Webasto thermotop (water) install parts?

[julianf]

Id like to install an engine pre-heater, that ill possibly use for a radiator or similar in the camper.

I got the unit off a scrap people carrier years ago. Ive tested it and it runs fine, but ive never had any of the install kit.

Its one of these units -

Again, its a water heater, not air, but the install kit will be just the same as for the chinease eberspacher clones.


Anyway, i saw this on ebay -

250cm Exhaust Pipe + Silencer + Air Filter For Eberspacher Webasto Diesel Heater | eBay

For Eberspacher, and for Propex heaters,for Eberwebasto heater etc. 250cm Stainless Steel Exhaust Pipe W/Silencer &Filter Silencer + Pipe For Car Parking Air Diesel Heater. Stainless Steel Pipe Length: 250cm.

www.ebay.co.uk

At £12 delivered (!) thats going to be thinner than a kit cat wrapper, right? Or has anyone here bought one of these cheap kits off ebay and its actually been usable?
Webasto branded items as above will run to multiples of the price, and, at the moment, i dont quite know how its all going to fit in anyway, so im not sure how many mtrs of exhaust etc i need.

Maybe ill buy the kit above for £12 and just consider it an install template to be replaced with somthing else once ive worked out where its all going to mount?


Also, how hot does the exhaust get? I had an eberspacher D2 years ago, and i dont recall it being too bad, but ive read some stuff thats now given me the fear.

Do i need this kind of stuff?

22 mm 24 mm Exhaust Lagging Webasto Eberspacher Planar Chinese Diesel Heater | eBay

22-24mm Exhaust Lagging. NOT CONTINUOUS LENGTH.

www.ebay.co.uk

I dont really know how youre supposed to secure the exhaust without thermal transfer... but the google image search results dont really show anyone paying that much attention, so maybe im over thinking it, and its not "loom melting / paint stripping" heat at all?

I took it off the people carrier too long ago to remember, but, i think, the silencer was mounted directly to the unit on the underside of the car, so no flexi anything.

Anyway, i know some people here have the chinease units, so, any pointers would be very welcome.

Thank you.

 

[Beeezer]

I’ve used a few of these over the years, be sure to fill them with the correct antifreeze as they rot quicker than a transit bathed in salt water..
The exhaust get blipping hot and seems to set itself in position, retardant webbing/rap is a good idea.

 

[julianf]

Thank you.

I forget what this was off but some turn of the century people carrier I think, so, I guess, a pink antifreeze? I've got blue in the 101, but that should be ok, shouldn't it?

I mean the engine head is alloy, and the heat exchanger on these is alloy, so you wouldn't think there would be an issue? Or at least I wouldn't have done unless it was for your comment!

 

[sako243]

I just installed one of the Chinese heaters into the 110, it came with a exhaust like that but I ordered a longer 3m one. It'll seems robust enough, certainly strips the jubilee clips before crushing the tube. In fact not 100% sure how you were supposed to actually clamp the exhaust onto the heater properly since it's unable to crush the tube. I ended up slitting the end so that I could wrap it over itself with a jubilee clip on the exhaust port of the heater.

Maybe a bit of paste would help too but I didn't want it a permanent fixture.

 

[Misterg]

Check the diameter of the exhaust stub - some Webasto heaters use a smaller diameter than the equivalent Eberspacher.

If in doubt, check here

https://www.butlertechnik.com/installation-accessories-c63

 

[julianf]

Check the diameter of the exhaust stub - some Webasto heaters use a smaller diameter than the equivalent Eberspacher.

If in doubt, check here

https://www.butlertechnik.com/installation-accessories-c63

Yes, it seems that the port on the heater is 22mm OD but all the pipe I find is 24mm.

I assumed, like @sako243 , that it just crushed with enough force, but maybe thats wrong?

 

[blackolive (Ste)]

assuming the control pcb hasnt died, it’ll need a gasket set and a good decoke. Then, by the time you’ve bought an exhaust kit, dosing pump and fuel lines, radiator etc etc, you’re probably into buying a new chinese air heater territory which will be much easier to install.

 

[julianf]

assuming the control pcb hasnt died, it’ll need a gasket set and a good decoke. Then, by the time you’ve bought an exhaust kit, dosing pump and fuel lines, radiator etc etc, you’re probably into buying a new chinese air heater territory which will be much easier to install.

Except that won't pre heat the engine or provide hot water for a shower...

 

[julianf]

Check the diameter of the exhaust stub - some Webasto heaters use a smaller diameter than the equivalent Eberspacher.

If in doubt, check here

https://www.butlertechnik.com/installation-accessories-c63

It seems 22 mm is a "thing" -

Etc.

 

[sako243]

Yes, it seems that the port on the heater is 22mm OD but all the pipe I find is 24mm.

I assumed, like @sako243 , that it just crushed with enough force, but maybe thats wrong?

It doesn't - I didn't have a small enough Mikalor clamp to try it but it's actually pretty tough stuff and wouldn't crush hence the slitting of the pipe. It was just a loose fit over the heater exhaust (and this was the one supplied with the kit). The way I routed the exhaust puts a couple of 90s in it so it's wedged in as well.

It was a quick fit job before a trip to Devon but it survived the drive quite happily.

 

[julianf]

Im wondering if a split bush might be a solution. I got sucked into thinking about splitting a bit of 22mm cooper pipe but, if course, that's OD rather than ID, but something like that. Maybe even just a strip of copper bent around as a packer.

 

[blackolive (Ste)]

Except that won't pre heat the engine or provide hot water for a shower...

You only mentioned a radiator

 

[julianf]

You only mentioned a radiator

No problem. I actually have a genuine eberspacher d2 here also, but the water heater is more useful in my application.

Ive got three thermotop c units. One is in bits, one is confirmed good, and one is unknown / untested. My total spend (over time) on the three units was, i think, £30! (free, a tenner, and £20)

The C units are nice and compact, and, assuming the exhaust doesnt cost me a million pounds, should serve my purposes well.


Edit : I realize where the confusion is now...

I said "engine pre heater" and you thought I was trying to use an engine heater to provide cabin heat...

My *primary* interest is in engine pre heating. The other stuff is bonus.

 

[blackolive (Ste)]

No problem. I actually have a genuine eberspacher d2 here also, but the water heater is more useful in my application.

Ive got three thermotop c units. One is in bits, one is confirmed good, and one is unknown / untested. My total spend (over time) on the three units was, i think, £30! (free, a tenner, and £20)

The C units are nice and compact, and, assuming the exhaust doesnt cost me a million pounds, should serve my purposes well.

I did put one on the navara, when I was working and had to get up and about at stupid o clock. Didnt bother with a timer , used a cheap ebay remote. Plipper on the bedside cabinet and by the time I was out the door it was nice and toasty.

Was going to fit one to the disco but never got round to it. They are a nice little unit

 

[julianf]

I did put one on the navara, when I was working and had to get up and about at stupid o clock. Didnt bother with a timer , used a cheap ebay remote. Plipper on the bedside cabinet and by the time I was out the door it was nice and toasty.

Was going to fit one to the disco but never got round to it. They are a nice little unit

That's what I figured. "Beep" and it's on.

I've yet to work out if they have an internal thermostat or if they just run until they boil.

 

[blackolive (Ste)]

That's what I figured. "Beep" and it's on.

I've yet to work out if they have an internal thermostat or if they just run until they boil.

They have a thermostat. “Some” models also have a 30 minute internal timer to prevent battery run down. all the manuals are on the web somewhere as pdf files

 

[Barking Mat]

@julianf I've a brand new unused one of them, how is it controlled ?

Watch out those exhaust pipes get stupidly hot.

 

[julianf]

@julianf I've a brand new unused one of them, how is it controlled ?

...so, that is the question!

I've got three units here. Call them a, b and c.

A is a mess. Every fastener is sheered. Parts only.

B I had running years ago, but had a broken circulation pump.

C is new to me. Facebook acquisition. Someone has "had a look" at the PCB and never bothered to put it back together again, lost all the fasteners etc. It's a Z, which is canbus controlled, but I knew that when I bought it... I wanted it for the pump for "B"


To your question

On unit B, I've extended the wire from pin 5 of the large connector and stuck an inline fuse on it. Which would imply I was using that to control it, but that doesn't tie up with the standard "generic" config that an "out of the box" unbranded unit would be set to. But it was a scrap yard pull, and youtube implies that not all units use the same pin and not all are positive start either. Some need pull down.

I can't remember but, again, why would I have added a fuse to just one line (the other is cut) and, if it were pull down, I doubt I'd have added the fuse.

But who knows, it was years ago.



So, I'm pulling the pump from the Facebook one to use on this one, and should, I hope, have a fully working unit.

And then I've pulled the control PCB from unit "A" (the parts one) to go in the Facebook one as unit A was not a canbus one, so the PCB (if it still works) should turn the Facebook one into a working unit. Maybe.

But that PCB does not have circulation pump control on it, so I'd need a separate pump controlled externally. Which is no big deal at all.

Who knows what pin this one will use. I guess I'll power it up and probe the suspects.


I need to go and scrounge some kerosene off a friend before going further. They run so much cleaner on kerosene, and they hardly run at all on any sort of biofuel, so I'll get a few ltrs of kerosene and see what happens then.

If I get the main one working again (no reason why it shouldn't) I'll have a go at the PCB swapped one and report back as to if they both use the same pin.


Make sure yours is a c or just blank, rather than a Z. Z are canbus. You can replace the PCB for one off Facebook but the PCB costs about 3x what I've spent on my whole collection.

 

[Barking Mat]

My ex colleague had someone hé knew work at Peugeot Citroën, they binned loads of these, brand new, I've got a unit, but no control box.

Was curious.

Thanks for your reply.

Yours for postage, next time I'm at m'y old workshop, god knows when.

 

[Trevorleach]

Except that won't pre heat the engine or provide hot water for a shower...

I think you can the chinese one that heat water.

22mm exhaust is for the smaller units, 24mm is for the larger machines.