BX2200 Heater Installation

[Dataway]

I'm installing an auxiliary heater on a BX2200 and have a few questions. I'm using a 13,000 BTU unit from Mill Supply, typical setup. I'll be tapping into the system at the lower thermostat housing, and either at the upper or lower radiator hose. For reference I'm using installation instructions from the various cab manufacturers. Curtis cab shows tapping in at the lower radiator hose, Sims shows tapping the upper radiator hose.

It seems to me that tapping the upper radiator hose...although much easier to get to, would be bypassing the thermostat. During cold weather operation with the thermostat closed the coolant will bypass the thermostat, flow through the heater, back into the upper radiator hose, through the radiator (which will cool it even farther) then back to the engine.

Whereas, tapping the lower radiator hose the coolant will enter the heater from the lower thermostat housing, go through the heater, return via the lower radiator hose and not receive the extra cooling of flowing through the radiator also.

Both setups effectively bypass the thermostat, but one sends it through the radiator, the other does not. As much as I don't relish cutting the lower hose and fitting in an adapter in the confined space....it seems the better way to go to me. Seems like it would provide quicker warmup for the engine, and more heat available for the heater.
Any thoughts?

Also, I was looking for the drain cock for the radiator...didn't see one. Manual shows one on the right, lower side of the radiator.....is it hard to find, or is it just me?
Thanks,
JohnnyB

 

[carlcroom]

I can't help you with the heater, but the drain on my 2200 is a little philips headed screw-in plug at the lower right corner of the radiator.

 

[Dataway]

Thanks....no wonder I didn't see it, manual shows it as a small valve.
JohnnyB

 

[escavader]

I'm installing an auxiliary heater on a BX2200 and have a few questions. I'm using a 13,000 BTU unit from Mill Supply, typical setup. I'll be tapping into the system at the lower thermostat housing, and either at the upper or lower radiator hose. For reference I'm using installation instructions from the various cab manufacturers. Curtis cab shows tapping in at the lower radiator hose, Sims shows tapping the upper radiator hose.

It seems to me that tapping the upper radiator hose...although much easier to get to, would be bypassing the thermostat. During cold weather operation with the thermostat closed the coolant will bypass the thermostat, flow through the heater, back into the upper radiator hose, through the radiator (which will cool it even farther) then back to the engine.

Whereas, tapping the lower radiator hose the coolant will enter the heater from the lower thermostat housing, go through the heater, return via the lower radiator hose and not receive the extra cooling of flowing through the radiator also.

Both setups effectively bypass the thermostat, but one sends it through the radiator, the other does not. As much as I don't relish cutting the lower hose and fitting in an adapter in the confined space....it seems the better way to go to me. Seems like it would provide quicker warmup for the engine, and more heat available for the heater.
Any thoughts?

Also, I was looking for the drain cock for the radiator...didn't see one. Manual shows one on the right, lower side of the radiator.....is it hard to find, or is it just me?
Thanks,
JohnnyB

JOHNNY B,
Since i read this post,and havent been able to find an inexpensive heater ,for my cab,I went and searched for MILL DIRECT and found it.Iordered a heater and an installation kit!!! NOW WE ARE BOTH IN THE SAME BOAT..HOW TO INSTALL
I hope the two tees in the install kit are the right size for our radiator hoses.Dont they look small to you?
Please keep me informed on the install,mine is a bx-23
Ijust installes the glass in my cab and am about to put it on the tractor,heater will be next.
ALAN

 

[Dataway]

Alan,
So far I've got the heater mounted in the cab. I drilled a hole in the housing for the speed switch and mounted it inside the heater enclosure so the knob sticks out toward me. The switch uses some resistance coils to control fan speed and typically they need air flow so I mounted them inside the enclosure where they will get air flow from the fan.

Tomorrow I'll start in earnest on the plumbing. The "Y" fittings that come with the installation kit will be probably be useless to us. However the cutoff valve, the hoses, the clamps, should all be usable. I'm going to put some links at the bottom of this post to various instructions available from cab manufacturers.

Looks to me like the plumbing setup is going to have to be:
1. One hose from the heater to a fitting on the lower thermostat housing (this has to be drilled out and tapped....looks possible to do without taking it off the engine).
2. One hose from the heater to the upper or lower radiator hose. I'm going to go for the lower hose because it appears to me from the cooling system design that it will provide the most heat.

For the radiator hose hookup we will have to come up with our own adapter....basically a "T" fitting that splices into the radiator hose...probably a 1" OD sleeve, with a 3/8 NPT junction on it. I'll probably weld up my own...but I hear they are also available in various sizes from autoparts stores.

Here is a link to instructions for a SIM cab heater:

http://www.cabdepot.com/images/sales_docs/2000455_bx_2200_htr.pdf

At the bottom of this PDF file you'll find instructions for heater installation from Curtis:

http://72.32.85.78/documents/Kubota_BX_1850_2350_All_Steel_and_Soft_Sided_Cabs.pdf

Here you will find a TractorByNet thread on heaters:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/40785-cab-heaters.html


Unfortunately there doesn't appear to be a simple "bolt on" solution for the plumbing, even from one of the "store bought" brand name heater kits. Most kits do recommend hooking up at the lower thermostat housing...so dilling into an engine part is probably going to be necessary. I'm pretty handy and have a very well equipped shop and I'm a bit aprehensive about that procedure....I've even thought of removing the part, putting in my milling machine and doing the work there. Or even buy a spare part and working on that so I don't ruin the part on the engine and take it out of commission till I can get a new one. I guess some of the later models like your 23 may have a screw out plug in that location, in which case you can just take it out and screw in a 3/8 NPT fitting with a 5/8 hose nipple.
Peruse that info and we'll try to get through this together
JohnnyB

 

[KennyV]

I am not sure about your engine, but on my ZTR with a cab and a 4 cylinder Kubota diesel engine, My heater is plumbed in the water pump bypass circuit.
Remove the short bypass loop. Connect your heater hoses to the bypass connectors, DONE.
Lots of heat... but do not cap these connections off when you disconnect hot water in the summer, Reconnect the short factory loop.
Works very, very good and is easy to do/undo. KennyV.

 

[Dataway]

Kenny,
I've been eyeballing that bypass with envy....but on the smaller engines it's just not high enough flow, only about a 3/8 ID hose on the 3 cyls. A person could even install a bypass on the heater hoses with some T's and stop valves in the circuit and they wouldn't have to reinstall the bypass hose each summer.
JohnnyB

 

[KennyV]

Kenny,
....but on the smaller engines it's just not high enough flow, only about a 3/8 ID hose on the 3 cyls. JohnnyB

Hook it up... you will not believe the amount of water flow you will get from there. My is also less than 1/2 ID, run is over 6ft each way, more than 12ft. total and it will heat the cab with a lot to spare. KennyV.

 

[Dataway]

Kenny,
Do you use some kind of reducer to go from the heater hose to the bypass fittings? The heater core has 5/8" hose fittings so I'd have to reduce it somewhere.
Come to think of it 1 "T" and a three outlet stopvalve and you'd never have to take the system off....just use the stopvalve to divert the flow back to bypass for the summer.

I'm definately going to take a look at the bypass...would be by far the easiest, probably most trouble free installation. Thanks for the tip.
JohnnyB

 

[KennyV]

Johnny,
Your hook up using a t and a three position valve will work great.
My reducer is actually ｽ inch heater hose. The water pump side clamps down to the smaller size and the heater side will stretch out enough to fit. Been running it like this for 9 years now, works good and never a leak or any problem. KennyV.

 

[Dataway]

Well I'm going to have to give that a try.
Thanks again.
JohnnyB

 

[escavader]

KENNY ,
COULD YOU SNAP A PIC OF THAT,to let me better understand what you mean?Ill look at the waterpump toniteand see if i can tell what you mean.
Iasked at a dealer ,they were clueless,but asked if my engine had plugs in the block i could unscrew to hook it up.
ALAN

 

[escavader]

JOHNNY,
Which heater did you get ?

 

[Dataway]

I got the M-5000 12v.
Seems about right to me.
I'm going to hook up one of the round "defrost" vents to a length of duct, hook that up to a short length of PVC pipe, capped at the end, with some holes drilled in it, lay it at the base of the windshield for a defroster.
JohnnyB

 

[escavader]

HEY KENNY,
Heres a pic of the top of my motor.Ithink the hose you are referring to is that little short one almost center screen.Ihope so cause it looks about the right size and its easy to get to

JOHNNY,
i got the 55-322 I also bought a circulation fan on that site HAVE you looked to see where your bypass hose is?Ithink its the same size as the heater hose we bought,if im looking at the correct one .Take a peak at my pic
ALAN

 

[Dataway]

Alan,
Yep, that's your bypass hose, exact same location as mine.
My hose definately looks smaller than what came in the kit ( starting to sound strange..but). Yours could be larger....different model tractor right? ...or perhaps the heater you ordered came with smaller fittings.....in which case you should use that bypass as a first choice for sure.

It's definitely what I'm going to try rather than klutz around with drilling engine parts. I'm going to go ahead and do a winter/summer setup with a 3-way valve.
JohnnyB

 

[KennyV]

Alan and Johnny,
Yes that is the bypass just hook it up there and it will work fine.
I didn稚 get a chance to take a picture yet. You may not need it with the one that Alan posted. But if you want I will get one this evening. KennyV.

 

[Dataway]

Well....after a long night in the shop considering my options. I ended up drilling the thermostat housing and splicing into the lower radiator hose.
The bypass on the BX2200 is less than 3/8" and the heater inlets are 5/8", no way I was going to get the same hose to fit both. I even turned up some adapters on the lathe to go from 3/8 to 5/8, but with a 3-way valve, and a T to provide for summer shutoff I was looking at 14 hose clamps...just too many places for a problem to arise.

So, I made up a fitting to fit the thermostat housing, and welded up a "T" to splice into the lower radiator hose. The housing was easier than I thought, drilled it with a 9/16" bit, tapped it with a 3/8 NPT and everything went together nicely.

Pictures below. Last picture just barely shows the T in the lower radiator hose.

It's back up and running with heat. Takes a bit for the heater core to bleed the air into the system, required topping off the radiator a couple of times after running it for a while.
JohnnyB

 

[KennyV]

Just checked and you are right a half inch heater hose will not fit the heater side, (been so long ago I had forgot) that I did need to solder copper reducers to the heater in/out to attach the half inch hoses.
Even with the reduced inlet and outlet, plus small bypass nipples there is more than enough HOT water flow to max out the heater.
Johnny It looks like you have it finished so that should keep things warm all winter. KennyV.

 

[escavader]

JOHNNY,
Not to change the subject,but what did you do put snaps in the aircleaner ,and build a cover ,to block it off?Igotta do that too,so air comes from under the tractor.
AS FAR AS MY HEATER,im still contimplating.Kennys idea is easy,but does create alot of plumbing if you want to have a shutoff,because you need to divert the flow to keep it flowing.Im just wondering if i uninstall this cab in the summer ,i could simply hook my factory hose back up.Im leaning towards this way.I think i will get a1/2 fitting and a 5/8 fitting and weld them togeather ,for a connector[have to do this twice of course.]
ALAN