Subaru as a water heater?

[PonchoCatalina]

I just installed a new radiator in my Loyale as the old one had a seemingly non-repairable crack in the filler neck (trust me, I tried). As I was putting in the new one I noticed the transmission cooler input/output lines which are redundant for my manual transmission. They got me thinking, however, what if one were to install hookups for a water hose in / water hose out? Could you use it like one of those heat-exchanger style camp showers? Now I realize that the transmission fluid cooler is intended to *cool* fluid, but the intent is to maintain 165-185 degrees. Would it effectively *heat up* 60-80 degree water? A small submersible pump or a pressurized water system could provide the input, and the output should come out having picked up heat from the radiator as it flowed through. Simply put a shower wand on the output end, and you've got the makings for a hot shower anywhere as long as you have a water supply and gasoline to run the engine. I guess my only question is this: is the transmission cooler circuit substantially long enough to transfer enough heat to flowing water to make it worthwhile, or would it only raise the temperature a few degrees? Or, am is my thinking completely screwy on this whole idea?

 

Examples:

http://toyota.off-road.com/toyota/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=186540

http://www.hotcampshowers.com/new51788.html

[robm]

Yes, it should heat it nicely, but you may need to have the water recirculate from the reservoir through the rad to get it hot. One time through may not be enough.

 

A thermostat to control this would be a good idea, as the rad runs at 210 deg. +, and you DON'T want boiling water coming out of your shower.

[Phizinza]

Maybe warm the car up, then plug a mains pressure hose into it, then turn the tap on slowly and see how warm it comes out? Experimenting is the best way to do it.

[nipper]

Yes and no. Not only does that cooler cool the tranny oil, but it helps warm it up. There isnt a lot of flow or pressure going through that line.

If water flows through too fast, it wont pick up a lot of heat.

 

Dont run more then 14 psi through that cooler. Thats the max the cooling system normally stands up to. I dont think you want to find out exactly how over engineered that heat exchange is.

 

 

nipper

[daeron]

poncho, youre a GENIUS!!!!!!

 

I am going to install an automatic radiator into my Z for just this purpose. the race at sebring is in march, and it is ALL TOO OFTEN cold AND cloudy, so the camp shower water heaters dont work worth beans... what a no-brainer!!!

[TomRhere]

As Nipper said, "if the water flows to fast, it won't pick up a lot of heat".

 

There's not a lot of tubing in that coil, (maybe it'll hold about 4 ounces worth of liquid (if that) total) so the water won't be in it all that long, therefore not picking up much heat.

 

One would have to rig a holding tank with a recirc pump, pumping water in a closed-loop from tank thru the tranny cooler tube back to tank, then draw water from the holding tank for the needed "hot water". Still though, there would be a limit as to amount of said "hot water". One would need to have a way of keeping holding tank supplied when drawing off some water also..

[Skip]

okay summer only op right?

 

 

Flush the anitifreeze out of the cooling system

real good.

 

fill with pure H20.

 

disconnect the heater hoses

 

feed the fresh water from the hose into the

heater core output hose

 

Run the hose that feeds the heater core to the shower stall

 

may not be real hot but will not be freezin'

 

Simaliar situ.

I used to spend weeks on Assateque Island NSS

 

I would fill a large tractor inner tube with H20.

 

Sat it high on the truck roof or camper before filling

 

-->solar heat and gravity was my friend.