On Tue, 12 Dec 1995 23:12:37 -0500 JOHNSON THOMAS H wrote:

> From: JOHNSON THOMAS H <rsthj@aurora.alaska.edu>
> Date: Tue, 12 Dec 1995 23:12:37 -0500
> Subject: Re: Gas heaters in Splitties
> To: Multiple recipients of list <vanagon@lenti.med.umn.edu>
> 
> > mentioned, I have seen a heater installed below the dash,
> > right at the feet of the passenger on a ('65, I think) bus.
> > This may not be the same heater Tom wrote about, but it sure
> > seems like a very handy location!  Anyone else seen this
> > installation?
> 
> I've seen this installation twice; once on '67 and once on a '70.  It is a 
> dealer installed Stewart Warner.  I've no clue why they sometimes put 
> them in the cab and sometimes in the engine compartment.  Ideas Anyone?
> 
> IMHO, it is the Stewart Warner that gave gas heaters their bad 
> reputation.  Of the dozen or so SW's that I have, 
> all show signs of serious overheating.  The safety equipment on a SW 
> consists of an 
> over-heat switch.  If something is causing the heater to overheat, fuel is 
> temporarily shut off till the heater cools slightly then turned on only 
> to overheat again.  And again.  In addition, they are poorly manufactured.  
> Full of razor sharp edges and mis-aligned holes.  I try to avoid them.
> 
> The Eberspachers are another story.  While they can be tempermental, a 
> good running Eb. is hard to beat.  If it gets sick, it will let you 
> know by shutting down and refusing to start until fixed.   
> 
> There were also Wabesto (?) heaters but I don't know if VW ever used 
> one in a bus.  The one I've seen was in a '66 bug mounted inline with 
> heaterboxes.  Tiny thing with VW part numbers everywhere.  I think it was 
> from Canada.
> 

as far as i know webasto are still in business, i have seen vanagon westys's w/ 
webasto furnaces in them

have never seen a stewart warner gas heater installed, though i have seen plenty 
of Eb's.

michael
> 
> -Tom    
> 
> 
>