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Deuce Arctic Heater Info Compilation Thread

cranetruck

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Replaced the South Wind personnel heater on the 8x8 with a Benmar heater, as called out by the TM for this vehicle. The Benmar does not use a wick, but a ceramic vaporizer and should be more reliable.
Sure enough, it fired up on the very first test run after having been unused for perhaps 15 or more years..hats off to Benmar.
The heater looks like the one shown in m-35tom's post above with the small red label and no military NSN or part number. From the TM it's NSN 2540-186-2558.
 

coachgeo

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which one uses a wick on the south wind models? The Coolant heater? The Air heater? or both? Mine is a 939J24 year 1986

PS- looking for a controller and cables

UPDATE- just found and ordered control box with a short cable on FleaBay (original application Gama Goat) for too much $$$, but still cheaper than an Espar overall.

Question is .... is it the right control box. It may be just for the space heater???
 
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gimpyrobb

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The control you got is for the air heater, but should work for the coolant heater, the fan controls just wont do anything.
 

cranetruck

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Correct, the control box is the same for the SW coolant and personnel heaters, which both rely on the wick for ignition. The Benmar coolant heater uses a different control box and has no wick. Can't believe the bucks!
 

rosco

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The wick, per se, is a stainless steel affair, that looks to me much like steel wool. But it must be stainless, or something that will take more intense heat.

I have the control box for the water/engine heater, & will make it a point to look at it. I think it appears to be different, at least on the front, or the Data Plate looks different - I don't remember there being anything about the two fan speeds, as it is an original in my M35A1. What I do remember, is that passengers can bump it with their knee, & turn the heater on accidently.
 

coachgeo

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The SouthWind/ Stewart Warner COOLANT heater I got does show on its data plate two Btu ranges. So maybe on mine at least the High/low switch may make a difference????

Have not yet looked close but in the schematic above of the "dual all in one control box" (also used in CUCV?) is it possible the High/low switch interconnected to both coolant and personal heater? I doubt it but maybe??
 
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cranetruck

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The SouthWind/ Stewart Warner COOLANT heater I got does show on its data plate two Btu ranges. So maybe on mine at least the High/low switch may make a difference????

Have not yet looked close but in the schematic above of the "dual all in one control box" (also used in CUCV?) is it possible the High/low switch interconnected to both coolant and personal heater? I doubt it but maybe??
Found a cable, actually for the Benmar heater, but can easily be modified for the SW units. Also, a control box, which I don't need any longer, so you'll get a PM shortly.
The HI/LO ranges are applicable to the coolant heaters and a circulation pump can be installed to run in the "HI" mode.
As in all the heaters, the "HI" is locked out during the start-up phase.
 

coachgeo

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The SouthWind/ Stewart Warner COOLANT heater I got does show on its data plate two Btu ranges. So maybe on mine at least the High/low switch may make a difference????

Have not yet looked close but in the schematic above of the "dual all in one control box" (also used in CUCV?) is it possible the High/low switch interconnected to both coolant and personal heater? I doubt it but maybe??
More digging. Found out my SW was used in the M939 and had a high and low setting. BUT....... there may be a good reason there is NOT such a feature on some of the Control boxes in other MV's.. The heater (at least the SW Model 939J24 ) will automatically switch back and forth between High and Low anyway.

See the first NOTE: in image attached. Hopefully it is readable. It is a screen grab of TM Operators Manual for an M939. Cropped it but kept TM code and page# visible for reference
OperationBEST.jpg
 
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coachgeo

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Found a cable, actually for the Benmar heater, but can easily be modified for the SW units. Also, a control box, which I don't need any longer, so you'll get a PM shortly.
The HI/LO ranges are applicable to the coolant heaters and a circulation pump can be installed to run in the "HI" mode.
As in all the heaters, the "HI" is locked out during the start-up phase.
PMed about email response.
 

rosco

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I finally remembered to go look at the control box. It is the same as above, with the Hi & Lo positions. I had no idea though, that it would change back & forth as temperatures dictated.
 

coachgeo

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The wiring harness for one version of the electrical connections (The M939A2 Truck) that runs from Control Box to 939J24 coolant heater is:
P/N# 12256438
NSN# 6150-01-096-5053

This is potentially one of the last trucks that used that model Heater so it should be most modern type wires. Appears; all connectors at Control Box and Heater ends are the same Cannon ones and were used all way back to the Vietnam Era rigs.

Conceptually all the harnesses for the SouthWind Coolant heater system are the same. Pretty much same for Personnel heater too. Each connector Pining out correctly between Control Box and heater..... with two or three branching wires..... one runs to the Diesel Fuel pump. Fuel Pump is controlled by the heater so it must be wired via this harness. A second runs to Ground. A third ( if it has it)..... runs to a Coolant pump. More on that below. NOTE: The 24v power for everything is actually fed via a single wire from the Control Box to a + source on the truck.

Some Harnesses may have provision for coolant pump as well. Some not cause in the MV they were used on the heat created in the coolant heater is moved by convection and not by circulating coolant via a pump. NOTE: In the M939A2 wiring harness noted above, there is the third branch to a coolant pump !!! May well be that the pump speed is also controlled by the Heater in same manner it controls the Fuel pump as mentioned previously in this post.
 
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