Go Back   EcoModder Forum > EcoModding > EcoModding Central
Register Now
 Register Now
 

Reply  Post New Thread
 
Submit Tools LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 11-28-2007, 02:04 PM   #1 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,513

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 60.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,058
Thanked 6,957 Times in 3,602 Posts
850 watt tank style coolant heater - installed in the Blackfly

(Originally written: Feb. 27/07)

--

I usually (selfishly) don't like to publicize auctions I'm interested in, but this one has 10 units available, so if anyone else is looking:

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...DME:L:RTQ:CA:1

This is the tank style heater that goes inline between the water pump and heater core. It uses convective circulation.

Quote:
NOS Kat's external type engine heater #K9. Simply cut heater hose and install it. Too simple! Clamps included. 120 Volts/ 850 Watts
850 watts is a lot (my current external bolt-on unit is 300w). I'm going to try to win one of these.

__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote
Alt Today
Popular topics

Other popular topics in this forum...

   
Old 11-28-2007, 02:06 PM   #2 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,513

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 60.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,058
Thanked 6,957 Times in 3,602 Posts
March 12:

My nuclear powered 800w block heater arrived today.

Havent really looked at it yet.

First thing to determine will be whether it'll fit the size heater hose already on the car. If not ?? there must be some kind of step-down adapter I could use.
__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2007, 02:06 PM   #3 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,513

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 60.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,058
Thanked 6,957 Times in 3,602 Posts
April 18:

Coolant heater installed.

I'm not really happy with the installation - due to a lack of space, and the positioning options (or lack thereof), I had to add an elbows on each end of the tank to prevent the heater hoses from kinking to get them to where the tank is. So I ended up using way more hose clamps and little "splice" sections of hose between the various parts.

And I couldn't actually find elbows - I got "tee"s instead, and epoxied one of the "extra" ends closed.

Mickey mouse, overall.

But I drove it around and it doesn't appear to be leaking. Haven't done the critical test of plugging it in yet (needed to get the air out of the system first).

First test will be tomorrow AM. Should be interesting. Hopefully not TOO interesting.
__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2007, 02:08 PM   #4 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,513

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 60.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,058
Thanked 6,957 Times in 3,602 Posts
Well, after a promising start, I'm not sure the thing is working.

I plugged it in, and could hear & feel the coolant sizzling & bubbling in the tank, and within 10 minutes the coolant temp was up 20* F above "cold". Woohoo!.

But 10 min later, it was only up another 5 F. 10 after that it was down a couple.

Not sure what happened (didn't have time to troubleshoot this morning).

Also I can't be completely certain that my cooling system is set up to do convective circulation through the coolant pump return line. Maybe it only works if the pump is turning.
__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2007, 02:10 PM   #5 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,513

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 60.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,058
Thanked 6,957 Times in 3,602 Posts
April 22: So, I did another test. After topping up the coolant (I do believe there was an air pocket last time).

Plugged in the EBH:

73F - start
76F - 10 min
83F - 20 min (hose to tank feels warm - suggests convective loop flow)
85F - 30 min (all hoses from tank hot, block warm)
89F - 40 min (hoses from tank very hot, water pump warm)

So I'm thinking there's a lot of stored heat in the coolant, but it's not flowing to the sensor as much as I'd like. A plumbing issue, perhaps?

I figure: best way to know for sure is to start the car, and get the coolant flowing past the sensor.

121F - 30 seconds after starting (@ idle)
127F - 60 seconds after starting (@ idle)

Nice. I never saw a 50F increase from the 350W external heater (+40F was about as much as it would add), after 1.5 - 2 hrs.

+50F in 40 mins is quite nice. I'll probably do another test again...

__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote
Reply  Post New Thread


Thread Tools




Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.5.2
All content copyright EcoModder.com