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custom heater box made from harrison parts

Discussion in 'Flat Fender Tech' started by thenoblesock, Oct 15, 2009.

  1. Oct 15, 2009
    thenoblesock

    thenoblesock Tetanus Collector

    Pittsburgh, Pa
    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2007
    Messages:
    101
    A year ago when we finished refurbishing my 48' I found an old Harrison heater hidden inside the dash. I took it apart cleaned and painted it but the core was too leaky to use. My local rad. shop said they couldn't fix it so I just shelved the heater.

    My 2a is about to get back on the road. With winter just around the bend disturbing memories from last winter came flooding back. (Freezing to death in northern pa). I didn't have any heat except from the headers heating up the floor.

    Happily, the old fan motor still worked like a champ but had a whine coming from a bearing. Took it apart, sprayed it with electric parts cleaner and with some grease it was doing better.

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    ::the inspiration for this project::

    I thought about it some more and compared prices for Mojave heaters and what it might cost to get the core remade/re-cored (don't know much about the possibilities) and decided to take a stab at just building and enclosure for the fan and a modern heater core.

    Scooped up the cheapest core I could find on eBay. (Literally picked the first one that was square and fewer than 5 dollars brand new) I came up with a core for a 97-2002 ford expedition NAPA part no. 660-1770.

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    ::expedition core::

    This ended up being a fun little project, the only real tricky part was not painting myself into a corner and accidentally welding the core into the enclosure and making sure I could remove it in the future if it needs to be replaced.

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    ::First step was to make a part to cradle the core and I built the enclosure around that base::

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    ::not my best welds, but I was kind of rushing, also the hold down strap for the core::

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    ::couple views of the enclosure's shroud and a shaped piece of metal to help divert the air through the core::

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    ::bracket to hold the Harrison fan inside the shroud, no tie fighter look-alike comments please::

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    ::I used old bicycle tubes to make some basic gaskets in hopes of filling any gaps left from inferior sheet metal work::

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    ::some shots of the heater fully assembled, more gaskets and insulation will come when it's painted and ready to go into the dashboard::

    I'll post more when it goes in as well as a review of how well it actually keeps me warm. So far I think this is a great way to save money and practice fabrication on a budget. The only problems I’m seeing immediately with this setup is weight (probably close to 20lb), using an ancient motor that could be costly to get rebuilt, and (not that this matters as much) it's tedious to take apart with all the screws required.

    [​IMG]

    The final product will have vents that mimic the original Harrison to divert the (hopefully hot) air over to the driver’s side and a coat of orange paint to match.

    this may or may not work, but here's a video of it running.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nUxXdyHssg
     
    Last edited: Oct 15, 2009
  2. Oct 15, 2009
    Howard Eisenhauer

    Howard Eisenhauer Administrator Staff Member

    Tantallon, Nova...
    Joined:
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    8,102
  3. Oct 15, 2009
    aallison

    aallison 74 cj6, 76 cj5. Has anyone seen my screwdriver?

    Green Cove...
    Joined:
    Nov 24, 2006
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    1,929
    I think it's a good idea. I'd put something on thr front of the fan just to keep crap from getting into the fan and heat exchanger. But I think you did a great job and I'm sure it will work........
     
  4. Oct 15, 2009
    thenoblesock

    thenoblesock Tetanus Collector

    Pittsburgh, Pa
    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2007
    Messages:
    101
    yeah good idea, that fan is a finger chopper
     
  5. Oct 15, 2009
    duffer

    duffer Rodent Power

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2009
    Messages:
    4,460
    Pretty nice piece of work. I built an aux heater for the 3B that fits under the driver's seat (tank relocated to rear). Used a J20 core and a 3 speed fan from a 77 accord (one that I had laying around) and it really does put out the heat-to the point where you really do not need a coat if the doors are on it. I uploaded a jpg of it to my 3B album. I still have that ice box harrison unit someplace but I don't really miss it.
     
  6. Oct 15, 2009
    Brian P

    Brian P Member

    Clarkdale Arizona
    Joined:
    Nov 24, 2007
    Messages:
    650
    :beer: looks good:)
     
  7. Oct 15, 2009
    dohc281

    dohc281 It is what it is.

    Laurel Springs, N.J.
    Joined:
    Dec 30, 2004
    Messages:
    605
    That is cool.
     
  8. Oct 15, 2009
    thenoblesock

    thenoblesock Tetanus Collector

    Pittsburgh, Pa
    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2007
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    thanks guys, hopefully it's worth all the time
     
  9. Oct 18, 2009
    w3srl

    w3srl All-around swell dude Staff Member

    Port Orange, FL
    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2002
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    4,275
    Masterful! :beer:

    X2 on the guard though, you'd be amazed at teh crap that will end up being slammed into your new heater core without one!
     
  10. Oct 19, 2009
    Rondog

    Rondog just hangin' out

    Parker, CO
    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2005
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    2,918
    Yankee ingenuity at it's finest! (well, OK, "Southern" ingenuity!)

    Keep us posted on the progress, but I agree about some kind of screen. That fan'll suck in all kinds of stuff. Hard to tell how big it is, will it fit under your dash?
     
  11. Oct 19, 2009
    Yankeefist

    Yankeefist Sponsor

    Atchison, Kansas
    Joined:
    Oct 3, 2009
    Messages:
    94
    Nice job. I recently needed a heater for my flat fender and found this. http://www.armysurpluswarehouse.com/product/jeep-heater-3259.cfm
    I had to solder some extensions onto the water inlet and outlet but it fit up under the dash perfectly and really heats up the cab well.
    I also found that pvc pipe fits the air outlet so I was able to use it for the duct work and a removeable defroster hose.
    For $70 I think it was quite a bargain.
     
  12. Oct 19, 2009
    thenoblesock

    thenoblesock Tetanus Collector

    Pittsburgh, Pa
    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2007
    Messages:
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    very cool, thats a good alternative to a mojave. you said that you sodered up the pipes and it held fine? i might need to alter mine a bit to make for an easier install
     
  13. Oct 19, 2009
    thenoblesock

    thenoblesock Tetanus Collector

    Pittsburgh, Pa
    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2007
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    i'm fitting it under the dash at this very momment, just gotta get the brackets done and then i'll put some paint on it and post more pictures. it's a tight fit with about 1/2" on each side
     
  14. Oct 20, 2009
    Hawkes

    Hawkes Member

    Nova scotia
    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2003
    Messages:
    490
    Looks like a fun project.

    I just took my Jeepster heater out and put in a Summit heater. The biggest problem I had was defrosting the window, did the older Jeeps even have a defrost duct? My original was in good condition just the output was poor. Even with the floor ducts covered we had to keep a rag to wipe the windshield inside.
     
  15. Oct 20, 2009
    Yankeefist

    Yankeefist Sponsor

    Atchison, Kansas
    Joined:
    Oct 3, 2009
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    The pipes are 1/2" copper, so I just got what I needed from my local plumbers supply.


    As far as defrosters go. I made a quick connect under the dash and a hanger on the windshield frame. When I need defrosted I get out the hose and just plug it in.
     
  16. Oct 20, 2009
    thenoblesock

    thenoblesock Tetanus Collector

    Pittsburgh, Pa
    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2007
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    Got a chance to do a little more on the heater as far as getting the mounts made and putting some paint on.

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    Just some paint on the housing and mocking up the core

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    Firewall mount (1 of 3) with welded nut and a gas-starved weld on the bottom....uhg.

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    These hit the bottom flange of the dash and self-tap into it from there




    Then it was time to make the look alike Harrison vents that will hopefully direct some of that air over to the driver’s side

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    If I’m not careful it might look like I know what I’m doing. Bonus points if you can see the formula I used to calculate the hypotenuse of my vents' triangle haha

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    A couple paper models to test fit and copy

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    Time to make them out of metal since the paper ones probably wouldn't hold up as well...

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    Repeated and after some drilling installed the vents
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    And finally some paint
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    I deviated from my usual impatient approach and I’m letting these cure till tomorrow and do a final assembly with all the gaskets and insulation. And I’ll of course post with more gratuitous photography of it completed and installed.
     
  17. Oct 20, 2009
    thenoblesock

    thenoblesock Tetanus Collector

    Pittsburgh, Pa
    Joined:
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    man i didn't reallize there were so many cost-friendly heater options
     
  18. Oct 21, 2009
    Rondog

    Rondog just hangin' out

    Parker, CO
    Joined:
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    Dang son, that's looking pretty good! If that doesn't work, we'll always wonder why not! Are you going to put any kind of flow control valve in the input line, to control the heat?
     
  19. Oct 21, 2009
    thenoblesock

    thenoblesock Tetanus Collector

    Pittsburgh, Pa
    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2007
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    is a flow control valve just simply a lever to lock out the flow of the coolant? i've seen those but wasn't much planning on it. maybe it would be good for spring/summer when it warms up. right now i'm looking foward to all the heat i can generate.
     
  20. Oct 21, 2009
    Rondog

    Rondog just hangin' out

    Parker, CO
    Joined:
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    The flow control valve would regulate the flow of water/coolant through the heater, so you don't cook yourself out of there. Lots of good heat would be a great thing, but too much wouldn't be. How about fan speeds, more than one or just on/off?

    I scored this heater on eBay for around $20, plus shipping. Can't recall exactly, but it was cheap. Haven't been able to identify it, but it certainly looks like it'll fit my CJ5 firewall. It's 12v, has 2 speeds and a flow control valve, air vents out the wazoo, motor runs great, and the core doesn't leak. I have high hopes for it.

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    Last edited: Oct 21, 2009
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