Jump to content

Welcome to TheMalibuCrew!

As a guest, you are welcome to poke around and view the majority of the content that we have to offer, but in order to post, search, contact members, and get full use out of the website you will need to Register for an Account. It's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the TheMalibuCrew Family today!

Heatercraft Heater Install Questions


shawndoggy

Recommended Posts

So I pulled the boat out yesterday to finish up some winter projects and to fix a couple I'd messed up before (duh -- if you put the battery and the house bank on the same post on the switch, the switch ain't gonna work so good).

I've got a box full of heatercraft heater install parts, so I figured I'd give pulling the hose up the stringer a go. It's just not going to fit there for me. Try as we might, my son and I kept hitting a snag as soon as we got close to the hole under the helm. The factory has my midship ballast fill loop, drain and vent already coming through that hole and there just is not going to be enough room to pull the heater hose. And even if I could get it through, I'm nearly certain that the hose would end up being pinched, which sorta kills the point of the exercise in the first place.

So as I see it I have two alternatives:

1. Run hoses up the driver's side under the gunnel, behind the seats to the heater core. There's a wall after the cooler that the hoses would pass over and then down past the driver, under the cup holder and up to the core. Slightly ghetto because there would be a small area where you'd see the hoses. It'd mostly be right next to the driver's seat and I think most people wouldn't notice it, but I would.

2. Install under the observer's seat and have the heater blow out towards the driver from the side. The upside of doing it this way is that it would be cleaner, but it would also mean I'd lose a little storage space and would have to do some significant hole drilling in the seat wall under the observer's seat. It would also put the heater core very close to my batteries and amps. I've heard these things leak from time to time.

I guess the third alternative is to take it to the shop and make them deal with it, but this thing doesn't seem like rocket science, and I don't see how the hoses can possibly go in the stringer... the stringer is just too jam packed right now.

Last question -- with an LCR motor, is there any downside to using one of the engine drain plug holes as the hot water source for the heater (remember, no knock sensors on LCR)? The kit came with a 45* threaded barb, which could thread right into one of those holes. seems like it'd make it real easy to winterize the heater and that side of the block that way, just pulling the hose off?

I do have the Y pipe for the return line, so I'm good there.

Link to comment
martinarcher

So I pulled the boat out yesterday to finish up some winter projects and to fix a couple I'd messed up before (duh -- if you put the battery and the house bank on the same post on the switch, the switch ain't gonna work so good).

I've got a box full of heatercraft heater install parts, so I figured I'd give pulling the hose up the stringer a go. It's just not going to fit there for me. Try as we might, my son and I kept hitting a snag as soon as we got close to the hole under the helm. The factory has my midship ballast fill loop, drain and vent already coming through that hole and there just is not going to be enough room to pull the heater hose. And even if I could get it through, I'm nearly certain that the hose would end up being pinched, which sorta kills the point of the exercise in the first place.

So as I see it I have two alternatives:

1. Run hoses up the driver's side under the gunnel, behind the seats to the heater core. There's a wall after the cooler that the hoses would pass over and then down past the driver, under the cup holder and up to the core. Slightly ghetto because there would be a small area where you'd see the hoses. It'd mostly be right next to the driver's seat and I think most people wouldn't notice it, but I would.

2. Install under the observer's seat and have the heater blow out towards the driver from the side. The upside of doing it this way is that it would be cleaner, but it would also mean I'd lose a little storage space and would have to do some significant hole drilling in the seat wall under the observer's seat. It would also put the heater core very close to my batteries and amps. I've heard these things leak from time to time.

I guess the third alternative is to take it to the shop and make them deal with it, but this thing doesn't seem like rocket science, and I don't see how the hoses can possibly go in the stringer... the stringer is just too jam packed right now.

Last question -- with an LCR motor, is there any downside to using one of the engine drain plug holes as the hot water source for the heater (remember, no knock sensors on LCR)? The kit came with a 45* threaded barb, which could thread right into one of those holes. seems like it'd make it real easy to winterize the heater and that side of the block that way, just pulling the hose off?

I do have the Y pipe for the return line, so I'm good there.

I'm in the same boat with my heater install. I'm not willing to drill through my new wooden stringers so I'm going to run the hoses to the transom and then up the side of the boat (under gunnels) to the observers compartment. Not sure of the "Y" on the raw water pump will pull water that far or not. We'll see. If not I'm going to have to add a electric "kicker" pump for the heater.

Is there any way to tie the heater hoses up under the gunnel so they are out of site?

Link to comment

I always thought under the drivers dash was a lame place to put the heater core. Lets face it, the people who want the vents are not sitting there. Their all around the playpen in a V-drive. Even in a DD their sitting in the spotters seat.

I always thought a good place for the core in the v-drive would be on the passenger side, anywhere up or down the seat, with at least 2 snorkels in the playpen, three snorkels would ideal, one to the driver's left side. On the old 205 I put it under the glovebox, with 2 snorkels under that seat & 3 vents for the windshield & driver's feet.

Link to comment

Ha, well none of you answered in time so I went ahead and ran behind the seats. It actually looks fine. I got about 75% of the way today. All water lines are connected and the blower is wired up. I just need to install the vents, but I'm waiting to do that until I have my new sub box and false wall installed too. There is one spot about 8 inches long where you can see the hoses. I was complaining to my dad about it and he came out and sniffed around for about 5 minutes before he finally caved and asked where the hoses were. Most people will never even notice them.

Link to comment

I'd recommend insulating them. One of my buddies did the same thing, and you could really feel the heat when close to them.

That's good to know. I set it up with ball valves on the feeds, so my thought was to just shut the heater down altogether in the heat of summer. I think I might see heat coming off the hoses in cool weather as a feature, not a problem.

Link to comment

Any photos and detail of the install? Thinking about adding a heater on our vride and would be psyched to see your install.

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...

update... hoses are run (up the gunnel), core is installed. I've got two euro vents in a false wall in front of the sub, and a third that comes out by the cupholders behind the driver (the place where you can stick your arm way in and reach the back of your stereo). I accidentally bought a 3 euro vent heater instead of a 2 + hot tube. So one of the three output vents from the heater is on a Y, which goes to one of the euros in the false wall under the helm and the other goes to the vent behind the driver.

I'm also in the process of installing a hot tube in the walkway, but the batteries on my cordless drill are fading and they'll do about an eighth of an inch through the glass before crapping out. So I've literally been drilling for days. Headed to the local chinese tool mart for a new battery today.

Of course after starting drilling that giant hole in the boat I read the instructions. Heatercraft says to drill a 4 1/4 in hole for the hot tube. My hole saw is 4"! After freaking out a bit, I did test fit the tube into a piece of scrap plywood and it seemed to fit fine in a hole drilled with my 4" hole saw. Time will tell if I ever actually get enough battery power for my drill to get through the walkway wall.

Want to say thanks again to the crew for all of your posts on this stuff, because they've really helped me figure out how this boat works. Never would have tried something like this on my own, that's for sure. If I get a chance to pull the boat out of the storage unit this weekend I'm going to (a) make sure it all actually works on the fake a lake, and (b) take a bunch of pictures in a how-to fashion for anyone thinking of doing this in the future.

Edited by shawndoggy
Link to comment

Nice job, SD. I like the hot tube being more easily accessible to the crew.

One thing I'd wonder about. When you winterize, close both the valves to the engine, blow your heater out. Now you need to open both the lines to the engine to drain it. Any thought as to where that water will go? You will need to make sure to close off the core side so water won't go that way.

Link to comment

Nice job, SD. I like the hot tube being more easily accessible to the crew.

One thing I'd wonder about. When you winterize, close both the valves to the engine, blow your heater out. Now you need to open both the lines to the engine to drain it. Any thought as to where that water will go? You will need to make sure to close off the core side so water won't go that way.

yep, exactly. just close the normal operation ball valves on the Y, open the vent valves, and out pours the hot water (at least from one side of the block).

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...