Circulating heater install on 1HDT

[djsherif]

I'm suspicious of " sharp turn at the Y and head into the block outlet." doesn't sound right to me. The output from the heater should make a direct as possible line to the valve on the firewall.

Like finderscuba said, air is your enemy. Raise the front end, take off the rad cap and let the engine run for 5 mins or so then try again. Also check your unit to make sure it's not damaged. You can use a meter on the wire end of it. Last tip is make sure your heater valve on the firewall is wide open (heat set to max inside truck) or your heat will do nowhere.

 

[finderscuba]

Last tip is make sure your heater valve on the firewall is wide open (heat set to max inside truck) or your heat will do nowhere.

That's not quite true in my experience. Even with the valve closed, I still get decent flow through the block. That's why it's so key to have the heater mounted to the frame rail. And to have no air at all!

 

[djsherif]

Could be. In my case If I close my valve it's 90℅ less effective

 

[djsherif]

Which drain plug did you use? I used the one next to the oil cooler

 

[arnott1t]

Here's the install pic

 

[arnott1t]

Yes the one on the oil cooler next
To the oil filter.

 

[djsherif]

Install doesn't look right to me. Looks like you have a high point after your Y where air can get trapped. Looks like the hot coolant would naturally want to flow back down the other hose to the right to the engine outlet. I would put my Y on the vertical rise like in the pic I posted earlier.

 

[arnott1t]

Well I replaced the y fitting with a new one. The old one was still leaking air. I discovered this by trying the heater again and watching the Y with a flashlight. I could see tiny bibles migrating through the tee. Then they collected and eventually the tee filled with air and lost circulation.

I added a pressure test and shot a stream if coolant out the one joint. AHA

So swapped the Y and added new hose clamps. Re tested no leaks. Then topped up and bled for 15 mins. It's now cooling in the freezer that is northern alberta. I'll plug it in again in an hour and report back

 

[djsherif]

Glad it's working

 

[arnott1t]

So went out after a test of an hour or less

Tee was full of air. Pocket trapped at top of it. Seems like flow was still making the turn but I'm either not getting all the air out or something is drawing it in.


I'll test again tomorrow after my commute. The nice part was there was temp reading on the gauge though not all the way to operating temperature. I may bite the bullet and add a electric pump to circ everything. Then I'd know things are well warmed and wouldn't worry as much about air issues.

 

[IanB]

It would be real nice if there was an alternative with an integrated circulation pump, but I haven't found anything yet.

 

[finderscuba]

I found a heater with integrated pump a while back, but when I inquired into the price, it was close to $2K. I could get two Webastos for that.

 

[djsherif]

Second the webasto. That's next year maybe.

 

[arnott1t]

A good friend installed a 110v princess auto circulating pump. It's much larger and noisier than needed but it works positively fantastic. Entire engine is toasty warm with heat at vents right away. Heater core is warm too. -25 no glow needed. It's nice. I don't like its size and added leak points but it may be a good option. They are only about 100 bucks


I plugged in this morning when I arrived at work at 730. Checked it at 10. All is well. No air in the tee. Good circulation and a hot line both to the heater core and to the block. I assume I'm getting some flow
Making the turn and some continuing to the cores. The trouble is my return to engine is only warm at best. Not hot like the others. I think I'm still ok tough as the heater feed line is hot all the way to the block so I have a circulation path there.


Supply from block drain is cool so I'm getting flow.

I'll check again later today.

Once this is working ill have the engine warm and I already have a webasto air too keeping the cab warm. Be able to jump in and driver after work. Nice!

 

[Douglas S]

The upfront cost for a Webasto/Espar is significant, but I can honestly say it is the single best item I've added to my truck and I would do it again in an instant.

 

[Greg_B]

I'll be installing a Zerostart 1000 watt circulating heater for my 1HD-T soon and this thread has been a great help, so thanks. Unless I missed it, I did not see that anyone answered the question to size/thread of the lower ACSD port and had the opportunity today to look things over on a 1HD-T outside a vehicle. As the attached picture shows (ACSD nipple to the right and block drain removed in the picture) the ACSD nipple is a press fit, as opposed to the threaded block drain. Seems to me the block drain will be the one to use for these circulating coolant heaters and is the one I will use (especially as posted here the fitting that comes with the kit threads right in).

Perhaps a good use of the upper and lower ports on the ACSD would be a heat exchange for a shower...but that's a totally different thread.

Any updates from those went through install?

gb

 

[Squash]

Use the lowest possible port.
Anytime you run low of coolant you risk burning out the heater element.
Supply line low and heater should be lower yet. You want at least a one foot rise before Y ing off to heater hose.
A deep 14mm and extention above tire puts you dead onto block drain you can even remove the tire and skirting if it helps.
Honestly this takes but 10 min of time, and don't bother draining the block it just makes a mess. Work fast and keep your rad cap on as it helps keep fluid from draining.

 

[John Galt]

The upfront cost for a Webasto/Espar is significant, but I can honestly say it is the single best item I've added to my truck and I would do it again in an instant.

If you routinely park your truck where there is no plug-in preheating power available then the upfront cost for a Webasto/Espar is perhaps justified, otherwise NO. I live in one of the coldest climates in NorthAmerica and only use plug-in preheating: lower rad hose heater, battery blankets, and heating blanket over the injectors. The fuel heat exchanger also has a heating pad.

To assist with cold starts below freezing, add premium[no ethanol] gasoline to the diesel fuel up to 10%, and set the hand throttle to 1400rpm before shut-down.

 

[IanB]

If you routinely park your truck where there is no plug-in preheating power available then the upfront cost for a Webasto/Espar is perhaps justified, otherwise NO. I live in one of the coldest climates in NorthAmerica and only use plug-in preheating: lower rad hose heater, battery blankets, and heating blanket over the injectors. The fuel heat exchanger also has a heating pad.

To assist with cold starts below freezing, add premium[no ethanol] gasoline to the diesel fuel up to 10%, and set the hand throttle to 1400rpm before shut-down.

Where are you located John?

Another nice thing about the Webasto is you can keep running it as you start your drive until the engine gets up to operating temp. Can't do that with plug-in heaters, and these things don't exactly generate a lot of heat when it's -30C or worse.

 

[Douglas S]

If you routinely park your truck where there is no plug-in preheating power available then the upfront cost for a Webasto/Espar is perhaps justified, otherwise NO. I live in one of the coldest climates in NorthAmerica and only use plug-in preheating: lower rad hose heater, battery blankets, and heating blanket over the injectors. The fuel heat exchanger also has a heating pad.

To assist with cold starts below freezing, add premium[no ethanol] gasoline to the diesel fuel up to 10%, and set the hand throttle to 1400rpm before shut-down.

I use mine all the time even with access to plug-ins at my office and home (when I purchased it I did not have a plug-in at work). If it's cold I run the Webasto when I'm running errands.

I think everyone will have situations when a plug-in is not available and my truck is very unhappy starting at -30C or colder for a few hours without some assistance. The cost may not be justified for everyone, but If I want to do any winter activities there will almost certainly not be a plug-in where my truck is parked.