Heaters in your Model A

[BNCHIEF]

Original Thread:
https://www.vintagefordforum.com/for...n-your-model-a


How many of you guys have one and how did you set yours up i am curious, pics would be nice I will be working on mine this weekend, I found a water control valve that is electric as I thought this would make a very clean set up. I am trying to avoid putting holes in the firewall as much as possible. My present fuel line is in the way but I can turn the valve and make a new fuel line that will follow close to the firewall and not stick out from the sediment bowl.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I have added a side inlet casting with the threaded inlet for a heater, and I threaded the top outlet on the rear side for the coolant to go to the heater. Right now I just use a short heater hose to connect the two together, but plan to run hoses through the wood floorboards to the heater core. I was also thinking of having the heater core under the passenger side floorboard and just cutting a heater grate into the wood. This will not take away any interior space, which is already limited. I'm pretty sure this will be my final design. I don't plan to use a control valve, but will cover the grate when heat isn't needed.

[BNCHIEF]

Tom that is an interesting idea, thanks.

[Rowdy]

I have a vintage hot water heater on the shelf for future use. The fan motor is a no good. Will find a replacement for it some time and figure out how to hook it up after then. Also have 4 heater manifolds. Will need to bead blast and inspect for cracks as I have seen several of them cracked in recent years. The thought of cutting a hole in the firewall is a real drawback also. Rod

[BNCHIEF]

Rowdy my car has the autolite heater piece in the firewall already so am going to try to make a bulkhead fitting there so as not to cut more holes.

[Rowdy]

Good idea if you already have a hole. No extra holes in the firewall for the delivery. Thinking a couple of AN structual bulkhead fittings through the floorboard will work fine. Will need to look up AN part numbers when I get to that point. Rod

[George Miller]

I just use the auto light manifold heater. Works good for this part of the country.

[BNCHIEF]

George I have that set-up but the manifold is warped and possibly cracked.

[DaWizard]

I was just sitting here thinking, I have a radiator from a motorcycle laying around that all it would need is a valve and hoses to mount under the car and a hole in the floor to allow the heat in. Kinda sounds like a heater to me. Probably wouldn't hurt to have some type of louver device inside the floor to adjust the amount of heat entering, but I think any hardware store heater duct door would work as a regulator.

Who knows, as an added benefit it could help cool the engine while warming the car!

[BNCHIEF]

Wiz Tom mentioned something like that as well,you may be on to something a scoop for the air would force feed the heat thru aheater duct like in your house could work . I already have a heater I will take some pics as I go about this so maybe we can come up with something to keep from cutting on the fire wall.

[dmdeaton]

So with me being new to this Model A thing and only driving mine off and on for a month now, it seems I have enough heat coming through the firewall to keep me from getting frostbite this winter. I haven't driven it yet with the top up to contain this heat either. And my windshield vibrates closed so I cannot keep the cool breeze coming in. How effective are the manifold heaters?

[BNCHIEF]

People tell me they are quite effective but I have no personal experience with them.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I rode in the back seat of a 31 Town Sedan with a manifold heater, and on a 30* F. day I stayed nice and warm.

I just like the idea of a water heater so I don't have to cut a hole in the firewall, and the added cooling for the engine.

[BNCHIEF]

My thoughts as well Tom

[Mitch]

I rode in the back seat of a 31 Town Sedan with a manifold heater, and on a 30* F. day I stayed nice and warm.

I just like the idea of a water heater so I don't have to cut a hole in the firewall, and the added cooling for the engine.

Tom just having the core laying there won't put out much heat. You should have some kind of blower or air movement through it

[BNCHIEF]

That is why I mentioned a scoop on the bottom like an air scoop working somewhat like the manifold heater does. Wiz talked about a motorcycle radiator they would be pretty compact.

[Mitch]

I think some sort of fan would be more effective than just depending on speed and air flow from only a scoop

[Tom Wesenberg]

That is why I mentioned a scoop on the bottom like an air scoop working somewhat like the manifold heater does. Wiz talked about a motorcycle radiator they would be pretty compact.

Right, an air scoop, plus I have a couple 6 volt squirrel cage fans off old cars.

[Ray Horton]

All my cars came with a hole in the firewall for a manifold heater, though only two had the proper manifold and only one had the proper cover. All three now have complete Autolite setups, and I drive them all through the Oregon winters, which are relatively mild, but boy howdy, it is cold in a A without one!

[BNCHIEF]

Deameaton looks like Ray answered your question for you.

[dmdeaton]

Yes, and I am thinking about a manifold heater. This will be our first Ohio winter in a Model A. We don't have curtains either. My first car in school was a fiberglass body open dune buggy. I had a top and curtains and drove it through the winter. I was 16 then.

[BNCHIEF]

I use to ride motorcycle racing on ice and I never noticed the cold then. The autolite manifold heater is the best so I am told.

[dmdeaton]

Bratton's sells the Autolite, but says only works with the waffle manifold. What is the waffle manifold?

[Mark Maron]

I have a NOS Southwind Heater..yet to install but pretty nice....

[BNCHIEF]

No they make a bolt on for the modern manifold but when you google it and have a look then go to snyders and look up theirs and the directions it will give you a clear choice on the set-up you will have to cut a hole in the firewall as well for any heater but pictures will show it all to if you cannot come up with something i can get pictures for you.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Here's my bypass hose until I install my heater core. I have a 180* thermostat and the bypass hose will circulate the block coolant for even heating of the block, until the thermostat opens.

Heater Hose.JPG

[Mark Maron]

AND why didn't you do this to my car when you were here....Hmmmmmmmmm :-)

[slammin]

Tom,
Where did you get the lower outlet set up for the hose fitting?

[CarlG]

I bought a couple of cast iron ones on the swap meet at the "other" site. The ones the vendors have are aluminum.

[BNCHIEF]

Slammin I think I have seen them in vendor sites you can also get a new lower pipe that has a bung for the heater hose connection and still has the the lower drain petcock check brattons, bert's or snyders.

[Brian French]

A word of caution when using the manifold heaters. Mine looked perfect, and checked out with dye penetrating method. I bought a carbon monoxide detector powered by a 9 volt battery, and in 15 minuets of driving started going off.

I removed the the short hose, and heater cover, and no alarms.

I did have the manifold fold ground before I installed it with new copper gaskets, and torqued cold and then again hot.

I cant see any reason for the exhaust gas leakage.

I would suggest that that car users purchase a carbon monoxide detector, for winter (closed windows) driving.

Best Regards;

Brian French

[Mitch]

If you have no leaks maybe it was getting sucked in from the car in front of you.. Yikes

We have our own built in gas chambers

[BNCHIEF]

This is one of the drawbacks to the manifold heater imo and why I prefer a water type heater.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Tom,
Where did you get the lower outlet set up for the hose fitting?

I found it at a swap meet, or it might have been at one of the National Model A meets. As mentioned, I think the vendors also sell them.

[Mitch]

https://www.brattons.com/side-water-inlet-w-temperature-probe-boss.html

[bettlesr]

Tom:
With the bypass hose the way you have it, aren't you essentially bypassing the radiator? I think you should plug the hose until you get a heater in there. In more modern cars the heater line is shut off when heat is not required. I can see where it would help before the thermostat opens though.

[bettlesr]

Here's a heater I put under the front seat in my Sport Coupe. My son welded up the box and we cut down a later pickup heater core to fit. The air comes out at about 175°F. The outlets are air vents from a British sports car. There is a third outlet on the box which dumps some warm air under the seat as a seat heater. The picture by the transmission shows the heater contol valve to change the temperature. It us from an old Chrysler vehicle.

[Mark Maron]

6 volt still i hope??

[Mitch]

Bettle that is a clean and slick heater installation. Very very nice and you even have a lever to control the heater valve, instead of manually reaching for it as most would do.

Having seen your car in person a few times all your mods are first class

[bettlesr]

Mark:
Was 6v when I first put it in, now 12v (for GPS, led lights, ...)

[BNCHIEF]

Class job and a unique idea.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Tom:
With the bypass hose the way you have it, aren't you essentially bypassing the radiator? I think you should plug the hose until you get a heater in there. In more modern cars the heater line is shut off when heat is not required. I can see where it would help before the thermostat opens though.

Actually many cars run a full time bypass or keep the coolant bypassing when the core is turned off.
My car's radiator keeps the coolant at a good temp even with the bypass.