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Idle Heater Mod


ajive

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Seeing that I got a new rig this year, I'm really amped to start the season as early as possible. I live on a very cold section of the Columbia (it's about 42 today) so even when we start seeing mid 70s, it's still chilly on the water. I'd like to make sure that I can create an environment that keeps the wife as happy as possible... she has a very low threshold for cold.

In my lingering around the forums I've read a little about a re-plumbing of the heater to allow for warmer temperatures at idle. However, as far as I can tell, most of the folks that have done this have later model boats. So a couple of questions:

1) Is this mod still needed on newer boats (I have a 13 VTX... I've only had it on the water for the delivery walk through and it seemed like the outlet temperatures were low, or at least slow to get warmed up)

2) If I should do it, have any of you made a good post with instructions and pictures?!

Thanks, as always!

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Some cars have circulation pumps on them...I found a Bosch automotive coolant circulation pump. A lot cheaper...

I installed a pump from a solar heat water system. It does OK, but not to the point that I am able to run the heater when the engine is off.

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Try this link... Will save you some $.

http://www.michiganmotorz.com/magnetic-drive-centrifugal-pump-p-2518.html?gclid=CP_TiMOHtLwCFURnOgodTTkANg

You might google the pump and find the lowest. I paid about 155 including shipping last spring when I did mine. Good luck and have fun this season!

Had a few questions about this pump, did it improve the heat output? Did you just tap into the hot wire coming off the heater so it will automatically come on when you turn heater on? Where did you mount the pump? I am debating going with the venturi fitting or this pump. I really dont want to have to take my sub woofer out and kickplate but I am assuming its the only way to access the wires from the heater, or can you tap in under the drivers helm?

Thanks for any feedback....

Edit: Does anyone know if my 2013 might have the heater venturi fitting already installed? I just checked Bakes and they have a note that all 05+ Malibu's have it installed OEM. I have never checked to see if I have it. Boat was ordered with heater from factory.

Edited by Fman
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All Malibu's since 2013 (maybe late 2012) with a Indmar 6.0L, Indmar LS3, or Indmar LSA have a heater circ pump installed at the factory. No Monsoon 350's come with it, nor will they. Malibu does not use the heater craft "y" fitting anymore either.

We have installed a number of the magnetic drive johnson pumps in customers with Monsoon 350's and we feel it's worthwhile.

Peter

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Peter, how are you wiring this? Directly off the heater motor or can you tie in somewhere closer to the MTC? Where are you mounting the pump? Bilge/Trans area or under the helm by core?

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You can tie it in with the heater wires, or you can run it to a separate switch. I mounted mine at the transom against the back wall.

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I would think you would automatically want it to come on when heater is turned on High or Low setting? assuming a relay would be needed, or can I just directly tie into the wires coming off the heater motor? It would be great to be able to tie into wires under the helm. Taking out my subwoofer is a bit of a hassle, has anyone tied into any wires under the drivers helm coming off the MTC?

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Would just a standard aerator ballast pump work for this application?

I remember reading that this failed on someone because the constant 160 degree water running through warped the pump. Someone posted some cheap $30-40 stainless steel transfer pumps at Harbor Freight that could work.

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Factory pumps are connected to the wiring harness using a relay and a 15 amp fuse. Originally they simply plugged into the fuel pump wiring harness. If the engine is running the pump is running. The magnetic pumps are excellent units, and on new generation engines with cooling that is pulled through the engine rather than pushed, they need to run constantly. This ensures no air lock or air entrapment in the engine circ pump, keeps the engine at normal operating temps, and keeps hot water at the heater for anytime you turn on the fan.

In my opinion I wouldn't install one any other way.

Peter

edit : didn't answer earlier question - These pumps mount in the engine bay, usually on a stringer, a short drop from the out port on the engine for a good water supply. I thought I had photos of ones we had mounted but I can't find them right now.

Edited by SmoothWaterMan
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Factory pumps are connected to the wiring harness using a relay and a 15 amp fuse. Originally they simply plugged into the fuel pump wiring harness. If the engine is running the pump is running. The magnetic pumps are excellent units, and on new generation engines with cooling that is pulled through the engine rather than pushed, they need to run constantly. This ensures no air lock or air entrapment in the engine circ pump, keeps the engine at normal operating temps, and keeps hot water at the heater for anytime you turn on the fan.

In my opinion I wouldn't install one any other way.

Peter

edit : didn't answer earlier question - These pumps mount in the engine bay, usually on a stringer, a short drop from the out port on the engine for a good water supply. I thought I had photos of ones we had mounted but I can't find them right now.

Peter,

Are they pretty quiet, or can you hear them running? If you could locate those pictures that would be awesome. One last question, comparing the venturi fitting to the pump is one significantly better than the other? It would be simple for me to install the venturi fitting and much cheaper. Is there noticeable difference between the two?

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Peter,

Are they pretty quiet, or can you hear them running? If you could locate those pictures that would be awesome. One last question, comparing the venturi fitting to the pump is one significantly better than the other? It would be simple for me to install the venturi fitting and much cheaper. Is there noticeable difference between the two?

I have tried both. There is no comparison. The pump works better.

***i am using an old shower pump that I got from a member (thanks again Boz!!!!) on the freebies thread. It's sorta loud and I thought it would be annoying, but the sound of the heater fans (I have two) totally drowns it out. Nobody notices it.

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As Shawn mentioned, the pump is superior. The mag drive pumps are very hard to tell that they are even running, so noise is no issue.

pb

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Ok, thanks to both of you for the information. Lastly, does anyone have a wiring schematic of how I should wire this on a VLX? I was initially thinking of just going off the heater motor, but it sounds like I need to have it wired to come on everytime the boat is running. It looks like it draws very little amperage, the fuse it requires is a 3 AMP.

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Would just a standard aerator ballast pump work for this application?

I have a buddy in Seattle who tried this. It did work for a while but failed after a couple months. I guess their just not made for hot water or for running for long periods of time.

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If it runs all the time, that's easy... like Peter says, you could run it with the fuel pump. You could also use the ignition as the trigger for the pump (does your stereo come wired to turn on with the ignition? If so use that as a trigger wire for a relay to the pump).

The reason to tie it to the heater would be to keep warm water flowing from the heat soaked warm block to the heater core when the engine is shut down after a run. Otherwise, you kindof give away that potential benefit if the pump only runs when the motor is running.

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I am a little hesitant about wiring directly into wiring that affects the engine running, would hate to have the pump short something out or blow a fuse. My stereo actually used to come on with the ignition turned on, but when I had it installed it will come on without the ignition button pressed. My thought was to have it wired to have it start circulating water once the heater motor turned on, but it sounds like this is not the ideal way to run it. I would love to see some pictures, and a wiring schematic with how I would use it with a relay switch. Will this style of pump (Johnson CM30) actually allow water to circulate if its not running? Or does it need to be running in order to circulate water?

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I think what Peter is saying is that the 6.0 and 6.2 NEED to have the pump running when a heater is installed or else there are cooling problems, but that that's not an issue with the 5.7. My 5.7 has a pump that only comes on with the heater, and I had no cooling probs last season. One out of one, I know, but that's my experience.

How many fan settings do you have on your factory heater? Is it on-off or low-med-hi-off or...? That will dictate how to wire it. Mine is just hi-off, so it's really easy to just use power to the hi wire on the heater fan as the trigger for the relay for the pump.

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