I dont have a 58 yet, but may do soon. Thers one thing i dont understand at all about them, its the heating system.

I have absolutely no idea how it works, since i have never even seen blueprints for it.

I know that this is a 'drity' air system, so cooling air straight from the engine's cooling system is used to heat the cabin, is that right?

How is it all acheived? Is there still cooling air ducts that follow the sides of the pan, like heater channels on a later beetle?

Are there no heat exchangers for the exhaust?

The guy said the heating system was disconnected (the flexible pipe/s at the back that connect the hot air source in the engine, whatever that is, to the hot air receptacle/s in the body, whatever it/they are, were disconnected on the body end) because it stunk.

If this was a laterl beetle i would automatically think ''rotten channels, rotten exchangers''. But this is a completely unknown system to me so i cannot think anything.

Being a dirty air system, it even kind of makes sence. I herd that vehicles with dirty air heating DO indeed stink if you get oil or something on the cooling fins and then you have to breathe the fumes if you want hot air. This is the reason they switched to exchangers in the first place?

Could someone please explain how the heating system works, or perhaps point me to some blueprints (a picture says 1000 words but engineering drawings say even more!)

Can anyone comment on the effectivness of the heating system on a 58?

Also, another little question. the 58 has a manual choke. is this original?

thanks

It would have come with a manual choke!

It comes with whats called stale air heating. The fan-housing blows air over the cylinders and this now warm (but oily smelling) is funneled through the bottom tin and this then feeds it into a heat exchanger. These exchangers are different to the later ones and they are further forward in the car but still around the manifold. These exchangers are then linked to the heat pipes that go through the rear bulkhead, much like the bakelite pipes on the later bugs!

There are then some baffles (boxes to deaden sound!) and these then link to the heater channels. The channels are relatively similar to the later type, same principle!

The baffles on this drawing look wrong but its the same idea! :wink:

Sorry about the crap lines, done on photobucket!:d

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Thanks very much for that explanation, it all makes sence now.

I assume the heat exchangers are not particularly substantial since they have to have dirty air heating before them too?

What should i look for in the heating system? Do you think that the whole ''the heating system smelled bad so i disconnected it'' thing is genuine? I guess it WOULD kind of smell.

And also, is the heating system useful? Does it heat well?

I have heard that they can smell. Im sure that if you were to pull the engine and give the cylinders a good clean and they would be alright, after all they passed testing and were not changed for many years so im guessing it takes a while for them to start smelling!

We have a 30 horse engine to go in our oval and it has these heaters! Almost looking forward to it as im weird and like oily, petrolly smells!:roll: :shock:

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This is a picture, albeit not a very good one of the stale air type heat exchangers!

On the manifold!

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30 horse?

Damn...thats gonna be sloooooow.

What would this 58 have? 30hp?

What sort of realistic cruising speed would one of these achieve? Im used to cruising my 66 at 55mph, because im never in a rush and it keeps the engine at a comfortable state.

30 horses for your 58 too i'm afraid. mine is comfy at 55 to 60, 65 and your working it hard (top speed when new only 70)
I like to keep mine 50 to 55, 60 on special ocations like big hill or back wind:lol:

Yep, manual choke is original.

The heating system, well i'll try and keep this as simple as poss, but as you say a picture speaks a 1000 words.

When you turn the heating control knob next to the gear stick a damper is raised in the tin ware under the engine (the bit under the cylinders)at the same time a flap (butterfly choke looking thing) opens in the 'neck' of the heater box' (the heater box is the predeceser to the heat exchanger found on later bugs, serves the same function only not as well as there are no fins on the exhaust to allow good heat exchange, also smaller).
What this does is block the cooling airs exit (the damper) and diverts it out of the front of the heater box (butterfly flap) into the tubes ( these are what have been disconected)that carries it into and along the heater channels (same as on later cars)
where it then exits through a small vent by your feet in the front and keeps you toasty....if your realy lucky:lol:

This is known as a stale air system, as gert54 says its the same air heating you that has just cooled the engine. later cars have a larger fan housing that incorperate outlets (2 large pipes, 1 either side of the engine) that allow air to be diverted direct to the heat exchangers before it passes over the cylinders, so delivering fresh air to the cabin.

On the 58,Smelly heating can be caused by oil that has wept from the engine over the years and is laying in the tin ware/heater box. Removale and cleaning will fix this, fix any oil leaks obviously.

Smelly heating could also be caused by corroded / leaking exhaust ('j' tube section found inside the haeter box)
This is quite alote more seriouse in that you could end up with carbon monoxide poisoning:cry:
This can be rectified with a repare you can get new j tubes but will need to be welded in. If your boxes are a bit past it, Karman Konnection sell new repro heater boxes complete (about £100 each). nos/good second hand ones are few and far but are obtainable.

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I'm not sure, but I think that is my Garage Floor :lol: :lol:

Guido

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My '59 will cruise all day at 75mph. 30bhp engines are great.

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Thank god for the classifieds! :wink:

Cheers Guido! :beer:

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What tyres does your 59 have?

mines in pretty good order, doubt it would even do 75:o

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