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hello, my name is john. this being my first post by far doesn't mean i am new to this forum or VWs in general. I have always just sat back and searched for my answers and done years of research.I am not new to the air-cooled world and have several water cooled VWs also.

with that out of the way....i have a question i haven't been able to get any knowledge of anywhere else. Has anyone ever tried or know of anyone that has used an oil cooler in place of a heater core to produce heat? You of course would have to have more than just that to be able to make it work, and I'm fully aware of how a "normal" heater system with a heater core works, but there obviously isn't any water in a air cooled motor. Any thoughts or comments would be welcome. I am building a nice driver and want heat, but am also wanting to be low and have a trans raise so the normal methods of heat wont work. the axle tubes are in the way of the heater boxes and air tubes and all kinds of fun things....

so what do you guys think???

BTW my fab skills not in question, i have all the faith i am capable of making whatever. just looking for suggestions and wondering if anyone has ever tried/done this before.

It has been done before, there was even someoje selling a kit to do it, but i have not seen one for a while.

Hardly a new idea, John - folks have been trying that for a good 40+ years now. Generally speaking, it's pointless - the greatest need for heat/defrost has passed by the 10-15 minutes it takes for the oil temp to come up to normal on a cold day. Read the linked threads for some other thoughts on the subject....you might also try learning to use the Search function.

http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic ... 5&t=139681
http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic ... 4&t=137177

raceanything wrote:hello, my name is john. this being my first post by far doesn't mean i am new to this forum or VWs in general. I have always just sat back and searched for my answers and done years of research.I am not new to the air-cooled world and have several water cooled VWs also.

with that out of the way....i have a question i haven't been able to get any knowledge of anywhere else. Has anyone ever tried or know of anyone that has used an oil cooler in place of a heater core to produce heat? You of course would have to have more than just that to be able to make it work, and I'm fully aware of how a "normal" heater system with a heater core works, but there obviously isn't any water in a air cooled motor. Any thoughts or comments would be welcome. I am building a nice driver and want heat, but am also wanting to be low and have a trans raise so the normal methods of heat wont work. the axle tubes are in the way of the heater boxes and air tubes and all kinds of fun things....

so what do you guys think???

BTW my fab skills not in question, i have all the faith i am capable of making whatever. just looking for suggestions and wondering if anyone has ever tried/done this before.

Welcome to the STF.
Here is something that you might find use full............cut the outlet off the heater box and reposition it so it will fit back like it was before the tranny raise and you will have heat.

Factory Gas heaters are on craigs list now and again. You might need fabrication skills to get one to work.I would personally like to see someone make a vw heater out of a propane camping lamp but I would buy a used factory heater and take my chances that way.

Hi, John. I have oil coolers (2 x 8-pass old style finned 1/2" tubing) under my rear window. In summer I blow air through the coolers to the outside and in winter I block off the vent and circulate the air in the cab.

Down to about 32 deg F you'll get some useful heat depending on travel speed and outside temp. My rear window defroster has long since died, so I get a defogged rear window as an added benefit. Also, keeping cold winter air from blowing across the oil cooler, even when calling for cool, makes for more useful warmer oil. But if you're looking to stay warm in the cold of winter, an oil cooler will not provide nearly enough heat.

In the summer, gobs of heat will come off the coolers. But much below 32 deg F, the engine/oil is struggling to stay warm especially at low speeds. It's hard to beat the simplicity and efficiency of the stock OEM heat exchangers.

I would try to connect the stock heat exchangers with plastic or stainless flex-tubing to the body/cab somehow. I gave up on heater channels long ago and route heat from one of the bakelite body flanges to under the drivers seat and the other to my trunk defroster junction box (for windshield) with 3" plastic dryer vent. Ugly for sure, but it works.

A water jacketed SS exhaust pipe or muffler with pump driven cooling>recirc system is probably ~viable.
I'd probably blow the coolant out in the summer.

I went ~there (soft copper line wrapped in a jacket setup, sanity test) before just buying a gas heater, on a HiPo T4, heater boxes are not really an option, although on a stockish motor they put out far more heat than T1 HX do.

Have considered similar using a water cooled turbo to same end, that might be sane.

Tried the oil cooler thing too... The oil needs heat when it's cold as much as you do.
overcooling is as deadly to an engine as overheating, just takes longer. usually.

Piledriver wrote:A water jacketed SS exhaust pipe or muffler with pump driven cooling>recirc system is probably ~viable.
I'd probably blow the coolant out in the summer.

There was a company in the UK that sold kits like that back in the early 90s.
A heater jacket built around the J pipes and heatercore and fan under the dash with a golf header tank in the trunk.
Got upto temp alot quicker than stock heat and was much more controllable