extending water (rad pipes) info please

atschool · Initiate Jedi Joined: 02 Nov 2014 Posts: 45

hi all what have you used to extend the rad pipes for a TDi in the back of a splitty. The plan is to have the rad in the chase rails same as all the others but to run them up to a old school mini heater in the cab. I am thinking along the lines of using cooper tube for the main run for cost with rubber hose for the joints. is there a better alternative out there. thanks in advance
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the weekends are never long enough

splitbusvanatic · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 4:31 pm Post subject:

Try to get coolant pipes from any water cooled VW transporter between the years of about '84 and '90.
They have two plastic pipes running the length of the body.
Get some silicone 90 degrees bends and joiner pieces from eBay.
Done forget to buy decent jubilee clips. Proper ones.

If you can't get the VW pipes.
Any pipe work really will suffice as long as it's same diameter as your biggest coolant hose already on your engine.

Wilfred · Darth Admin Joined: 13 Nov 2013 Posts: 366

Do you intend to put the heater in line (serial) with the big radiator?

Bad idea. Just use the connections for the original heater radiator. The diameter is around 20 mm, and I could just buy coolant hose in the right diameter at the required length. From back to front, 1 piece rubber hose which is easier to tuck away than solid lines.

The heater rad sits somewhere underneath the floor between the seats and blow nice hot air to the original hot air vents in the dash and around my feet.

Putting the heater in series with the big radiator will also not give enough heat. The original heater starts warming up immediately after you start the engine. The big hoses for the rad are first blocked by the thermostat. I have noticed it takes a long time before the thermostat opens. So you won’t have heat for the first half hour.

Finally, I have put the temperature sensor in the return from the rad, so I am measuring the temperature of the water coming out of the rad. This never gets over 30 degrees celcius these days. I you want to use this water for heating, your warmth supply won’t be enough.

So, long story, but do you get it? 
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1973 BayWindow running 1.9 110 bhp TDI with flipped gearbox.