Heater matrix ideas.

[Uncle Jimmy]

Anyone here ever built a heater matrix? The kit in the 96 is about as effective as a fart in an airport terminal. It's very easy to get to and remove so I thought I might upgrade to a modern powahfull fan and plumb in some kind of heat exchanger.

[forddeliveryboy]

They're usually fairly efficient - is it silted/limed up I wonder? Obv it'll not be like a more modern one, or as fierce as a 99's but you shouldn't be cold inside in a typical British winter. 

 

The only heater I ever built was plumbing a second oil cooler with GS fan into a no-roof Cit special. It made a surprising difference in freezing temps, to the point you could feel how cold your feet were rather than have them lose all feeling.

[M'coli]

A mate of mine used a Cortina matrix from a scrapyard car back in the 1990s, it fitted into the 96 heater box with little modification.  There must be something seriously wrong with the matrix in yours because Swedish winters are not known for being mild...

[garethj]

I've designed quite a few radiators so I can probably remember most of the principles.

 

The water pump volume determines the size of the oval tubes, the fan power determines how thick the core can be.  If the fan is pathetic it'll never pull air through something as dense as a loaf of bread.  However all of these things are pretty much fixed at the design stage so just changing one thing probably won't help.

 

The easiest is to choose a core with a bigger area but the same size tubes and depth (number of rows).  Of course that's going to be a swine to fit into the heater box, but any other change will have limited difference unless you change everything.

 

As suggested above, is it actually working?  If it's an aftermarket core they're often specced as lower performance to save money, so once you add in a few broken fins and blocked tubes the heat output can be miserable.

 

It's often worth finding out the price of an original equipment part, once you've gone to the trouble of getting the bastard thing out and replaced, the difference between an £80 core and £120 pales into insignificance.

[DSdriver]

Have you tried giving your old matrix a dose of kettle descaler?

[Bren]

Bollocks to the heater. Just make your 96 look like this. You get warm from all the autoshite glitterati wanting to make love to you ('cept me).

[forddeliveryboy]

http://www.saab-v4.co.uk/speedball/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=920&whichpage=3&SearchTerms=heater%2Cvalve

[Uncle Jimmy]

Thanks gents, I'm sure the matrix is fairly clogged up so it may partially be that.

Yes- the heater should be fairly volcanic, I'm told it may be the heater valve, apparently it's not just a simple on/off valve, some kinda coil which allows variable temperature, kinda high tech for 1971.

The fan motor seemed very weak too, I'll take the whole assembly out and investigate further

[Uncle Jimmy]

http://www.saab-v4.co.uk/speedball/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=920&whichpage=3&SearchTerms=heater%2Cvalve

Cheers, I've got a spare matrix for the Volvo- I thought I'd seen that Valve before!

[garethj]

I didn't realise it was a 96 like that. I had a 95 (estate version) and the heater was toasty.

[cros]

I've no idea about Swedes which I'd imagine have decent heaters anyway, but on Smiths equipped stuff a common problem is cold air entering around the outside of the matrix. On my MGB the felt seal had been omitted from new, so the acknowledged feeble output was further diluted. Some heater valves are restrictive and I don't trust the old rubber diaphragm types as I've recently seen a good engine toasted after one sprang a leak. Sorry to ask, but is your thermostat OK? Two new ones I bought for my P4 recently both opened far too early, even the 3rd one allows the engine to run cooler than ideal.

[cort1977]

^{Probably not much use to you especially with shipping but I saw this recently and it occurred to me that it might be handy for something obscure where parts are NLA.}

 

^{https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-991102-1?seid=srese1&cm_mmc=pla-google-_-shopping-_-srese1-_-summit-racing&gclid=CjwKEAiA79zDBRCgyf2FgeiY-CESJABzr0BMNNupje_qBvJcBDnEiYk1mfBC1fyhQIVGoSaMTa6Q8RoCnNHw_wcB}

 

[M'coli]

I was round at Nibblet's last night so he could try out my Clarke 230v impact wrench: I've not been that close to a Saab 96 for over 2 decades and am still fascinated by the window winders!

 

Anyway, I suggested just plumbing the matrix straight into the cooling system and avoiding the coiled sensor part: that way it show if the matrix was exchanging heat or whether the valve was restricting flow.

[Uncle Jimmy]

If the temperature is above zero tomorrow I'll pull the whole lot out and investigate, piccies to follow.

[dieselassist]

a mk2/3 polo matrix/blower unit might be an option; they are fairly compact, n just need the 'in /out' feed/wiring etc; as its so small vw used that same heater/matrix unit in the rear of the T25 caravelle, for rear occupants heat, under the rear'most seats; they have the resistor etc self contained in the unit, so its just a matter of wiring/plumbing it up....