Otwell Heater

[Lefthander1930]

Got some questions about my heater, Otwell Health Heater.

1 Going to get it sandblasted, What color paint, engine or exhuast gray ??
2 Between the firewall & heater outlet there is a gap. What kind of adaptor
hose or whatever went there ?? I do have a heater door in my firewall.

[Tom Wesenberg]

You need to find some heat proof ducting, such as air cleaner stove pipe from the 70's cars, or small diameter drier vent pipe. Aircraft also used such ducting. Corvair and VW used hot air ducting.

Choose your color. I'd probably use VHT NEWCAST myself, as it looks like a new casting color and stands up to heat.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

We should all be aware, when using manifold heaters, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE NO EXHAUST LEAKS AT THE MANIFOLD TO BLOCK GASKETS!!!!!! Carbon -Monoxide is DANGEROUS STUFF!!!!
Shops, such as Mitchs', can SNIFF your heater door, with their Exhaust Analyzer, even. They can even SNIFF your radumator, if you "think" you have a leaking head gasket. A lots of shops LOVE to do it for you, they LOVE & ADMIRE Old cars too. BUT, even if they offer it free, pay them, we don't want them to think we're CHEEP old shits.
Bill W.

[Bruce Adams]

I plan to paint my silver Autolite heater in BBQ black since its easy to find and heat resistant. The silver/aluminum heater is totally incongruous when you look at the engine.

[jeep44]

Heh! I like the look of my Otwell heater painted in hi-temp silver. I think they add a lot of interest to the engine compartment.

[eagle]

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I too have an Otwell heater, its one of the things people like to look at when they look under the hood. Mine looks like its been on there forever, kind of a dull gray/silver.

[Rancho Deluxe]

I have an Otwell heater heater that I went to considerable trouble to obtain back in the mid '50's. I use a short piece of springy aluminum, the kind that comes with paper on one side (removed of course) and gets bent up for roof - chimney flashing. Make a strip 8.5 or 9 inches by 2.5 inches and coil it into a 2.5 inch long tube. Slide it into the opening from inside the car. use a 1/8 inch aluminum pop rivet in a single hole to set and fix the "tubing" diameter. It will stay in place all by itself. You may need to make small crinkle crimps in each end of the tubing to fit it to your particular manifold-to-firewall installation. I remove this in the spring. That heater can really warm the whole car and is overly hot and annoying in the summer. This homemade connector will last at least 5 years and is easy to reproduce.
I used CAST BLAST / High Temp Gray Paint in a spray can from Mac's on my cleaned and bead blasted Otwell Heater. It givers the appearance of cast iron but eliminates rusting. This has so far lasted fine over 4 years in my application.

[Skeezixx]

I can't help but think that the "Otwell Health Model A Ford Manifold Heater" sounds like something Mr. Haney would try to sell to Oliver Wendell Douglas.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by Skeezixx

I can't help but think that the "Otwell Health Model A Ford Manifold Heater" sounds like something Mr. Haney would try to sell to Oliver Wendell Douglas.

Only if it fits a Hoyt Clagwell.