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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / 32-36 Ford V-8 Steam Heater Conversion Unit

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Posted By Discussion Topic: 32-36 Ford V-8 Steam Heater Conversion Unit     36fordor 03-21-2013 @ 2:12 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 78 Joined: Oct 2009 Am seeking any infomation anyone knows on a Goodyear "32-36 Ford V-8 Steam Heater Conversion Unit" I have. It's manifold-like with internal copper tubes, about 21" long, a second set of external u-shaped copper tubes, & a short hose with a brass connector as pictured. A single, 'wrapped' copper tube is not in posted photo. Appears NOS. Have no instructions & I know nothing about this. Anything anyone knows & can share would be a plus. Thank you. This message was edited by 36fordor on 3-21-13 @ 2:23 PM Stroker 03-21-2013 @ 3:54 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1460 Joined: Oct 2009 Wow! That's really interesting. I hope lots-O-experts chime-in, as I've never seen such an animal. I have a 38, which only would have been provided with the luxury of "heat" by having the "killer carbon-monoxide blender" hot air manifold heater. This is a new one, but being an old Navy type, I can envision some safety issues regarding the use of steam. I can't wait to hear from "those in the know". TomO 03-22-2013 @ 7:59 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7250 Joined: Oct 2009 I have never seen or even heard of this aftermarket accessory. It looks incomplete to me. I would think that you would have to have some sort of radiator and blower assembly inside of the car. Tom ford38v8 03-22-2013 @ 12:20 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2758 Joined: Oct 2009 That's most definitely a really great wall hanger! Alan Lincoln 03-24-2013 @ 1:21 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 56 Joined: Oct 2009 That is a good example of several similar heaters which were on the market in the 1935-36 Era. A similar heater was advertised for $9.95 List in a 1937 Auto Supply Catalog, and was identified as being a "Brigeport Steam Conversion Unit" for the pre-1936 vehicles (note the "slanted bolt pattern" of the flange connection at the right side of the heater as this is characteristic of the 1932-36 Models; later models had a "straight bolt pattern" at the connection). Anyway, your heater was used in conjunction with a Hot water Heater. I do not have the instructions, but it appears that the top water connection (left side in picture) connects to the top hose of the Water Heater, while the bottom connection is the inlet and connects to the hose of the Right Side Water Pump. The pump sends heated engine water to the heater unit where it is converted to steam by the hot exhaust gases, and then on to the Water Heater to mix with the heater water. In addition, this style "steam generator" is shown in an ad by the same Bridgeport Company (which was located in Bridgeport, Conn.) in the August 1937 (and later) Ford Dealer & Service Field magazine. Goodyear must have been in the same market, and your's is a good example with the original box and all. Lincoln. Stroker 03-24-2013 @ 5:46 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1460 Joined: Oct 2009 Lincoln: Thank you for explaining the principle that these used. I had envisioned a pure steam cycle, and that would have made the "radiating" side of the system "interesting" to say the least. Adding saturated steam to the already hot water headed to an existing hot water heater greatly simplifies things. About the only downsides I can see are a restricted exhaust and a questionable life span for the generating tubes, given the hot exhaust gasses impinging upon them. It sounds like it would make the heater get warm very quickly in comparison with a conventional system. Thanks again for your great description. Pickup 03-31-2013 @ 11:01 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 26 Joined: Jun 2010 By injecting steam into the cooling system, I would think that you would add more overheating problems into a system that already had its share of problems. I would assume that in the summer you turned off the water supply valve, but wouldn't there be a constant source of steam that would enter the water supply? Lincoln 03-31-2013 @ 6:04 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 56 Joined: Oct 2009 Although I do not know if there were shutoff valves in the system, I would imagine it should have had some positive way of preventing "STEAM" flow into the hot water heater, especially when not needed in hot weather. Also, I wonder if their description of "STEAM" is correct. No doubt that the "WARM" water exiting the water pump would be heated to "STEAM" once inside the exhaust (provided the water had sufficient "residence time" in the manifold to reach "STEAM" temperature). But if pure "STEAM" flowed directly into the water heater, could it not act like an "air pocket" and hinder the normal flow of water through the heater, and render the heater ineffective? In the "old days" when some houses were heated with hot water that circulated through radiators in each heated room, getting air in the system from such sources as steam would frequently cause hammering of pipes and other odd behavior! JUST SOME THOUGHTS ON THE OPERATION OF THIS TYPE OF HEATER-----! ford38v8 03-31-2013 @ 8:15 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2758 Joined: Oct 2009 While speculating on how it works, consider that it likely couldn't cut the mustard at all, that being the reason the thing still has the original box. A wall hanger of the first order. Alan

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