".

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So I purchased a heater as part of a group buy.

I'm trying to plan the installation. Since the boat is two states away from me right now i thought I'd ask a couple of questions that maybe someone with a boat nearby could answer.

I have searched and found some "text" instructions on where the hot water should attach (Intake manifold near thermostat) but many of the articles are so old the pictures are gone or there were never pictures to begin with.

I have a 2006 LCR. If I remember correctly, where the raw water goes into the thermostat there are actually 4 hoses. Perhaps if I was in the boat it would be apparent where I should connect the hot water feed, but since I'm not I was hoping someone had a picture of where I would tap in to this.

Also, I have several connectors that were supplied with the heater. I'm sure they are covering all situations, but does anyone know what connector (or combination of connectors) are actually used for the Indmar LCR? I'm hoping to install some shut off valves and would like to know the correct size to get.

Final question for now is this. I'm installing the "Y" adapter on the fresh water intake. What is the best way to incorporate a shut off valve to this location? would I just get a set of 5/8 barbed connectors that attach to a vavle and put it in-line?

Thanks for answers and any other advice you folks have for the install. I'll try to shoot some pictures and maybe even put together a "how to".

Hijack - the next time you are at the lake house take a bunch of pics of your engine, distributor, hoses, under the dash, trailer, gear, everything you can think of so you'll have them on hand if you have any needs in the future. That way you can do your research from home and arrive with parts ready to roll. I did that when we moved and it was VERY helpful.

Good luck with the heater, that'll be nice! I've blown my 2011 budget but I am getting one next year.

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I as well am looking for more information on this install and have thought about doing the shut-off valve. Will this be much different for the 350 Monsoon?

No. Installation would be the same.

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CLS, if you want to bring your boat over this spring I'll give you a hand. I've got the LS/1 with a closed cooling system and heater so I don't know how much looking at my engine will help.

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I just received my heater today and have a question before I began shopping for the shut-off valves.

I purchased the Y bracket with the kit and read that the return line hooks into the Raw water line (before the pump). If I want to install the shut-off valves, will I only need 1 valve on the line that goes to the heater? I am reference this how-to article that was mentioned in the group buy.

http://moomba.com/msgboard/showthread.php?t=10840

Thanks for the help in advance!

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I just received my heater today and have a question before I began shopping for the shut-off valves.

I purchased the Y bracket with the kit and read that the return line hooks into the Raw water line (before the pump). If I want to install the shut-off valves, will I only need 1 valve on the line that goes to the heater? I am reference this how-to article that was mentioned in the group buy.

http://moomba.com/msgboard/showthread.php?t=10840

Thanks for the help in advance!

In skimming that article I don't think the original poster installed the "Y" (at least it's not shown). I was going to install 2 valves. One as the moomba poster has coming out of the manifold, and one on the return line right near the "Y".

My reasoning is that I can completely take the heater out of the "equation" if there is a leak or something happens with the heater core. Also, it would make it easier for winterization.

Speaking of winterization, if you look at the winterization mod article on this site you will see that someone installed a quick disconnect at the manifold and "Y" and then manufactured a "jumper" with the quick connections as well. By doing this he could simply connect the manifold right to the return line completely bypassing the heater.

I was thinking in my install that I would have shut off valves in both locations and then a quick disconnect as close to the valve as possible. This would give me the ability to shut off the flow to/from the heater and also the ability to quick disconnect for winterization.

I'm not 100% sure of my approach yet, but I know I want to make it easy to winterize the heater and also make it easy to stop the water flow to the heater if anything goes wrong.

Hope this helps

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In skimming that article I don't think the original poster installed the "Y" (at least it's not shown). I was going to install 2 valves. One as the moomba poster has coming out of the manifold, and one on the return line right near the "Y".

My reasoning is that I can completely take the heater out of the "equation" if there is a leak or something happens with the heater core. Also, it would make it easier for winterization.

Speaking of winterization, if you look at the winterization mod article on this site you will see that someone installed a quick disconnect at the manifold and "Y" and then manufactured a "jumper" with the quick connections as well. By doing this he could simply connect the manifold right to the return line completely bypassing the heater.

I was thinking in my install that I would have shut off valves in both locations and then a quick disconnect as close to the valve as possible. This would give me the ability to shut off the flow to/from the heater and also the ability to quick disconnect for winterization.

I'm not 100% sure of my approach yet, but I know I want to make it easy to winterize the heater and also make it easy to stop the water flow to the heater if anything goes wrong.

Hope this helps

Shouldn't you be able to get away with only 1 shut-off valve because the "Y" connects to the raw water pump and not back to the manifold? Once you shut the warm water off at the manifold going to the heater, the heater would not have water. The raw water will still draw water into the motor like normal. So, what will be your purpose for the second shut off? You could install a one way valve at the "Y" to prevent the raw water from going backwards? The idea of the quick discount is a good idea.

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Shouldn't you be able to get away with only 1 shut-off valve because the "Y" connects to the raw water pump and not back to the manifold? Once you shut the warm water off at the manifold going to the heater, the heater would not have water. The raw water will still draw water into the motor like normal. So, what will be your purpose for the second shut off? You could install a one way valve at the "Y" to prevent the raw water from going backwards? The idea of the quick discount is a good idea.

Wouldn't a one way valve at the "Y" be the same as a shut-off at the "Y"? Also, wouldn't a one way valve restrict the flow? I'm trying to keep it fairly simple but I have read enough stories about problems with heaters that I want to be able to isolate that from the engine, and quickly if I need to.

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In skimming that article I don't think the original poster installed the "Y" (at least it's not shown). I was going to install 2 valves. One as the moomba poster has coming out of the manifold, and one on the return line right near the "Y".

My reasoning is that I can completely take the heater out of the "equation" if there is a leak or something happens with the heater core. Also, it would make it easier for winterization.

Speaking of winterization, if you look at the winterization mod article on this site you will see that someone installed a quick disconnect at the manifold and "Y" and then manufactured a "jumper" with the quick connections as well. By doing this he could simply connect the manifold right to the return line completely bypassing the heater.

I was thinking in my install that I would have shut off valves in both locations and then a quick disconnect as close to the valve as possible. This would give me the ability to shut off the flow to/from the heater and also the ability to quick disconnect for winterization.

I'm not 100% sure of my approach yet, but I know I want to make it easy to winterize the heater and also make it easy to stop the water flow to the heater if anything goes wrong.

Hope this helps

When I did the install, I added the standard garden hose fittings. If you set them up right, you can bypass the heater all together. I did this so that if the core ever sprung a leak, I could bypass it and not have to worry about anything.

My setup is to have the elbow coming out of the manifold and then the hose drops to the bilge. About a foot after the hose hits the bilge there is a set of garden hose fittings, Male and then Female. From there the hose goes up into the stringer and then to the heater core. The return line is right next to the feed line coming out of the stringer. I left an extra foot or so or hose and then added another set of garden hose fittings, Male and then Female. Then the hose continues up to the Y adapter before the raw water pump.

So if you are following the flow direction of the water the fittings should be Male-Female-Male-Female. This means that there is a male fitting on the manifold line and a female on the Y adapter line.

I also did this so that with a short section of hose with a male end I can use the female fitting on the Y adapter line to suck the antifreeze into the engine.

I would take some pictures, but my boat is locked in storage for the winter, sorry.....

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So could someone confirm this is the correct spot for hot water connection for the heater? It took forever to get the plug out of there. It was painted over and really stuck in there. I had to heat it with a torch to get it out.

post-1563-015692800 1299393022_thumb.jpg

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martinarcher

I got a heater too. I plan on using a 3 way diverter valve at each engine side connection. This way I can have one position that allows engine water to the heater. The other position would be heater to the "spare" port. That will allow me to blow air into the spare port to empty the heater for really quick winterizations when I'm still pushing the season in the fall. Thumbup.gif

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So could someone confirm this is the correct spot for hot water connection for the heater? It took forever to get the plug out of there. It was painted over and really stuck in there. I had to heat it with a torch to get it out.

post-1563-015692800 1299393022_thumb.jpg

Yes

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I got a heater too. I plan on using a 3 way diverter valve at each engine side connection. This way I can have one position that allows engine water to the heater. The other position would be heater to the "spare" port. That will allow me to blow air into the spare port to empty the heater for really quick winterizations when I'm still pushing the season in the fall. Thumbup.gif

Be careful on how much air pressure you run through the heater core. A few people have blown a hole in them from using compressed air.

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Yes, that is the correct plug. The hot water should should plumb to the lower side of the heater core to provide the best opportunity to fill the heater core from the bottom up. You have a very good idea on shutting off the heater core when you don't want to use it as the hard lake water is pretty hard on the core itself, you can see the rusty buildup in the intake manifold from your picture. Heater cores don't last very long in this environment, they do much better when they have antifreeze running through them instead of hard water with lots of impurities. Shutoff valves or a bypass loop will do the trick.

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