Removal of rear heater core

[staggerlee917]

I would like to remove the heater core in the rear of my 1980 Ford Blue bird. The guy who sold it to me told me that if i do this, i risk the engine overheating. Is this true?
Also.... how do i plug the coolant hoses?

Anyone come up with creative ideas for thier heaters?

Thanks,
Keith

[Steve]

If you remove the heater core you can just cut a bolt to plug the hose and clamp it in.

On my bus I use the rear heater in the winter, but obviously I don't want all that warm water running through the interior during the summer. So I have a valve on the two hoses that run through the interior heater cores. I just close it during the summer when I don't need the heat. I have never had a problem with overheating, the radiators on buses are huge.

Here is a picture that shows the valves, they are different because that is just what was around.

[Les Lampman]

Keith,

I don't think you got good info on that deal. As Tullamore said, most buses and trucks have shut-off valves since you don't want hot coolant running through the heater cores in the summertime (even without the blowers going they radiate a lot of heat).

And...the chassis/engine/cooling system is likely to be just the same as the medium duty truck the bus is based on and most of them will not have the extra heaters the school bus does; they're designed to cool with just the radiator.

I know my skoolie's rear heaters are coming out!

[soused moose]

I pulled out our rear heater ...cut the hoses leading back to it and bought a heater hose loop and fittings ...
Here's a couple of pics of how I did it...

Can anyone see any problems with a setup like this ?
Thanks Folks

http://www.mobilehomestead.com/newbu...eaterhose1.jpg

http://www.mobilehomestead.com/newbu...thoseloop1.jpg

[lapeer20m]

Why remove the rear heater? The heat that comes from the engine coolant is free. How do you plan to heat the bus when it's driving down the road in cold weather??

I live in Michigan, perhaps you're in a different climate. If i'm not utilizing the rear heater,(ie: it's heating water in the jacuzzi instead of the air) i find it necessary to fire up the propane furnace to compensate. I often think how silly it is to spend money on propane to make heat while my bus engine is wasting heat to the atmosphere. I need a second heater core!

Most big trucks and buses i've looked at have valves under the hood to close the loop going to the heater cores during the summer.

If your engine (gasoline most likely) were to start running hot, perhaps while climbing a mountain or crossing the dessert while pulling a heavy load ect, turning on all the heaters in the bus would help significantly with cooling the engine, (while at the same time roasting the occupants)

I don't forsee any adverse effects on the engine from removing the heater core....just thougt i'd give ya some food for thought.

[Les Lampman]

Originally Posted by lapeer20m

Why remove the rear heater? The heat that comes from the engine coolant is free. How do you plan to heat the bus when it's driving down the road in cold weather??

'Cuz it's a great big honkin' ugly thing...both of them!

I'm going to utilize hot coolant for heating just like the bus heaters do but I'm using Heatercraft stainless units that are sized more appropriately. A couple of the kick-space (under cabinet) units will go in the kitchen 'L' (one facing aft, the other forward) and another ducted model will go under the rear bed with a duct to the bathroom and one in the center "hallway". The units I'm using have high efficiency (low draw) blowers to keep the electical demands down. When the bus engine isn't running, hot coolant for the system will be supplied by the propane water heater which has a coolant loop in it; main heat for the bus is the Dickenson Antarctic diesel heater/fireplace in the livingroom area of the bus.

[lapeer20m]

That sounds like an excellent setup ! I wish i had a diesel furnace.

[busone]

Take a look on Ebay someitimes you can find the cheap. Also bus wrecking yards will have them sometimes. It seems like a lot of people I have talked to are able to get them at a decent price in the northern states where bus companies use them.