OTR heater/blower

[Jim Blackwood]

I don't think there is really very much airflow that actually goes up the walls. I checked that last time I fired it up and I couldn't feel the airflow with my hand at the bottom of the window opening. But it really shouldn't take much. Those ducts are as big as they are to keep the noise level down a bit but compared to residential they are really small. That's why I said you could just run it into the void space in your cabinets. With that much room you would get less wind noise. You'd need plenty of vents though.

Closing the manual valves to work on the solenoid valve is a great idea. I suppose once you get the working parts of the valve removed you could cap it with something and it'd just act like the valve is open but that might also make too much heat. Probably best to buy the rebuild kit and just swap in the new parts.

Jim

[Jim Eh.]

Does the valve in your coolant line connect to hard tubing or to rubber hose? If rubber hose, is it possible to use a pair of hose-pinch clamps to shut off the flow while you pull the pump? That's what I did on my Webasto when I had to change a pump. A pair of gadgets that look like modified Vise-Grips held the hoses pinched shut while I took my time changing things out.

Just a short section of ... about 1-1/4" diameter hi temp coolant flex hose. Not enough to pinch off. Thus my question of if I am able to remove the coil portion of the water valve. I figured I could manually manipulate the valve plunger to loosen it up without having to breach the coolant system and have to go through the process of bleeding. Always nicer if a closed loop system stays closed.

[buswarrior]

What "bleeding" are you worried about?

One on the defroster, and one on an engine cross-over pipe, if you have the engine that has one...

Run the engine, open manual valves, driver's heat and turn on the coach heat, filling the coolant before and during, burp the cross-over pipe, and open the screw on the defroster heat exchanger until the green pee runs? An old take-out coffee cup wielded strategically, and you won't spill a drop.

The defroster may need a second check, after the coach has gone for a proper run.

Out of all the stuff a busnut needs to do, this is about as simple as it gets?

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[Jim Eh.]

In over 40 years of working on trucks/buses/tractors/reefers and whathavus, that is the job I detest the most. I dunno ... the smell, the taste in the back of your throat, the slimy feeling on your skin (yes I have had a few baths in my day) I just try and avoid opening a coolant system whenever possible. A full brake job is more appealing.