Cab heater for defender 90

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greyhair

greyhair

Well-Known Member
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IN MY SHED
Hi All
After the horrible weather yesterday i'm thinking of fitting a cab heater as my heater is less than bloody useless
i was almost home (about 20 mins ) from work by the time i had a small patch of clear vision
So has anyone fitted one, are they worth the money and is it easy to do?
 
The main issue with tratter heaters is lack of huff. The blowers not great to start with and by the time it's passed a few dodgy seals and connections it's simply embarrassing.

An inline blower like they use for boat engine rooms is a good mod.

Ceramic type electric heaters can help a little to suppliment heat but next to useless for clearing the screen
 
greyhair said:
Hi All
After the horrible weather yesterday i'm thinking of fitting a cab heater as my heater is less than bloody useless
i was almost home (about 20 mins ) from work by the time i had a small patch of clear vision
So has anyone fitted one, are they worth the money and is it easy to do?
Click to expand...

I would try a new matrix, and replace the foam packing around it inside the heater box, before messing around with aftermarket stuff.

Matrixes block up, and/or leak, with age, and the foam has probably degraded into a pile of stuff in the bottom of the heater box, blocking the air outlets.

The heater box is fairly simple to work on, although a bit fiddly. Just remove it, drill out the pop rivets, and inspect the contents.
 
Turboman said:
I would try a new matrix, and replace the foam packing around it inside the heater box, before messing around with aftermarket stuff.

Matrixes block up, and/or leak, with age, and the foam has probably degraded into a pile of stuff in the bottom of the heater box, blocking the air outlets.

The heater box is fairly simple to work on, although a bit fiddly. Just remove it, drill out the pop rivets, and inspect the contents.
Click to expand...
^^^^
Wot he said.
My 110 had an extensive restoration 15 yrs ago including the heater box and lower dash. All of the foam in the box was useless ( it's on the flaps inside the box and the lower dash flaps too), lots of fan wind was escaping from places it wasn't supposed to leaving little for demisting. It's a ball ache getting everything just so, if the vehicle is complete, much easier during a rebuild of course.
My heater , 1986 110 burns my leg and has adequate fan speed but more wind would be nice especially when I've got the thing full of kids misting things up on cold mornings:rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
Standard heater working correctly is fine in most situations (ok, will struggle to demist a 110 SW full of passengers on a cold wet day), I would sort yours out before trying to source an aftermarket alternative.
 
Litch said:
Standard heater working correctly is fine in most situations (ok, will struggle to demist a 110 SW full of passengers on a cold wet day), I would sort yours out before trying to source an aftermarket alternative.
Click to expand...
I think it depends on what engine you have. I have a purpose built 200 tdi and I have done everything. Took the visco's off tried a Kenlow electric fan. tried three different thermostats. even tried a 88 degree one. New Rad, New Matrix. Stripped the heater box out and replaced all the foam and checked the cables and flaps. Flushed out the cooling system. 300 wat ceramic electric heater, replaced the sealing around the doors and made sure they close properly. The heater fan works as it should. And its still bloody freezing. Even tried a rad grill cover. None of which has made any significant difference. In cold conditions my engine takes about twenty minutes to warm up, by that time I have reached my destination. The only solution I have found that works is a new warm coat, scarf, hat and gloves. My 110 Defender doesn't even get warm enough for the windows to steam up in the first place. The heaters do push out luke warm air after about twenty minutes but not enough to warm a 110. In temperatures down to around 0 degrees it's ok. but anything below freezing and they just don't cope. Here it can drop down to -15c/-18c I had looked at fitting some sort of diesel heater but they are rather expensive. The roof of the 110 has carpet tiles fitted and I have fairly good sound proofing. I wish it had heaters like my Merc. doesn't matter how cold, within 400 meters the heaters are blowing out hot air.
 
For clear screen you need a heated one, got one on my series bloody brilliant when its wet/damp/cold.
 
mikescuba said:
I think it depends on what engine you have. I have a purpose built 200 tdi and I have done everything. Took the visco's off tried a Kenlow electric fan. tried three different thermostats. even tried a 88 degree one. New Rad, New Matrix. Stripped the heater box out and replaced all the foam and checked the cables and flaps. Flushed out the cooling system. 300 wat ceramic electric heater, replaced the sealing around the doors and made sure they close properly. The heater fan works as it should. And its still bloody freezing. Even tried a rad grill cover. None of which has made any significant difference. In cold conditions my engine takes about twenty minutes to warm up, by that time I have reached my destination. The only solution I have found that works is a new warm coat, scarf, hat and gloves. My 110 Defender doesn't even get warm enough for the windows to steam up in the first place. The heaters do push out luke warm air after about twenty minutes but not enough to warm a 110. In temperatures down to around 0 degrees it's ok. but anything below freezing and they just don't cope. Here it can drop down to -15c/-18c I had looked at fitting some sort of diesel heater but they are rather expensive. The roof of the 110 has carpet tiles fitted and I have fairly good sound proofing. I wish it had heaters like my Merc. doesn't matter how cold, within 400 meters the heaters are blowing out hot air.
Click to expand...

There seems to be no rhyme or reason to it, which doesn't sit well with me cos I believe science can explain almost everything. I transformed mine last weekend with a new thermostat. Gauge went to just under half way in about a mile. Blowing out very warm air in under two. Spent over ten years freezing to death in the winter. Stat has obviously been stuck open all those years. I did put a new seal between the heater box and the bulkhead during the rebuild, but the new stat caused the transformational improvement.
 
My gauge has always sat just under half way. Even when crossing Morocco and the engine is being worked hard through sand etc. On one occasion I had removed the Visco's fan and drove down to Montpellier here in France in 35c without any fan and the temperature did move towards the red on a long steady steep hill, but soon dropped once I got to the top. The heater might be OK for a truck pick up cab, but not for a full length safari type cab. Mine has been like this for 7 years.
 
Outside temp below zero good stat car up to temp then run light for a couple of miles and engine temp drops to 75degc making heater worse than useless.
Summer once up to temp 85 most of the time
 
lynall said:
Outside temp below zero good stat car up to temp then run light for a couple of miles and engine temp drops to 75degc making heater worse than useless.
Summer once up to temp 85 most of the time
Click to expand...
Yeah, I feared as much. :( I raised that issue when I first mentioned the effect of new stat on my rebuild thread. Ho hum, at least I got a week of optimism out of it. I'll let the Mrs find out herself as and when the temperature drops up here. Won't be long :)
 
I've got a heated windscreen in my 110 and it's awesome! Got the insurance to cover it when i cracked mine. They took some convincing though.
I've got an inverter 300w pure sine so I'm contemplating getting some 2ft 40w tubular greenhouse heaters.
Any thoughts?
 
For a clear screen I went the Heated route - it's a winner, 30seconds and either no ice or no condensation.

As for a warm cabin, it's thick socks and a hat
 
A 3" bilge blower fan will fit into the heater intake box, connects easily to the existing fan wiring and doubles the volume of air coming out. There are a few threads on here about fitting one.
 
I went to the land rover show on Saturday and the heater was working great,I had to keep turning it down
So I'm thinking a heated screen is the way to go, which would help when the weather is ****e.
 
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