Increase engine speed for shower?

Ian, Not sure and I may be wrong, but I think he is saying that his radiator water/coolant is not flowing enough through the heater to warm up the shower water.

If so, you must remember that with the Patrol you have to turn the heater knob on the dash board, all the way the way to HOT to get the water flowing through the heater element. I believe the 3L has a button on the dash for fast idle too and a mate of mine (Pud and Barb) use that when they use their shower.

If you are using ambient temp water for the shower in this COLD weather, you need to also be aware that it takes several minutes for the water to reach an acceptable showering temp.

If I'm wrong and he IS talking about the shower water not wanting to pump through, then you're probably right about air lock making the pump ineffective. I've had this happen too and solved the problem by fitting a small bulb-primer (like on an outboard motor) on the end of the intake hose. It makes it easy to pump up the initial water to the Shurflo pump.

Cheers

Roachie

Yes coolant flow is the problem.

Heater knob makes no difference to coolant flow- confirmed by observation.

Several hours is not long enough :-)

At idle, the coolant flow is, well, nil.
At a few extra revs, it is not too bad but nowhere near that of a Yota, but sufficient to heat the water as long the Heat exchanger (HX) is at about the same level as the coolant out of the engine, If the HX is mounted such that the water has to flow uphill either upstream or downstream of the HX, then it just doesn't get hot. It is as though an airlock forms in the HX. If I force water backwards through the HX it dislodges the airlock, until next time I attempt to use it.

David,

Might be time to fit one of these......

Site Link

Roachie,

I think long term that is the answer, I was looking for something similar. Unfotunately for now I HAVE to make it work TOMORROW. Nothing like pressure is there?

Cheers
David

Roachie,
Come to think of it,maybe one of these pumps might help the 4.2's with their temp problems under load.
David,
If there is no flow through the HX then maybe the connections to the heater system are incorrect.
Try removing the outlet hose from the HX and connect a length of hose from the HX outlet and feed it back into the radiator at the fill up cap point. Then block off the first hose. Then with the heater valve turned off, start the motor at idle and have a helper (wife) turn on the heater valve and see what flow rate you really are getting. Then increase idle speed and see what happens.
If it is high then maybe the return line from the HX is connected to the wrong spot where the pressure difference is not that great. Worth a try if it has to work tomorrow!

Yeah, thanks :-)

I feel better already :-)

;-)

Chris,

No quick fits mate.

Dave O

One thing i meant to ask is what flow through the shower head are you pumping. All you could expect with a diesel engine is about 4 litres per minute and should achieve around 40 degrees. Petrol engines run about 10 degC hotter so the output is hotter. Michael

Hi Michael.

With a Glind HE and an 11lpm pump on my 2.5ltr T/Diesel Courier I can get a perfectly adequate temperature from summer river water using about 800-1000 RPM and even in some places have had to use the flow control to drop coolant flow as temp can get too hot. I started with a "Little Ripper" and the 3-4lpm pump based on the assumption that the diesel temp would be a problem, it wasn't and I got an 11lpm pump for the right price and thought I'd try it.

I dare say that with the shower running flat out it's still limiting the flow below 11lpm but it's a fantastic shower compared with the 3lpm pump. If we want to be more economical with water use we use the shower head slide valve to limit flow. Then we have to drop the revs off though as it runs warmer.

In cold high country water 1000-1300RPM will do the trick no problem.

I had to fit an inline tap in the coolant line to the HE as in some circumstances the water was too hot for the kids. Bore water was one such supply that was a problem - Big Billy Bore in NW Vic. The inline tap fixed the problem. (The Courier/B-series heater control controls air flow rather than coolant flow through the heater core.)

Dave

Michael

Heater hoses are in parallel with T just as you described, except that I have fitted a vlave to turn off flow to heater, thus forcing all flow through HX. I did this becasue the flow is too low to go both ways.

David

Mattie,

Yeah I was thinking about the fact that all my testing has been done stationary. I will try driving it around and see if that helps. The heat button sounds like the way to go.

Thanks all for your suggestions

David

Best results this morning seem to be acheived with the HX horizontal rather than vertical. I had it mounted low down near the exhaust, mounted low on the bracket that holds the carbon cannister. I now have removed the sound deadening pad near the passenger side bonnet hinge and mounted it there.

With Heat switch on it worked OK first time will keep you updated.

Yes I finally tried the heat button (idle up) and it works a treat with the unit horizontal. Its a Helton hot water system, not a shower unit (larger). It works bloody well now. I just couldn't get any water flow at low revs, but with the heat switch, it works fantastically well.

Tony at Helton told me the hot water system is the way to go, and he is right. Now that I've got sufficient coolant flow it gets bloody hot. The temperature actually needs regulating with the valve, which is what I have done now. I set the valve arrangement up differently to Tony's suggestion. I have it so if you open the valve it directs some of the flow to the car heater. If you shut it, none goes to the car heater and all goes to the HX.

Cheers to all for helping out, I just needed a way to hold the revs up for long ennough to get good coolant flow. I was cooncerned the heat switch did other things thate may do damage.