Is this MAD? rear blower heater pipes

Does this sound stupid or do you think you could replace the pipes from the engine bay to the rear blower heater under the front seat with domestic heating plastic pipe (hep20 or similar with pushfit or compression joints????????????/

You might be able to but it would be a bit messy with the push-fit pipes.....the original pipes enter the cabin under the middle seat, in front of the driver's side rear wheel. Not into the fan unit under the driver's seat AFAIK.

Why not simply replace the existing metal pipes with rubber hose?

Add: just realised you what you meant

http://www.landcruiserclub.net/forums/showthread.php/46444-Rear-Heater-Pipes

my first thought was copper pipe and self solder joints but not knowing what they look like i googled "landcruiser rear heater pipe" and above was the first result .

Sorry I did mean following the existing root of the old pipe work shielding them a bit from exhaust.

thanks shayne and chadr . Only thing with copper pipe would it react with the aluminium head ??

I still haven't seen the pipe and don't know where it runs but i'm inclined to think aluminum melts before copper but i might get shot down by someone who can offer much better advice .

660 C for aluminium and 1085 C for copper

From what i know having copper in contact with aluminium
is not a good idea.

Its okay with st/st, tin and lead as they have high galvanic numbers
where as aluminium is very low and the aluminium will corrode

I know people have used flexible hose but not heard of domestic heating pipe being used. It's quite a hostile environment so might be a bit of a gamble. Or you could get new OEM pipes? I got some for mine, and then never used them because I decided to remove the rear heater anyway

You can get proper (rubber) heater hose and the necessary adapters etc. to do the job, all for around £25. I bought it all but never got around to replacing the bit but simply blocked the pipes off in the engine bay. It's on my "to-do" list but very low down the priority list.

I'd go with rubber. The old ones are a swine to get out with the engine in place. Unless the fall apart. Re the copper and Al debate, not sure about that as ally-copper radiators are very commonplace.

I plan to remove mine completely and divert the water into the heat exchanger for the hot water system.

I've used thick walled rubber heater hose on mine . They also have braided reinforcement in the rubber which is pretty standard. Standing/looking over the front bumper they run from the top of the engine, across the top of the bulkhead, down the LHS corner of the engine compartment and alongside the sill where they join the good bits of pipe left. Where they come off the engine I've used 2 taps, those with balls in, so you can turn the heater off in the summer. Some of the LC heating system incorporates rubber hose so I can't see how this method would be inferior. It will certainly last longer than those steel ones.

Frank

Having just bought a LWB with the rear heater option and ordered a new heater control nob I'm now starting to wonder if there's something I should know about this setup as there is clearly a lot of modification work going on here. New pipes, different pipes, isolation valves, blocking off?!!!

Here's some pics.

Frank

The problem is that some of the pipes feeding the rear heater corrode as they are steel. They are impossible to replace without taking the gearbox out so an alternative has to be found. I think the way is just to bypass the whole lot. Taps are an option I chose. Cooler in the summer as you get circulation even with the rear heater turned off on the standard controls.
Frank

I had a section that wasnt healthy. I used rubber hose but didn't replace all the way to the engine bay as didn't need to.

I just stripped the rear heater out when the pipes leaked .... the front heater does an amazing job of heating the whole truck fairly quickly

I like my rear heater, the mrs can cook to her heart's content, while I sit in the front with the heater off!

If my rear hoses start to leak, I'll be under there fixing them, without a doubt! Rubber sounds a good option as long as they're well supported.

To revive an old thread is there a quick fix for rear heater pipes that have a leak??

Mine have a slow leak and whilst the seats are out I thought I would remove the system but not sure how to cap the pipes

Warren, all I did was take a short length of rubber heater hose and join the output to the input at the bulkhead. Just at the back of the rocker cover basically, so now the water only goes a couple of inches or so rather then round the system. I pulled the metal pipes out. They were so bad they snapped off quite easily.

I know it's a big ask but could you snap a pic so I can see the flow and return at the bulk head.

Do you think it's possible with out having to purchase any hose I.e could I use some of the hose that runs to the rear heater or is it too small an id