grewth · Monday at 17:25

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 ?

kermit_rr · Monday at 18:05

Flat? 2A should have a round chunky one

Anaconda · Monday at 18:16

I have seen later ones which are flat.
We had a round one which worked well in a truck cab, until it leaked!

kermit_rr · Monday at 18:23

Anaconda said:
I have seen later ones which are flat.
We had a round one which worked well in a truck cab, until it leaked!

Yes mine leaked, probably from being kicked too many times. You can get new cores but its £££!!!

Anaconda · Monday at 18:29

kermit_rr said:
Yes mine leaked, probably from being kicked too many times. You can get new cores but its £££!!!

We got a heater from T7 Designs which build stuff for kit cars etc.
Sold the round heater which was complete and working, well, apart from the leak!

grewth · Monday at 18:35

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

Anaconda · Monday at 18:38

Uprated Rectangular Smiths Heater Matrix Element Core Land Rover Serie

Land RoverSeries 2a. Uprated Smiths Heater Matrix Element Core This has been custom designed and manufactured for us by using tested Brass tubes with copper wire wound heat exchanger for the element This matrix offers maximum heat output which significantly exceeds the original element.

embertonimperial.com

Is that it?

grewth · Monday at 18:43

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

kermit_rr · Monday at 18:43

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

More like 3 - 4.5W

grewth · Monday at 18:55

kermit_rr said:
More like 3 - 4.5W

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

kermit_rr · Monday at 19:25

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

grewth · Monday at 22:17

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 !

kermit_rr · Monday at 22:22

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 !

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

grewth · Monday at 22:34

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.

kermit_rr · Monday at 22:51

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

Hicap phill · Tuesday at 08:03

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.

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

grewth · Tuesday at 10:09

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

kermit_rr · Tuesday at 10:12

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

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

Anaconda · Tuesday at 10:17

One of the problems is actually getting the engine up to temperature to get enough warmth out of the heater.
Another problem is stopping the heat escaping the vehicle.

grewth · Tuesday at 10:20

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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