Outer Limits 4x4 Board

I want to reduce under dash crap in my Rangie. I am prepared to give up the comfort of cooling and heating to save weight and clutter.

1. I have heard that a car ONLY needs to have a working front demister to be roadworthy. True or False?

2. Is it possible to do away with the factory heating stuff (heater core, fan, linkages, hoses, wiring, etc...) and put a compact demister that uses electrical heating (sort of like a hair dryer)?

3. Is there such a demister unit available? Just something that blows warm air really.

4. Will removing the heater core have an adverse effect on my engine's ability to keep cool?

5. There is a lot of insulation on my firewall that is now destroyed. Is it worth replacing (because I will fry from engine and transmission heat) or should I not bother?

2. not too sure if ya could do it on ya rangie but on my ute i pissed of the old heater box ,hoses and everything and bought a under dash (very Small) demister so u could prolly do it on ya rangie
where is the heater located on the rangie?
3.Give rod a call at castlemaine rod shop he would have heaps of underdash demister heater units
or u could go to the wreckers and get sumin from a jap car sumin like a honda or mitsu and mount that up hi and dry
1. i think (dont quote me ) but i think u only need a front demister to be road legal
check by ringin up the vicroads engineers adn askin em

N*A*M wrote:5. There is a lot of insulation on my firewall that is now destroyed. Is it worth replacing (because I will fry from engine and transmission heat) or should I not bother?

Definatly bother dude, i nearly died on the highway from heat...... unless you're only doing short journeys then i'd say don't bother, it's only noticable on mine above 80. HTH

great!

you sourced your blower from crs, tom? sounds like an idea to me.

so... piss of the heater, convert the a/c to oba, insulate the fire wall and tunnel so i won't need cooling and wear a jacket in winter. sweet.

NAM, a lot of race cars use the wire type demisters on the front windscreen to save weight and complexity. Admittedly not as effective as an AC unit, though it might get you through the legal side of things.

N*A*M wrote:I want to reduce under dash crap in my Rangie. I am prepared to give up the comfort of cooling and heating to save weight and clutter.

1. I have heard that a car ONLY needs to have a working front demister to be roadworthy. True or False?

2. Is it possible to do away with the factory heating stuff (heater core, fan, linkages, hoses, wiring, etc...) and put a compact demister that uses electrical heating (sort of like a hair dryer)?

3. Is there such a demister unit available? Just something that blows warm air really.

4. Will removing the heater core have an adverse effect on my engine's ability to keep cool?

5. There is a lot of insulation on my firewall that is now destroyed. Is it worth replacing (because I will fry from engine and transmission heat) or should I not bother?

1. TRUE

2. anything is possiable, but the front demister MUST blow air , nothing about it being hot air tho !

3. 12 volt hairdrier !!! ... try the wreckers.... early 1 ton and 2 ton Dodge trucks had a very small heater, about the size of a 3litre milk bottle & weighed about 1/2 a kilo. They have 2 hot air outlets that "move" hot air...... the fan was as weak as pee eye ess ess!!!

4. NO.... nearly all heaters have a tap that switches the water flow off when they are in "cool air" mode

5. Try it without the insulation and see what happens..... if its a problem then replace it !

You will also find a nice littls compact unit under the drivers seats in some landcruisers and the likes for the rear compartments.

This what I am using in the buggy to creat a heater / demister, works well is self conatined and it only cost me $50

Surfection wrote:

N*A*M wrote:5. There is a lot of insulation on my firewall that is now destroyed. Is it worth replacing (because I will fry from engine and transmission heat) or should I not bother?

Definatly bother dude, i nearly died on the highway from heat...... unless you're only doing short journeys then i'd say don't bother, it's only noticable on mine above 80. HTH

I wonder how much of the heat in the cabin would actually be coming off the exhaust rather than the engine...

If it's the exhaust you can wrap it up with heat bandages - that would keep it cooler in the cabin...

Try Revolution Race Gear (mitchem), they sell the heat wrapping stuff.

Note: My car has no insulation in it (i.e. firewall wadding) - and it isn't too hot Open a window if it gets too hot

i havent got mine yet nam
but yes prolly from crs
or u could just get the wire elctrodes stick on demister
u just stick em on the windscreen and supply a small voltage to it and it demists the screen
like kingy sed it doesnt need to blow hot air so just get a 12v hairdryer if ya want it
i wouldnt bother with insulation
if u want ur car quite like my ute then get heaps
i plan to use an absolute shitload but none on the firewall tho
just get the underbonnet heat stuff and put it on the inside of ya firewall and wrap ya zaust in heat wrap
ull b right then

rod wrote this to me:

I would suggest you go to any Dick Smith electronics and get two 12v electric hair dryers, we have done this ourselves.
Regards.............Rod

use hair dryers as demisters as mentioned above. i have alot of friends that have built show cars and they did this. the only down side is you get one speed on dimisting and they make a pain in the arse noise



NICK

as long as it works. i figure you only need them on for a few minutes usually. then drive with the window wound down slightly and the windows won't mist up again.

the hot rod guys use electric heaters. i dont know if it will be legal to run the element type demister on the front screen, maybe it will obstruct your vision?

check with the engineers but i think you need to have a multi speed demister fan, depending on the year model but if it already has a multi speed demister i'd say you need to have one.

use a manual demister. ie. a rag to wipe the windscreen.

N*A*M*,

I believe (and I could be wrong) that the tape type on the windscreen is illegal except for the outer screen (soit offers litte help by itself). As you have an 86 model is it 3 speed fan, you must have the same. You could try a heater from a G^) patrol as they can be wired for three speeds( i had one) they are also a fairly small unit - about half that of a rangie, this would buy you some under dash realestate or wait for this Gemini conversion i am working on (sits under the bonnet) depends on your time frame. i fact fark it if you want to be the guineapig and pay for the final instalation I'll have a go at it for ya..


Cheers

bEN