How safe is the heater booster? My heater booster safety switch housing has begun to crumble which makes me wonder about the safety operating this little neat contraption.
Another thing that scares me, is how hot the floor gets above the heater. It will melt a plastic bag in a heart beat. Which makes me wonder if the overheat switch works.
I inspected the fuel lines, and they look to be in good shape. What maintenance would you recommend prior to attempting to heat one for 1000 miles?
How safe is heater booster?
-
- Old School!
- Location: Little Rock, AR
- Status: Offline
How safe is heater booster?
1981 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia - air-cooled Type4 1970cc CV (hydraulic lifters, 42x36 valves, stock cam, microSquirt FI with wasted spark ignition)
1993 Ford F-250 XL LWB Extended Cab 7.3L IDI
1993 Ford F-250 XL LWB Extended Cab 7.3L IDI
- SlowLane
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Livermore, CA
- Status: Offline
Re: How safe is heater booster?
D'you mean the BA-6 Eberspacher gas heater? Kinda surprised you'd have one. They're much more common in Canada.
They are very well engineered and provide lots of safe (sometimes smelly) heat, if maintained correctly. Got a Bentley? Section 82 is devoted just to the "heater booster". Pp 82-2 through 82-11 are specific to the version delivered with air-cooled vehicles.
The floor above the heater shouldn't get anywhere close to hot enough to melt plastic, so I think there's somethng wrong there. The heat coming out of the vents can get uncomfortably warm if you hold your hand right over the vent,
A quick Google of "eberspacher BA-6" turned up several informative links, such as this one: http://type2.com/bartnik/ba6art.htm
They are very well engineered and provide lots of safe (sometimes smelly) heat, if maintained correctly. Got a Bentley? Section 82 is devoted just to the "heater booster". Pp 82-2 through 82-11 are specific to the version delivered with air-cooled vehicles.
The floor above the heater shouldn't get anywhere close to hot enough to melt plastic, so I think there's somethng wrong there. The heat coming out of the vents can get uncomfortably warm if you hold your hand right over the vent,
A quick Google of "eberspacher BA-6" turned up several informative links, such as this one: http://type2.com/bartnik/ba6art.htm
'81 Canadian Westfalia (2.0L, manual), now Californiated
"They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance."
- Terry Pratchett
"They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance."
- Terry Pratchett
-
- Old School!
- Location: Little Rock, AR
- Status: Offline
Re: How safe is heater booster?
Yes, I have all the manuals -- but sometimes there is always that guy that knows all about these contraptions. My van came from Washington, and spend some of its life in Colorado.
1981 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia - air-cooled Type4 1970cc CV (hydraulic lifters, 42x36 valves, stock cam, microSquirt FI with wasted spark ignition)
1993 Ford F-250 XL LWB Extended Cab 7.3L IDI
1993 Ford F-250 XL LWB Extended Cab 7.3L IDI
- airkooledchris
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Eureka, California
- Contact:
- Status: Offline
Re: How safe is heater booster?
I had an 81 westy with the BA6 as well. I used it ALL the time, but it *never* got that hot where you could tell where it was under the body. Ever.
I drove from Minnesota to California in January and ran it most of the way - the floor where the heater happened to be (underneath) never felt any hotter than the rest of the floor.
Not sure what might be wrong, but something is very wrong.
I drove from Minnesota to California in January and ran it most of the way - the floor where the heater happened to be (underneath) never felt any hotter than the rest of the floor.
Not sure what might be wrong, but something is very wrong.
1979 California Transporter
-
- Old School!
- Location: Little Rock, AR
- Status: Offline
Re: How safe is heater booster?
I've read about several guys having the same thing, but there was no solution.
1981 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia - air-cooled Type4 1970cc CV (hydraulic lifters, 42x36 valves, stock cam, microSquirt FI with wasted spark ignition)
1993 Ford F-250 XL LWB Extended Cab 7.3L IDI
1993 Ford F-250 XL LWB Extended Cab 7.3L IDI
- Amskeptic
- IAC "Help Desk"
- Status: Offline
Re: How safe is heater booster?
Not a good way to address it. Anything! that you read must be filtered through what you understand of human nature. Many people will say, "I never found out what was wrong with it, so I guess it's OK."luftvagon wrote:I've read about several guys having the same thing, but there was no solution.
Colin
(absolutely test temperature limit switches or replace them)
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles