Water heater

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Tue Jan 10, 2012 10:23 pm

Hi Larry,

Any chance that you can post some pictures of your engine and the coolant hoses?

larryeddington · Post by **larryeddington** » Tue Jan 10, 2012 10:31 pm

yep, will photo tomorrow. I am taking pics of bottom in AM as Soda Blaster is coming around 10 am. Will take pics of engin water route. Easy as complete power packages are setting on my shop floor plumbed to the raw water intake which will couple with strainer and seacock.

larryeddington · Post by **larryeddington** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 7:34 pm

will post photos in AM of the engine and hoses.

Soda blasted the bottom today, also will post pics tomorrow.

larryeddington · Post by **larryeddington** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 3:48 pm

Pics of 318 hosing

How to plumb water heater from above?

Vitaliy · Post by **Vitaliy** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 7:36 pm

oo shiney clean engines

sorry but cant give you any advice im just trying to figure out why someone would do this in the first place? why not just get a thankless water heater? just saying, the quality of water wouldn't be the greatest from the engine (rust and what ever else it pulls in) just doesn't make sense to me.

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 7:52 pm

Hi Larry,

If you look at the top of your water circulation pump, you'll see a pipe plug right next to the short elbow hose that runs to your intake manifold below the thermostat. This is the connection that will feed hot water engine water to your hot water tank. Now you need to find one more either on a water passage in the intake manifold or possibly on a cylinder head for the return hose. This connection cannot be after the thermostat.

If you can take a couple more pictures, we might be able to find what were looking for. Once we do, you'll simply have to pull the pipe plugs out and replace them with hose nipples.

larryeddington · Post by **larryeddington** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 7:59 pm

We are talking here of using the engines hot water to heat water in a heat exchanger hot water that uses both electricity and engine hot water. The biggest electric tankless water heater available is 28 amps and only gives a 24 degree temp rise. There are propane ones that could do it but would rather use the stuff. There are many opinions here on that topic of porpane.

Thanks, the engines are sitting on the shop floor awaiting the boat rehab completion. I have Chrysler labels to put on the exhaust which is even better. Gonna fire them up before long on the pallet. Will try and have video of both running if possible.

larryeddington · Post by **larryeddington** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:01 pm

Thanks paul will take a few more detailed pics. So I think what you are saying the water in the engine will circulate around and through the water pump, cold water will only be added as the thermostate opens?

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:02 pm

Vitaliy wrote:oo shiney clean engines sorry but cant give you any advice im just trying to figure out why someone would do this in the first place? why not just get a thankless water heater? just saying, the quality of water wouldn't be the greatest from the engine (rust and what ever else it pulls in) just doesn't make sense to me.

The hot water from the engine is not what comes out thru the faucets. The hot engine water travels thru a heat exchanger located inside the hot water tank and transfers heat to the fresh water inside. This is similar to how the heater in your car warms up the passenger compartment.

Hope this clears things up a bit for you.

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:24 pm

larryeddington wrote:Thanks paul will take a few more detailed pics. So I think what you are saying the water in the engine will circulate around and through the water pump, cold water will only be added as the thermostate opens?

That's right Larry, only water that is circulating thru the engine will go thru the hot water tank. The way your open cooling system works is like this, your raw water pump is constantly pumping raw water to cool your exhaust system. The one other place this water goes to is into the engine only when the thermostat opens. This allows just enough cool water into the engine to keep the engine temperature in the 140Â°F range that you spoke of. The water that comes out thru your thermostat mixes with cool raw water and goes out thru the exhaust. The 140Â°F that is in your engine get circulated around the engine block and heads by the circulation pump on the front of the engine. By adding another branch here, it allows this pump to also circulate this 140Â°F water to your hot water tank. It is important to bring this water back to the engine at a point before the thermostat so that you don't break this circulation path.

If you were to return the engine water to a point after the thermostat, you circulation pump would constantly be pumping engine water out thru the exhaust and the raw water pump would be constantly be pumping cold water into the engine. The result of this would be that the engine would never warm up.

Hope this helps.

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:24 pm

Oops, double post

larryeddington · Post by **larryeddington** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:39 pm

Paul,

I will take pics of plugs on water pump and intake manifold, I think there is a return place in the intake somewhere, otherwards exit out the cirdulation pump and back in a lower pressure area. I should look at a car with a 318 if can find one and see where they take heater water from and return. 140 degree would be more than sufficient to heat water.

larryeddington · Post by **larryeddington** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:40 pm

oops I did it twice as well.

Vitaliy · Post by **Vitaliy** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 9:40 am

OO... ok well i jsut made myself seem dumb as hell, that explains a lot as i was seriously thinking why the hek would anyone want that, but a heat transfer method definitely sounds a lot more sane

larryeddington · Post by **larryeddington** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:23 pm

Paul,

here are pics of the only two plugs on the water pump and the only other available plug at rear of manifold between the carby and distributor. Not sure which of the pump plugs would be pushing water out, maybe both and not sure about eh plug in manifold, looks too small to be water. I think a vacuum port unused. If you cannot clear it up I should look at a vehicle with 318 and see where the heater hoses come and go from. I suspect the two plugs on the water pump. The two engine heat senders near front of use the only available water taps. Maybe one could be teed and still sense heat or overheating, but probably not IMO.

Thanks