Heater Install in a 1989 Supra Comp

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Wondering if anyone has ever installed a heater in an older Supra Comp? (1989) Wondering if it's a difficult job or of I should let the dealership do this install?

[Cooose]

I'm putting one in my Saltare rebuild. It's pretty straight forward. If you winterize your own boat then you can probably tackle it yourself. You can pick up one of the kits or just pick up a heater core from Napa and put a sheet metal box around it and plumb the heater up.

There are some decent diy videos out there that cover most everything you would need to know. Check them out and if you decide to tackle it just keep the thread going and share some pics and ask questions if you get stuck.

[crystal waters]

Have 89 conbrio.
I had the dealer install when I acquired the boat as used.
Watching the mechanic doing the install I realized how tight the space was to work in
keeping in mind I am a big guy.
If you are nimble and mechanically inclined go for it.
As for myself, I am more than pleased to have utilized a pro to do the install.
Good luck

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What did they do for the vent tubes that pull out? Where did they install everything, under the driver side dash? The spotter seat in my 89 Comp is pretty low and I don't think anything will fit under there. Did they make you a separate box to install everything in?

18446

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I do my own winterizing and think I may be able to do it but i'm not sure where the best place is for the heater core box and where I should put the vent tubes. Space I can't have the flex tubes in my ski locker up front. They will get torn up pulling skis in and out... Any ideas?18447

[crystal waters]

What did they do for the vent tubes that pull out? Where did they install everything, under the driver side dash? The spotter seat in my 89 Comp is pretty low and I don't think anything will fit under there. Did they make you a separate box to install everything in?

18446
They ran one tube to the drivers side lower left in footwell area.
They ran one tube under spotters seat thru the storage area and made a clean circular cut out in the fibreglass seat frame just above the carpet floor where ones heal would be up against. In the storage area there is a metal tube that the flex plastic tube is manualy recoiled back into when not in use. On the outside of the fibreglass frame there is a black female ring that the flex tube with male end ring clips to when recessed. Easy peasy when using. In this way one can simply pull the flex tube out of the metal tube it sits within and bring it up to the spotter or skier needing warming etc. I had the third flex tube run up to the spotter cupholder on the dash just below the windshield to act as a defroster on those cool dew like mornings when trying to grab clean water for a ski.
Good luck

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Great idea... Thanks!

[crystal waters]

If you pm me with your email address I will send you a pic or two of outlets which better show my earlier description.

[footer1]

Thanks for the ideas. I decided to bring it to the dealership that services my because I knew they would do a clean install and it's the off season for them.
They did a great job. Here are a few pictures:18465 18466

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18467 18468 18469 18470

18471

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[Mischief IV]

Nicely done!! Wife loves the heater on our 242 and now wants one in the Rider.
Guess I shouldn’t have shown her these pics. :mad:

[jtryon]

I'm putting one in my Saltare rebuild. It's pretty straight forward. If you winterize your own boat then you can probably tackle it yourself. You can pick up one of the kits or just pick up a heater core from Napa and put a sheet metal box around it and plumb the heater up.

There are some decent diy videos out there that cover most everything you would need to know. Check them out and if you decide to tackle it just keep the thread going and share some pics and ask questions if you get stuck.

Are these DIY options ignition protected? Super important for a boat installation.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[footer1]

Not sure what you mean by "ignition protected". Can you clarify?

[jtryon]

anything in a marine application that can create spark, like the alternator, ballast or bilge pumps, starter, distributor, starter solenoids, and blower need to be marine-specific with ignition protection. gasoline fumes can build up in the motor area and if any of these parts aren't ignition protected, a spark from one of them can start a fire. pretty sure the #1 cause of fires on a boat is the use of non-marine parts, which save people money but can have catastrophic consequences.

i'm not sure where the heater core gets installed in a project like this, so my apologies if it's not in the engine compartment in which case my points are moot. still good things to always have in mind though :)

[footer1]

Thanks for the info... I'm not 100% sure but I think most applications would mount the heater core outside of the engine compartment. I had mine installed at a marine dealership and I'm sure that the Heater Craft unit was designed for the marine application. Good to know though...

[cadunkle]

I'm putting one in my Saltare rebuild. It's pretty straight forward. If you winterize your own boat then you can probably tackle it yourself. You can pick up one of the kits or just pick up a heater core from Napa and put a sheet metal box around it and plumb the heater up.

I made my own for my Saltare. Foudn teh biggest off the shelf heater core I could (I believe it was for a '79 Ramcharger) and made a box. Welded 2x 4" tings on teh back for blower motors to push air through it, and 3x 3" rings on the front for the hot tubes. Piece of cake. Kept the in/out low on the box how I mounter it so winterizing is easy, but disconnect the hoses from intake and suction side fo raw water pump and blow through the hose until nothing comes out. Seat heaters are a great addition too!

[jtryon]

I made my own for my Saltare. Foudn teh biggest off the shelf heater core I could (I believe it was for a '79 Ramcharger) and made a box. Welded 2x 4" tings on teh back for blower motors to push air through it, and 3x 3" rings on the front for the hot tubes. Piece of cake. Kept the in/out low on the box how I mounter it so winterizing is easy, but disconnect the hoses from intake and suction side fo raw water pump and blow through the hose until nothing comes out. Seat heaters are a great addition too!
what was the approximate cost for this and would you consider reproducing the boxes for these?

[cadunkle]

I want to say it was about $156.21, as per my thread here: https://forum.supraboats.com/showthread.php?9798-Cheap-or-homemade-heat

Probably $200-ish if I ever add pull out "hot tubes" rather than jamming blower hose up my shirt or pants. I checked RockAuto and AUtozone, 1980 RamCharger heater cores for no air conditioning seem to be NLA... Better take care of mine. There are other slightly smaller heater cores available for about $30 so there are options when custom making. For me to make these there wouldn't be enough money in it, I could make the design better doing it again, but I'd be around the same price at off the shelf heaters for maybe a slightly bigger heater.

[jtryon]

gotcha, thanks for the response and the link to your other thread, i had missed that one.

[scottohib]

I also thought that the Heater Craft unit was designed for marine application. Indeed, the best variant for you is to let the dealership do this install. If you open the panel yourself and break inside, then the warranty period is automatically canceled. Look online for aircon chemical cleaning (https://www.airconservicingsingapore.com/chemical-wash/) and repair. Today many companies are engaged in air conditioners service, and the prices range is affordable. The most correct decision is to carry out regular preventive maintenance to avoid a breakdown. It is always cheaper to prevent than to fix or replace.