Date:         Fri, 17 May 1996 13:28:21 -0700 (PDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Tobin T. Copley" <tobin@vcn.bc.ca>
Subject:      Re: Where's the gas heater go?

On Fri, 17 May 1996, dean c aukes wrote:

> Having recently gotten an Eberspacher BN-4 gas heater (thanks Jeff
> Schneiter), I am now trying to find out the original installation location
> and details for Opie, my '68 Crew Cab pickup.  I think they went under the
> rear seat on the drivers side.  Has anyone ever seen one installed?  Any
> ideas on where I might find documents or manuals showing this installation?

The BN-4 standard installation location is on the left side (FIF) of the 
engine compartment, to the left of the engine.  I installed a BN-4 in my 
76 westy, and it kept Christa and I alive in -40 C temperatures in Eastern 
Canada on our 'round North America trip, but I don't trust those things 
enough to have it in a contained space inside the passenger compartment.  
No way.  Freaks me out enough just to have it in the engine compartment.  
Mind you, the Eberspacher is as safe as gas heaters get--lots of 
fail-safes and over-heating switches.

To install, you'll need to cut a round hole in the floor of the engine 
compartment right where the battery tray would be if you had a battery on 
that side.  Oh: if you've got aux batteries, I doubt they'd fit with the 
heater installed.  That hole is for the heater exhaust to run through.  
Hopefully, you got that pipe from Jeff--it's the one with the wedge cut 
and plate on the end of it.  

Wedge the heater into place with the big orange fan to the rear (FIF, 
again).  There will be some rectangular-section ducting that will pass 
from the front of the heater, through the firewall, to the left of the 
fuel tank, and through the body into the passenger compartment.  It 
enters the passenger compartment just above the left rear wheel wheel 
well, to the left of the rear seat.  Not sure how you'd have to run it in 
the single cab.  I'm sure there's a way to hook the whole thing into the 
existing heater box ducts, but maybe someone else knows how to do that.
Be very, very careful cutting the holes for the ducting: remember, your 
fuel tank is just an inch or so away from your saw blade.  Please: keep 
the sparks down and have a fire extinguisher handy.  Heck, you might even 
want to pull the engine and fuel tank--having the space would make the 
job a lot easier anyway.

Joel had great fun cutting a big hole for the heater exhaust while I 
looked away and flinched at the sound of metal being cut away from my 
Westy pal.  I don't have the stomach for that sort of thing.  Joel and I 
also had a great time running back and forth across Tuscaloosa trying to 
get an exhaust pipe correctly fabricated.  

I've got a manual on Eberspacher gas heaters (from Joel, actually).  It's 
mostly for the BA-6 (the under-the-body model), but does have some 
diagrams for the BN-4 and some useful diagnostics for setting it up.  
Send me your address and I'll mail you a copy of it if you wish.

Oh, bench test it ON A BENCH well away from things that might be damaged 
by fire, explosion, high-speed projectiles, or atmospheric overpressures 
of 10x or more.  Make sure it's working properly before you install it 
in Opie.

I'm glad you've finally got a heater--just in time for summer, too!

Tobin
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Tobin T. Copley              VW Busses to Inuvik!        =============  
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tobin@vcn.bc.ca                 July 22-Aug 14 96      O|             | putta
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