[slim]

Is anybody running a electic heater in their bronco. Up here in Alaska my heat dosent really put out any hot air. It comes out just half ass warm. I want to have to roll the windows down it is so hot in there. I was thinking about buying one that I would just mount in the back. Anybody got any ideas about getting one? Any help would be great.

 

[Guest]

I had one, it stunk and made noise more than it put out heat.

I went and added a second heater to my truck, it was a '73 bronco.

i took an old under dash AC unit, put hose barbs on the Evap coils to run water through.

that unit itself would cook you out.

 

[Miketnf150]

You sure your thermostat and heater core are in good working order. Mine puts out tons of heat. I usually run it on low with heat about half way. I know it doesn't get as cold here in Tennessee as it does in Alaska but may be something you need to check. Also try putting a piece of cardboard in front of half your radiator.

 

[kevinkaseykizer]

one thing u defently need to check (the reason why my heat suckded!) look at your heater core and make sure there is some sort of insulation/piece of rubber/or anything to stop air from going around/above/between/below the heater core INSTEAD of the fins of the heater core.

this was my problem. when the person before me had this bronco they replace the heater core but i NEVER had heat at all coming from my vents so i opened my panel up and looked at the heater core and it was just sittin there.. gaps all around it so the air would go around the heater core not through it.

check that out, btw i just used some foam strips w/ adhesive on one side to fix my problem

 

[Davids78Bronco]

Having lived up there all my life, this is what I've learned about driving in the cold up there:

- Make sure your coolant level is where it should be
- Run a 70/30 anitfreeze/water mix
- Install a 195º thermostat
- Back flush the heater core - Anchorage Radiator Service has always been good to me
- While you're there, ask if they can test the Ph level of your antifreeze
- If that doesn't work, a buddy and I installed a used Caterpillar heater in his truck. This was when I lived in Fairbanks, it was -25º F, and we literally had to roll down the windows, to keep from getting roasted out of the truck. You can just imagine the stares we got, diving down the expressway, with our arms hanging out the windows

I don't have a Cat heater myself, but I am planning on using the old heater system from my other Bronco, to add a second heater. I'll be tapping into the stock heater hoses, fit it to copper tubing, cover it with insulation, secure it to the underside of the body, up thru the rear floor, and finish it with short lengths of heater hose, to the heater in back. I will also be adding two ball valves, so I can stop all the flow back there whenever I feel like it. Plus, I can disconnect the heater in the sumer, and just cap the lines, after the valves

 

[knarf121]

yup its that time of year again, had our first real snow here in maine last night,

my heat takes a long time to heat up, this weekend im planning on winterizing my truck, plus it needs some other little maintence,

while im at it can i flush the heater core / heater system myself to make it work better, or is this a job left to the pros?

i was hoping coupling this with a new thermostat would increase my heat. maybe i could better insulate my core like kevin did?

 

[Davids78Bronco]

You can flush it yourself, but you need someplace to catch the antifreeze in... and not let it drain off into the ground, or storm drains. That's why I've always taken mine to a radiator shop

 

[Bronco85]

Oh come on slim. It isn't that cold here. It was only -14 on one of the signs I saw on the way to work thismorning I've been looking at one too. Mainly for my feet. the floor heaters suck hard.

 

[slim]

Oh its cold enough last night at work they shut the flightline down because it was -35. But yes I have the hot thermostat and have the correct antifreeze combo. And it still takes about an hr to heat the cab to a desirable temp. I guess i can try to flush it. Does it cost very much or would it be better to just buy a whole new core that is super clean on the inside.

 

[Bronco85]

Hey slim don't pay someone to do a flush on your system. Everywhere I know of here in town just sticks a hose in the radiator and lets it run till its clean. Run some flush stuff through it from like napa or somthing. Then drain it all. Run some clean water in it, drain that and put the correct mix in.

I did this in my 85 and the heater heats up the window switches enough to burn ya Thats only after about 20 mins. too

 

[Davids78Bronco]

... I guess i can try to flush it. Does it cost very much or would it be better to just buy a whole new core that is super clean on the inside.

About 20 bucks or so - pretty cheap

Hey slim don't pay someone to do a flush on your system. Everywhere I know of here in town just sticks a hose in the radiator and lets it run till its clean. Run some flush stuff through it from like napa or somthing. Then drain it all. Run some clean water in it, drain that and put the correct mix in.

I did this in my 85 and the heater heats up the window switches enough to burn ya Thats only after about 20 mins. too

Lets it run where? Into the floor drain? Into the storm drains and gutters? I don't say this often, but this is bad advice. Don't tell someone to do it themselves, w/o offering some suggestion on how they properly collect the antifreeze

 

[Bronco85]

Ah sorry David your right.

Drain the antifreeze into gallon containers. Also put water in gallon containers. When you do this.

I was hoping he was smart enough to know not to do that. But ya never know.

 

[slim]

Oh man, you mean I gotta dispose of it properly? I was gonna bottle it up and sell it to pet owners as Attitude Adjuster "For the dog that wont stop barking".

 

[Davids78Bronco]

I figured you guys were smarter than that, but you just never know how many ill-informed people might be reading this

 

[Dustball]

You may need to adjust the cable that controls the heater door. That is the one that adjusts the "cool to warm" temp. Open the glovebox and you'll see a black cable running horizontal that is clipped in the middle. You need to unclip it and adjust the sheathing of the cable so that there's a little "bounce" to the temp lever on both sides of the operating range. Once it's evenly adjusted, push the sheathing back into the clip so it stays where it is. A properly adjusted temp control will have a bit of bounce back when you push the lever to the end of it's range to either cold or hot.

As for the antifreeze, my city recommends disposing it down a drain that goes to the water treatment plant, not a storm drain. I just pour it down my utility sink- goes to the treatment plant and it's filtered out properly and safely.

 

[slim]

You may need to adjust the cable that controls the heater door. That is the one that adjusts the "cool to warm" temp. Open the glovebox and you'll see a black cable running horizontal that is clipped in the middle. You need to unclip it and adjust the sheathing of the cable so that there's a little "bounce" to the temp lever on both sides of the operating range. Once it's evenly adjusted, push the sheathing back into the clip so it stays where it is. A properly adjusted temp control will have a bit of bounce back when you push the lever to the end of it's range to either cold or hot.

As for the antifreeze, my city recommends disposing it down a drain that goes to the water treatment plant, not a storm drain. I just pour it down my utility sink- goes to the treatment plant and it's filtered out properly and safely.

Thanks but it is adjusted properly, it has the 1/4 inch cushion that you are talking about. I checked that one awhile back. I am just going to wait until we are done with our exercise here. Then take it and have it flushed. If that dosent do anything then I will buy a heavy duty aux heater and put it in the back.