Removing the Heater - Coolant Shut Off Valve?

[thesantoros]

Hi all! Bought a 2007 Freightliner FS65 (MBE904) last week and all the seats are out! While my wife started taking the wall paneling / insulation today, I started working on the heater. The coolant lines run internal to the bus on the floor in a metal channel. I wasn’t able to get the whole channel off just yet, there’s still one pesky screw that I couldn’t back out and didn’t have the space to angle grind off.

Regardless, I’ve read that some heaters have a shut off valve under the hood... (excuse my ignorance if not, but...) is that what I’m looking at in the picture below? Excuse the bad angle, on the left hand side you can see what looks to me like a standard garden hose shut off valve.

Better yet...where would I go to find this sort of info? I looked through the owners manual but I didn’t find anything that was helpful here.

 

[thesantoros]

Ah looks like the picture flipped. The bottom would be “left”

 

[thesantoros]

I circled the valve handle here

 

[bachataBus]

My coolant lines did have a couple of shutoff valves (one for outgoing, one for incoming, 1997 International). However, the best way to know is to just trace the lines from the heater.

The coolant lines run internal to the bus on the floor in a metal channel. I wasn’t able to get the whole channel off just yet, there’s still one pesky screw that I couldn’t back out and didn’t have the space to angle grind off.

Is this what is preventing you from tracing the lines? Any way to jiggle the lines to see where they go?

 

[thesantoros]

My coolant lines did have a couple of shutoff valves (one for outgoing, one for incoming, 1997 International). However, the best way to know is to just trace the lines from the heater.



Is this what is preventing you from tracing the lines? Any way to jiggle the lines to see where they go?

Yeah, that’s what’s preventing me from tracing the lines internally right now. Hoping to get it off next time we’re out working on it.

 

[Native-SKO]

Yeah, that’s what’s preventing me from tracing the lines internally right now. Hoping to get it off next time we’re out working on it.

Can you put a notch in the screw head with a cut-off disk on an angle grinder?


Or, can you get a pair of vice grips on it?


If you are not planning on keeping the cover, use a crow bar on it.

 

[bachataBus]

Can you put a notch in the screw head with a cut-off disk on an angle grinder?


Or, can you get a pair of vice grips on it?


If you are not planning on keeping the cover, use a crow bar on it.

Second the crow bar. You gotta break some eggs right? Also, I meant to say earlier, I did have shutoff valves, but mine looked different, so I can't say for sure what you're lookin at. Mine were ball valves.

 

[Johnny Mullet]

Why remove the heater? I love my heaters!

 

[bachataBus]

Why remove the heater? I love my heaters!

I removed the heater (in favor a diesel heater) so that I could have something that would run while I wasn't driving, which the coolant based heaters obviously don't do. It's more of a house now, and less of a truck for children!

 

[cadillackid]

you will wantthose heaters if you do drive in the winter at all.. at least the front ones.. not likely the rear ones would you need but having the front driver and door-side heaters is a must in cold weather unless you wenjoy being bundled up in several layers scraping the inside of your glass while the tiny diesel heater laughs...


seems counter productive to burn fuel while driving to make heat that the engine will be expelling out the radiator..

 

[Wildfloweramanda]

My coolant lines did have a couple of shutoff valves (one for outgoing, one for incoming, 1997 International). However, the best way to know is to just trace the lines from the heater.

Hey BachataBus, I have a 1997 International that I'm getting ready to start removing the heaters from (stationary skoolie in SW Florida, so no need for them, and floor space is valuable). I have been watching YT videos out the wazoo and am noticing just how different every bus is as far as disconnecting the heaters. Maybe it isn't.... But to me that's what it seems like. I feel a little overwhelmed.... If I have a specific question pop up for the 97 INT'L you think you might have some insight. Hoping you're still active on this site

 

[Dbacks2k4]

you will wantthose heaters if you do drive in the winter at all.. at least the front ones.. not likely the rear ones would you need but having the front driver and door-side heaters is a must in cold weather unless you wenjoy being bundled up in several layers scraping the inside of your glass while the tiny diesel heater laughs...


seems counter productive to burn fuel while driving to make heat that the engine will be expelling out the radiator..

Amazing how many people don't see the logic in this.

 

[DeMac]

Touche'

Amazing how many people don't see the logic in this.

-------------------

This member is converting a stationary backyard skoolie, in South Florida,
warm 70° winters.

Our FL bus left the factory and traveled 225,000 miles, without a door defroster or any pax heaters.

Amazing how many people don't see the logic in this.
----------------

Wildfloweramanda:

Look in the engine bay for two line valves (pictured in yellow). These valves close the interior heater loop.

With a clean 5 gal bucket on-hand, remove one hose from the firewall, catch the fluid. Repeat on second line. Try to have a mate lift the hoses inside to help drain them into your bucket before disconnecting the interior lines.

 

[Wildfloweramanda]

This member is converting a stationary backyard skoolie, in South Florida,
warm 70° winters.

Our FL bus left the factory and traveled 225,000 miles, without a door defroster or any pax heaters.

Amazing how many people don't see the logic in this.

Thank you so much DeMac. The extra visual makes me feel more confident about the job ahead of me. Great photos. :biggrin:

 

[Dbacks2k4]

-------------------

This member is converting a stationary backyard skoolie, in South Florida,
warm 70° winters.

Our FL bus left the factory and traveled 225,000 miles, without a door defroster or any pax heaters.

Amazing how many people don't see the logic in this.

Sorry, wasn't referring to op, but more people in general.

I've seen countless YouTube videos of people gutting everything out of their bus, including heaters, with out giving a thought to their function or where they'll be traveling. If they really will never be needed then rip them out, but most people really underestimate the value of windshield defrosters. It's especially a problem with re buses.

 

[bachataBus]

Sorry, wasn't referring to op, but more people in general.

I've seen countless YouTube videos of people gutting everything out of their bus, including heaters, with out giving a thought to their function or where they'll be traveling. If they really will never be needed then rip them out, but most people really underestimate the value of windshield defrosters. It's especially a problem with re buses.

When I refer to removing the heater, and same with the built in air conditioner, I'm talking about the units which serviced the middle of the vehicle (where the children would sit), not the driver! The heaters in the dash, the only things we need while driving, are still in. It's easy to make assumptions, but sometimes other people actually make reasonable decisions...

On a winter note, even with firewall insulation and a car carpet/mat on the ground, I cannot get the engine to stop pouring heat into the cabin as it is. The whole damned thing is a heater, we've never run the heaters that we do have while driving anyway!