Anyone successfully re-cored a Smiths flat heater ?

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grewth

Active Member
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112
I've just bought a used Smiths flat type heater for my next 2A project.
All seems well upon first inspection, seems to run OK, seems to hold water OK.
Just wondering what the options are if it does leak.
Expert repair by a radiator reconditioning company ?
I bet that would make a nice hole in my wallet, but probably the most permanent fix.
How about constructing my own cores ?
I've seen video clips of intrepid individuals building a round heater by winding copper pipe around a wooden former.
Desperate but it seemed to work.
I suppose constructing the cores for a flat heater would be much more difficult ?
 
I think that the last appearance of the round heater was 1967.
1968 onwards had the flat heater which I've found a lot better than the round type.
Not sure of the claimed heat output, but I think that the round type was rated at 3kW, the flat type 4.5kW.
I don't believe those figures for a minute, you'd be roasted alive if they achieved anything like that
 
That's the one.
Thanks for the heads up.
I didn't know that Emberton did one.
And at £302, it's not exactly pocket change (well not on my income anyway), but it's a "good as new" solution to a problem
 
grewth said:
I think that the last appearance of the round heater was 1967.
1968 onwards had the flat heater which I've found a lot better than the round type.
Not sure of the claimed heat output, but I think that the round type was rated at 3kW, the flat type 4.5kW.
I don't believe those figures for a minute, you'd be roasted alive if they achieved anything like that
Click to expand...
More like 3 - 4.5W 🙄
 
kermit_rr said:
More like 3 - 4.5W 🙄
Click to expand...
I've got a series three snail blower and matrix mounted on top of the NS footwell.
Hot air generated passes straight through a rectangular hole cut in the top face of the footwell.
I've got that plumbed in series with the standard 2A flat heater.
It gets quite warm on long runs, T shirt warm in fact, even in freezing weather.
But I'm sorry to say that the demister effort is still marginal, you still get "Series Myopia" with just a small area of clear screen above the vents.
Actually, it's even worse than that, because the S3 heater output clears the NS screen better than the drivers side.
Looks like a redesign is required
 
If you want heat, i can say from first hand experience, the arctic heater does rather well! Takes a while to get warm though and it's a bit noisy
 
Someone was selling one at Malvern parts day the other week.
Never asked the price or noticed if it got sold.
I did once hear some ex-squaddie joking that they were only any good in the arctic if you actually stuffed the output pipes up your trouser legs !
 
grewth said:
Someone was selling one at Malvern parts day the other week.
Never asked the price or noticed if it got sold.
I did once hear some ex-squaddie joking that they were only any good in the arctic if you actually stuffed the output pipes up your trouser legs !
Click to expand...
I think it's like an 2" pipe straight from the block.. or not far off! The heater is most likely fine, it's all the leaky door seals etc that let it down. At least it recirculates the air and doesn't pull the cold in from outside.
My dad has one in his lightweight
 
Going off completely at a tangent, I've often thought that maybe we are all going the wrong way about using engine heat to keep ourselves warm.
The greatest two heat sources are the exhaust system, or the main radiator.
Why not syphon off some of the air heated by the main radiator ?
Just a sheet metal shroud behind the top 3" or so of the radiator cores, and a simple butterfly valve.
 
That's what happens already, in effect. The thermostat only lets coolant into the radiator at a certain temp. If the internal cabin heater dumps enough heat, the main radiator will never get warm
 
grewth said:
Going off completely at a tangent, I've often thought that maybe we are all going the wrong way about using engine heat to keep ourselves warm.
The greatest two heat sources are the exhaust system, or the main radiator.
Why not syphon off some of the air heated by the main radiator ?
Just a sheet metal shroud behind the top 3" or so of the radiator cores, and a simple butterfly valve.
Click to expand...
Bit like the old VW beetles… used to use the heat of the engine,all good till exhaust gasses get in or the sills got rusty & the heat escapes.

No heater in the S1 truck cab. Just fit a radiator muff.heat from the engine keeps you really warm.turn on the electric fan for extra heat if needed.

My 110 has a sheet infront of the rad in the winter,just leave a section for the intercooler
 
If you think that Land Rover heaters are bad, you should try going through a harsh winter in a Citroën 2CV.
Some owners claim the heat exchangers work well, but I suspect they are delusional
 
grewth said:
If you think that Land Rover heaters are bad, you should try going through a harsh winter in a Citroën 2CV.
Some owners claim the heat exchangers work well, but I suspect they are delusional
Click to expand...
I had a plug in electric ceramic in the day well for a while.. all that achieved was to thaw my finger tips enough to start hurting
 
One thing that always annoys me is people telling me that I must be freezing in my 88.
A good canvas tilt well fitted is much warmer than an uninsulated hard top and you don't get icy cold drips landing on the back of your neck.
 
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