Heater question: water always flowing??

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I am doing some mods to my ESPAR installation. Background: The ESPAR functions by splicing an auxilary furnace into the trucks cab heater loop. It's own water pump circulates the trucks coolant, serving the preheat the engine and the cab heater coil. The ESPAR electronics powers the trucks cab heater blower,serving to heat the cab with the engine off. A timer limits the heating so as to not kill the truck batteries

Question to the group: If my 99 Ram's heater switch is off and the Cummins is running, does engine coolant still circulate in the rubber hoses going into the firewall above the engine, or is that loop effectively off/stagnant??

Thx in advance!

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99' SB 4x4 : DDI's, HOT PE, SPA dual gauge, ESPAR, Line-X OTR, Ladder bars, AMSOIL, etc (GPS,Cell,CB,... . )
Green Monster

[This message has been edited by David_VT (edited 01-06-2001). ]

 

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Unlike other rigs I've worked on the Dodge system allows coolant to flow thru the heater coil at all times. Other rigs use a valve in the heater line to throttle the flow of coolent that is controlled by the temp selector knob. Our Dodges use a temperature blend/air door that whose amount of opening is changed by the knob position. When you think about it it's sort of funky to a have a 190°extension of the radiator in the cab during hot weather.

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95' 25004X4,AT,Driftwood,Banks Stinger,Warn fender flairs and running boards(work truck)
95 3500,5 speed 3:54,Driftwood,Banks&Psycotty,34,000 GCVW apple and tractor hauler(works harder truck)

 

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Thank you Thank you Thank you, (love the TDR)
Now I can replumb my ESPAR without fear.

I notice if I leave the cab heater set off, the engine is getting warmer on the ESPAR. I guess that must be removing the fan in the cab from sucking heat from the loop.

I thought it indicated the flow had changed due to some kind of valve in the cab on that line.

 

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Dave, Did you see Earthroamer's write up on his Optima Batteries, isolater & HD alternator.
http://www.earthroamer.com/main_truck/truck_batteries.html

 

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My '85 Fraud F-350 flowed water all the time
so I put a brass ball check in line so I coild shut the water off. Made a big differance in the cad temp. ,didn't have to run the A. C. near as much. Rick

 

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Hemi,
I did see that write up. The big Alternator is real interesting, probably comes with a big price like everything else #ad


Those Optimas will replace my stock battery set before long, planned that all along since my Suburban has one in it now!

The Ball valve sounds interesting, I was thinking about using hydraulic fittings to connect the ESPAR and to give myself the ability to jump out the cab heater during the summer.

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99' SB 4x4 : DDI's, HOT PE, SPA dual gauge, ESPAR, Line-X OTR, Ladder bars, AMSOIL, etc (GPS,Cell,CB,... . )
Green Monster