Ds1

Hey guys,

My recently purchased 3.2 has the heater removed, which I'm fine with because it looks way better. But, the previous owner did not install a block-off plate or other ducting. What I'm trying to figure out is what I need.

Do I NEED to have my heat exchangers hooked up? If so, what part do I need? I found this one from Pelican, and also this one from "widebody".

I know Pelican also sells a block off plate for about $60. So how do I do this?

theiceman

i doubt the heater was removed .. what probably was removed was the blower ... all this did was blow hot air while the car was idling as the motor fan does not have enough push.
I believe to backdate is to remove the blower and have the ducting go directly from the piece you want to buy that mounts to the left of the fan right to the left exchanger ( the port shows in the pic. )

I think there is a piece for the right also that allows for the same for the right heat exchanger . google pelican

Then you wil have heat as engine rpm climbs.

I think you may be able to see the setup if you go to the parts section of the Porsche website and pick an old car and look at the exploded diagram.

Ds1

Sorry, not heater, I meant blower.

Okay, makes sense. The only thing is, I know that the engine fan blowing into the heat exchangers has some sort of necessities for cooling. Is that true or can I run without anything hooked up to the heat exchangers?

Just to confirm, the part from Pelican I posted for the left side will work? I didn't know if it would run into the distributer or what.

theiceman

nothing needs to be connected to the exchanagers but thats a good call on the distributor i never thought about that. The Pelican one looks like it might fit . that other one looks a bit long.

Lots of guys run headers with no exchangers at all ( and no heat ) not an issue.

BTW did you get your running problems all sorted ?

KNS

If you have heat exchangers (not just plain headers) you need to have air moving through them, either being expelled out into the open air, when your heater is turned off, or to heat up the interior of the car.
With the hoses properly in place, the fan is constantly pushing air through both left and right exchangers.

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

Spot-on!!!!

If one isn't going to install the ducts and hoses to maintain proper airflow through the heat exchangers, I'd strongly recommend good headers.

911Dave

I removed all of the heater components from my '86 Carrera a couple of years ago, except I left the heater flapper boxes in place. I have nothing connected to the heat exchangers. They are open on both ends (the opening at the rear of the engine compartment as well as the open flapper boxes), and thus air moves through them constantly even without the blower. Especially considering the air enters at the front end (the open flapper boxes) when you're driving, plus the fact that the hot air from the headers rises and exits at the other end of the heat exchanger, there is air moving through them all the time. My car now runs cooler this way than it did when the heater blower was pushing air through the heat exchangers and out the flapper boxes. The theory that you need the blower is sound, but my experience has shown differently. YMMV.

rusnak

If you're not getting rid of heat exchangers, then it makes sense to keep the heater functional w/out the rear blower. But you have to modify the heater blower relay so that the front blowers work. Otherwise, no heated air flow. Of course, we are talking about the 3.2 here.

theiceman

.. keep in mind SCs dont have the blower and have plenty of heat at speed even without foot well blowers .... well ... plenty of heat on your feet anyway

rusnak

Well, sure. The footwell blowers add air velocity when they are spinning, but not so much when they are not. The SC should have the main blower in the rear - U.S. ones do anyway.

theiceman

yeah Rus they all do .. dont Carreras have both ?

rusnak

Yes they do. A popular mod when removing the rear blower is to modify the heater relay so that the front blowers still work. This is assuming of course that the HE and assoc. tubing is retained.

theiceman

That sounds like the ideal option for our OP

Ds1

Yep, I think that is what I am going to do.

Well, whoever sells the second part I listed (from "widebody") isn't emailing me back. Looks like the Pelican part it is. I hope it fits!

Ed Hughes

If you don't modify the relay, the inoperative footwell blowers will impede the heat flow.