60K Fuel Burning Heater M813

[Shirehorse]

Okay, I'm bored and it's been a bit since we had some shenanigans afoot here, so here goes.

I've got a 60k BTU fuel burning heater kit, which appears to be for an M113 sitting out in the garage. The Exact model is a Stewart Warner 1060-D24.

I've got a 1970 XM813 with an anemic at best coolant heater. (This is even with a freshly cleaned and purged core).

Now, this may be copious amounts of intoxicating beverages talking, but has anyone ever rigged a 60k unit for cab heat? I'd like to give it a try, and I'd like some advice from you guys, since your collective ideas are generally better than mine on my best day.

I know, right off the bat, there are going to be a few issues, namely:

Heat. The amount of heat that the 60k puts out is absolutely nuclear. I'm very familiar with their application in tanks and other armored vehicles, so I know just the ludicrous amount that I'm dealing with. I was thinking diverting some of the heat elsewhere, say, to the cargo bed or just out to air. Like I said, that's something to be discussed in the brainstorm. And, of course, I'll need more SCAT vents.

Defrost: I probably don't want to pump that much heat onto a cold windshield.

And last but not least, whatever this pump thing is, I have no idea.



Here are a few more pictures:




Then, there's this goofy seafoam green vent.

 

[dk8019]

I'm sure it could made to work, I had one of those in the back of my M109A3, it would literally cook you inside the back if you let it run. We are talking 60k BTU, or over 5 tons of heating in a very small area. It would be toasty!

 

[JohnnyBM931A2]

Do it!

Maybe you could divert some of the heat to the engine bay to help with cold starts? Seems like that was part of its original purpose.

 

[Shirehorse]

Bikini weather in the cab, for sure. I absolutely despise riding with a coat on, so this works for me.

I was thinking of maybe piping heat under the cab to the cargo bed, to heat under the cargo cover. I figure this will help eat up some of the excess heat, and make it nice and toasty back there.

 

[Storm 51]

I had a 40 K BTU fuel fired heater on the fender of my M-37 for cab heat for a couple of winters. It drove me and my wife out of the cab it was so hot (only time I've ever heard her complain about being too hot in the winter).

I removed mine and installed the engine coolant heater instead. It is about right for the climate in Western Washington (it only rarely gets down to +20 degrees here).

So, depending how cold it gets in your AO, it may be O.K. or it may not.

 

[sandcobra164]

I had a fuel fired heater in a Deuce one time. On a 30 degree morning, I fired up the heater and went inside. I came back out 10 minutes later and the inside door skins were so hot I couldn't rest my arm on them. There's also cautions about using the defrost with one as they are known to crack windshields. It may be of use in Indiana but I'll gladly say it's way to much in Georgia.

 

[Storm 51]

That "pump thing" is an engine primer pump for extremely cold starting (so cold gasoline won't vaporize). It by passes the carburetor and injects fuel directly into the cylinders.

It can be a handy little item if your vehicle lives outside in extremely cold weather.

 

[Shirehorse]

The truck spends a lot of time in single digits during the winter months.

So far in my plans I've got a three way split. One for the cargo bed, one for the engine compartment (that i can shut off at temp with a damper) and one for the cab.

That MIGHT be enough to eat up the excess heat.

I

 

[JohnnyBM931A2]

Sounds like a plan

 

[74M35A2]

I went down this path with my 925. Since a diesel takes such a long time to produce heat (especially if not under load), I wanted both, the conventional heater core, and a fuel fired heater. Then stage them. I bought the same 60k unit you have, and it is quite the item. Would have to mount it atop a tool box and then pipe it into the cab rear slider window. I then found they made brackets for the 30k one to mount where the heater box is on the M939 series, so I went that way, and will use the 60k in the bed with the cargo cover on, if ever needed. Moving the heater core box to under the seat so it can recirculate and further heat warm air, rather than continually trying to warm cold air. So, then fuel fired to break the chill quick, and then heater core to hold and maintain comfort once driving. 60k cargo heater for a poker party, I guess. So, now I have 5 heaters for the M925A2. Heater core, 30k cab heater, 60k cargo heater, 120V block heater, 120V engine oil heater, and soon to add 24V seat heater grids. I hate being cold, if it is avoidable. Like to drive coat-less as others have mentioned. The fuel fired heaters can be sensitive on wick placement, over-temp switch adjustment, and the like. I have found if you have one that won't fire, you can prime it by removing the igniter, pouring diesel down the wick tube, reinstall, let it sit for 2 minutes, and then fire it up. It will smoke out the closest freeway initially, but generally this helps to get the fluid where it needs to be rather than where it wants to be, on the burner.Just looked up this 60k heater on eBay. There is a guy selling one for $1000, and eBay reports that he has sold 2 already. $1000? Umm, I'd let mine go for $950 in a heartbeat......

 

[74M35A2]

Mod/Admin, Why is my paragraph spacing not carrying over to published posts? It appears as desired when written in draft, then when posted, all jambed together as a single paragraph. Convenient toolbar to add pics and such also gone from draft page. Am I somehow doing something different, a configuration got changed, or is the site doing this beyond my control?Sorry to post this here, but above is an example. I am also writing these 2 sentences as a spaced apart paragraph from the above one, to see how it shows up.

 

[Shirehorse]

Holy cow, a thousand? Someone must be getting into the Colorodo homegrown reserve for that price.

You wouldn't happen to have a picture of your heater mount under the hood, do you?

Also, no clue on the formatting.

 

[74M35A2]

I did not take this pic, so no credit to me. Mine is not installed yet. The brackets were almost un-obtanium. Had to buy them new via the NSN number. This is a 30k installed into an M939:

 

[Shirehorse]

I'm gonna pull my 5 ton down here in the next few days and take some measurements, see what i can come up with.

 

[JohnnyBM931A2]

I did not take this pic, so no credit to me. Mine is not installed yet. The brackets were almost un-obtanium. Had to buy them new via the NSN number. This is a 30k installed into an M939:

That's sweet I wish I could find one of those. If the brackets are so difficult to find you should have a few sets made up

 

[74M35A2]

The 30k heater is listed in our classified for $200 new, complete kit. The correct brackets are much more flimsy than I expected. You could bend them by hand using band iron and have the same thing. I was not expecting so, but it is what it is. I wanted them to be original so it set the height correct to properly connect to the heat diverter in the cab which protrudes through the bulkhead/firewall.

 

[JohnnyBM931A2]

The 30k heater is listed in our classified for $200 new, complete kit. The correct brackets are much more flimsy than I expected. You could bend them by hand using band iron and have the same thing. I was not expecting so, but it is what it is. I wanted them to be original so it set the height correct to properly connect to the heat diverter in the cab which protrudes through the bulkhead/firewall.

I've searched 2 or 3 times for those kits in the Classifieds since you first told me about them.. Still can't find them. Maybe I'm overlooking them somehow? Do you remember who was selling them?

 

[74M35A2]

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showth...ody-Heater-kit-2-5T-M35A2-Mil-Truck This is a complete kit to heat an M35A2 cargo bed, it installs in a front removable panel of the bed on that truck. You will only need the heater and control box if you are installing it on an M939 in the heater core location, plus the brackets. It is the same 30k fuel fired heater. Here is a pic of the 30k vs 60k fuel fired heaters. The 60k is used in Abrahams tanks. The 30k was offered as an M35A2 cargo bed heater, an arctic kit for M939 trucks, and maybe other applications as well. I now own one 60k unit, and two 30k units. All waiting to be installed. M35A2 30k kit will be up front on my 923A2 trailer, like it was supposed to be mounted at the front of an M35A2 bed. Then we'll have fuel fired heat everywhere. Won't be able to get away from it.

 

[JohnnyBM931A2]

Thank you! I had seen that before somewhere (maybe eBay) but I did not know that it was the same one used in the M939 series trucks.

 

[74M35A2]

It was rare to be used on M939 series, but was adapted to do so, is in the manuals, and a few trucks have been seen to have them. I have also seen one mounted under the dash of an M35A2 on the pass side. It requires a change of the hot air ducts to hi temp material (orange colored temp rated flex hose). You'll melt your stock black flex hose, and any cable or wires which rub against it. These are temperamental. The stock heater core is for sure more reliable but not instantaneous. Make sure you can get the fuel fired heater to work correctly on the bench before you remove you heater core. The fuel fired heater will shut down if run on high in ambient temps over 60F-70F. It has a 400F degree thermal switch on the outlet, and the heater is dialed in to increase incoming air up +340F degrees from ambient (on HI, low is half of that or 15k BTU). My numbers may be off a bit, but in essence, it goes like that. They don't like to light off unless the wick and igniter/wick are happy, even NOS ones. I had to take apart an NOS one and jack around with it to make it right, but now it throws heat like a rocket on the bench test outside. My kids were building a snow man in their shorts while standing by it outdoors last year January as it was just blowing across the yard (60k unit). The heat diffuser in the center will glow red once running for a minute or more. People that obtain trucks and move them south often surrender these heaters in exchange for space for other goodies.