Wrapping copper tube around the exhaust pipes eliminates that risk , gives the air more time to heat up . Like an on demand hot water heater col works
jobob330 - 12/8/2012 9:23 AM
the wv thing looks to me like it will work. the thing that scares me is that in the event of a crack in the metal that will allow exhaust gas into the air supply and that could be bad. on airplanes the exhaust can be inspected every year for cracks. maybe i missed something but it doesn't look like the vw can be disembled to inspect. also the entire muffler is used to collect heat. its a fairly large area and it works quite well. it will put out more heat than you can use here in texas even at altitude its not all that hard to heat the bird. course it is traveling along at 150 mph too and the rig will not be that fast. also it doesnt' work at all sitting at a red light unless of course you put in a fan. johnny
The air box design was used on aircooled VW engines from the very early 1960's until the end of the aircooled Beetle. It was also used on the aircooled 911's and 914's. I worked on Vdubs for 10 years and never saw a heater box fail. The air valve might freeze up, or the outer tin housing would rot away, but the exhaust never leaked into the air moving into the interior of the car that I knew of. VW's earlier method of heat was to gather the air used to cool the cylinder heads and the cylinders then direct it into the passenger area. These engines used no head gaskets and many did leak small amounts of exhaust into the heater air on its way to the body.
I took the body off my sidecar today in order to paint it. Later, I sat looking at the exhaust system wondering what would be the easiest way to get heat from the exhaust into the hack without complicating things to much, and at the same time having a minimal effect on the appearance of the motorcycle. I don't know yet which way I'll do it ( copper tube, air, coolant, heater box, etc) but I am going to do it.......or maybe I'll just tell her to turn the switch for her electric vest back on!
The German heaters that I showed in photos before all had what is called a diffuser on them. Sort of looks a bit like a large shower head No pics to share of one, but it is probably important on the heating device to spread or focus the heat at the end or such.
Pat, in addition to Your idea, I might suggest, that a airmixing would serve as well.
Sven
Part of the problem in running a manifold heater, as typically found in a Model A Ford and other vintage cars, is that there really was no control device to adjust the heat. Just a swivel door adjustment that is haphazard at best. The heat was generally fully on or fully off, depending if you had the door thingie installed or not. Even with a heater inside the hack, I'd bet there are just too many variables to make it all that effective anyway. A good lap robe, tonneau pulled down around the hack monkey or electric blanket and warmer heated clothing is probably a more functional combination. Creativity may make someone come up with something actually workable, but I am lucky my dogs are my only riders and they don't really complain all that much, despite the cooler weather. There are really just too many areas for the cold to enter on my Ural, includiing the metal surface if the tub, too. If someone develops something, I hope they post pics, as I do enjoy the creative ideas when they work.
Pat Huey - 12/10/2012 6:47 AM
Part of the problem in running a manifold heater, as typically found in a Model A Ford and other vintage cars, is that there really was no control device to adjust the heat. Just a swivel door adjustment that is haphazard at best. The heat was generally fully on or fully off, depending if you had the door thingie installed or not. Even with a heater inside the hack, I'd bet there are just too many variables to make it all that effective anyway. A good lap robe, tonneau pulled down around the hack monkey or electric blanket and warmer heated clothing is probably a more functional combination. Creativity may make someone come up with something actually workable, but I am lucky my dogs are my only riders and they don't really complain all that much, despite the cooler weather. There are really just too many areas for the cold to enter on my Ural, includiing the metal surface if the tub, too. If someone develops something, I hope they post pics, as I do enjoy the creative ideas when they work.
Sorry, no pics Pat, but hey, per your request, how about this?
A small automotive alternator connected by a high-ratio belt drive to a bicycle pedal assembly in nose of sidecar with the alternator output hard-wired to a 12V electric heater. About 2 minutes of pedal work would have the passenger nice and toasty warm whether any of the rest of the silly contraption worked or not! Plus it could give life more meaning on long, cold rides when scenery is lacking.
As an extra bonus if you're the gearhead type you could install a bypass/over-ride so that the pedal power energizes reverse gear when needed, or even powers up your passing gear! Could get dicey when you're running alone, but where there's a will...
For the dogs you'd have to get a bit more high tech, or maybe that's low tech, or even pooch tech and use a treadmill instead of pedals, with a piece of London Broil secured to sidecar dash just beyond pooch's reach. The dogs might have a bit of a time of it in the curves, but worth a try.
There ya go, American ingenuity strikes again, we aims to please. 🙂
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just a fyi here is a pic of the heat collector on my airplane. this one supplies heat to the carb to keep it from icing. the actual cabin heat comes off the muffler collector and doesnt' show in a pic. just thought a pic may show how easy a collector could be built. johnny
My experience of Beetle heaters is that you have two choices, warm air but choke on the fumes or fresh air and freeze. It's not going to be easy but I still favour using the cooling system.
Sid
The familiar old saying goes, "If your feet are cold, your whole body is cold..."
Any bike whether air or water cooled has an available heat source. One might consider installing an oil cooler in the nose of sidecar, with an adjustable fresh air duct to blow through it. [You do need to add oil when adding a cooler because of larger volume]. With it mounted lower in the chair it retains the dipstick function.
There are oil temperature gauges made that screw into the dipstick hole on several models of bikes. Some bikes prefer to run on the warm side so the oil cooler as heater may not be immediately usable that the passenger could open the air vent to force air over it. A few minutes should get things up to speed.
Many choices on what type of oil lines to use. Personally here function outweighs form, so that high pressure black rubber hose would do fine for me. Braided have their own complications, hard lines should have a flexible section somewhere in the run. Possible to transition from hard lines on engine for looks and then to rubber lines across to chair.
In general you have virtually the same thing as a hot water heater but using hot 165*-190* oil instead. Properly installed it's quite safe and functional and shouldn't cause any stress on engine far as I know. Some bikes use very low oil pressure so that should be looked into I guess.
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Why?
If the question of 'Why' is directed at my suggestion for a sidecar heat source the answer is in the first sentence of my post.
Just my opinion but it's a scary thought to be dressed like the rider in your picture while riding a bike. Even with an outfit accidents can happen that grind flesh to hamburger smears on the blacktop.
Yea, been there done that.
If this pic loads, then perhaps it will show some creativity in what one can do if they put their minds to it. I have seen pics of a sidecar as a bar-b-que unit, but that may be a bit of a turn off to the vegans. 🙂 Ya' gotta' admit that there would likely be some heat generated there somewhere for the monkey. 🙂
Hello Pat,
that looks like a wood gas generator like they used during and after WW2. Don't ask about the amount of cancerigenous tar that it produces...
But no need for gasoline except the first few seconds until enough CO is generated.
All You need is dry hard wood and water... And pretty often clean the piping.
Perhaps as side product the tar might become thick enough for to use it as asphalt or asphalt binder...
Sven :O
Looks like my uncle Elroy's old still!
