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Need advice on interior heating

Posted by Ilovemymg2

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Need advice on interior heating #1
Ilovemymg2 Jeanette Vallejo Southern California, USA 1972 MG Midget	Posted: April 05, 2012 10:10AM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 41

Weather is starting to get warm here in So. Cal. - While driving yesterday, I got so hot due to the heat of the engine. My feet were burning - I felt like I had the heater full blast. (I have no heater) I have heard of insulation that can be placed in the firewall, and in the interior of the car, to avoid the heat from the engine coming through. Has anybody out there done such a thing? How did it work heat wise, did it do the job. I love driving my car and want to drive it but - its too hot. Thank you before hand for all advise.

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Re: Need advice on interior heating #2
JJFarkas Jason Farkas New Boston, MI, USA 1974 MG Midget "Ruby"	Posted: April 05, 2012 08:22PM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 1,539

The "foil" type material is the one that "reflects" heat back whence it came. Google "heat reflective auto" and you'll get companies like Dynamat. While that specifically is expensive there are plenty of others out there. Check your local auto supply store as well.

JJ

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/2012 10:11AM by JJFarkas.

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Re: Need advice on interior heating #3
techspecial Mike Pankok Pennsville NJ, USA 1975 MG Midget	Posted: April 05, 2012 08:47PM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 400

I covered every inch of my interior, floors, hump, firewall, footwell etc. with Fatmat...
I believe it's an off-brand Dynamat. Went on great and it seems to be a very high
quality product. It works great as a sound deadener acoustically, but I see no difference
in footwell temperatures. Still gets hot down there. I see some people have tried the
thicker fiber insulation and that may work better. I just don't recommend the foil/tar
acoustic sound deadening products for lowering cockpit temperatures...

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Re: Need advice on interior heating #4
JJFarkas Jason Farkas New Boston, MI, USA 1974 MG Midget "Ruby"	Posted: April 06, 2012 10:16AM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 1,539

Fiber material is for sound deadening and the foil more for heat reflecting. To be honest, I've never had the heat in any of my Midgets cause me any undo stress so if its that bad maybe check to be sure there are not any mechanical issues. Another thought is that deppending on the car, the exhaust system runs directly underneath the drivers footwell so that means you only have a thin piece of metal between you and the burning hot exhaust pipes. I have a header that goes from the engine to just about mid driver's footwell that I was planning on getting ceramic coated inside and out to help with heat but that may bring on more debates.

JJ

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Re: Need advice on interior heating #5
cjcharvet Courtney Charvet Titusville, Florida, USA 1972 MG Midget	Posted: April 06, 2012 01:22PM Registered: 4 years ago Posts: 1,299

If you have no heater, how do you have the heater passages blocked so air from the engine bay is not getting into the cabin?

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Re: Need advice on interior heating #6
Limey Midget Man John McGuire Raytown, USA	Posted: April 07, 2012 08:31AM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 29

I, too, will be watching this thread with great interest. I have all of the interior and carpet out, prepping the metal for heat-shield & sound-deadener. Thanks for all of your advice.

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Re: Need advice on interior heating #7
RPatrick-74.5 Randy Patrick North Georgia, USA 1974 MG Midget MkIII "Flash!"	Posted: April 07, 2012 08:55AM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 128

there is heat associated with the pos. of the exh.piping.For the summer I close the manual heater valve under bonnet and discconnect the flex pipe for the defog and allow the air flowing thru the large pipe to dump into the footwell.Majority of heat will always be under the drivers feet so insulate here.I only disconnect the small hose nearest the radio area.

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Re: Need advice on interior heating #8
Macksprite68 James McKenzie Lawrence KS, USA	Posted: April 07, 2012 09:23PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 107

Echoing what Courtney said, Check your firewall carefully, a few little unplugged holes can allow a lot of heat inside the cabin. Every hole should be plugged, a grommet around wires to protect them and seal the hole.

If there is no heater, is it blanked off and sealed?

It was 86 here last Monday and I drove the Sprite, it was a perfect day for top down driving.

James

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Re: Need advice on interior heating #9
techspecial Mike Pankok Pennsville NJ, USA 1975 MG Midget	Posted: April 07, 2012 09:40PM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 400

In reply to # 2032536 by techspecial I covered every inch of my interior, floors, hump, firewall, footwell etc. with Fatmat...
I believe it's an off-brand Dynamat. Went on great and it seems to be a very high
quality product. It works great as a sound deadener acoustically, but I see no difference
in footwell temperatures. Still gets hot down there. I see some people have tried the
thicker fiber insulation and that may work better. I just don't recommend the foil/tar
acoustic sound deadening products for lowering cockpit temperatures...

I've had a DUH moment...
I'm trashing aluminum foil type Fatmat insulation about it's lack of heat insulation qualities
and I see you guys telling people to make sure they're heater duct is blanked off if they're "heater delete"...
Guess what? Mine wasn't...I was sucking engine heat right on my feet...Well I've blanked it off and it makes an enormous
difference!!! Maybe Fatmat is as good as it's cracked up to be...DUH!!!

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Re: Need advice on interior heating #10
WayneW Wayne Witgenstein Nashville, Tennessee, USA	Posted: April 07, 2012 10:19PM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 1,005

Another option might actually be to install a heater in your car. If the heater valve on the engine is closed, and the 4" air tube is installed up to the front of the car, you can turn on the blower motor to pull outside air in and through the footwell vents to cool off your feet. I know SoCal is hot, but the engine bay temp is probably a lot hotter than the outside air temp. They pop up on eBay from time to time and there are junkyards and other used parts sellers who can get you a heater system.

-Wayne

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Re: Need advice on interior heating #11
Billm Bill Masquelier Santee, Ca, USA 1965 MG Midget MkII	Posted: April 08, 2012 10:27AM Registered: 6 years ago Posts: 1,467

I have found that the heater box (even if the hot water valve is turned off) will transfer a huge amount of heat from the engine compartment to your feet.
I insulated the inside of my heater box and it made a lot of difference in the amount of heat on my feet, it now almost feels like outside air and not a blast furnace!
BillM

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Re: Need advice on interior heating #12
hoggie Mike Hogan Oklahoma City, USA 1969 MG Midget MkIII	Posted: April 08, 2012 04:14PM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 436

I'm planning on attaching some type of heat reflecting strip between the exhaust pipe and the floor pan to reduce the heat on the floor board and add a little protection to my new undercarriage paint restoration. Seems like a good way to cut down on some of the floorboard heat. But then you want it back during the winter.

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Re: Need advice on interior heating #13
VII stephen w Albuquerque, NM, USA 1974 MG Midget 1981 Honda MC CB650C 1983 Honda VF750F Intercepter 1999 Volkswagen Beetle	Posted: April 08, 2012 05:59PM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 1,093

I had a handful of heat shields from all the motorcycle projects I work on and I attached one about a foot long to the exhaust just below the footwell as well as several pieces cut to fit around my aftermarket header. They work great and I say give it a shot if you have some laying around. I think most of my shields were from a harley of some kind.

-
VII
-

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Re: Need advice on interior heating #14
Bob Braley Robert Braley Tacoma, USA 1975 MG Midget 1500	Posted: April 17, 2012 03:23AM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 157

In reply to # 2032007 by Ilovemymg2 Weather is starting to get warm here in So. Cal. - While driving yesterday, I got so hot due to the heat of the engine. My feet were burning - I felt like I had the heater full blast. (I have no heater) I have heard of insulation that can be placed in the firewall, and in the interior of the car, to avoid the heat from the engine coming through. Has anybody out there done such a thing? How did it work heat wise, did it do the job. I love driving my car and want to drive it but - its too hot. Thank you before hand for all advise.

Jeanette, You say you have no heater but do you have a heater box installed or is it just an open hole going from the engine compartment through the ducts and into the foot well?

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Re: Need advice on interior heating #15
Ilovemymg2 Jeanette Vallejo Southern California, USA 1972 MG Midget	Posted: April 17, 2012 09:46AM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 41

I don't have a heater attached just an open area where the heater used to be.

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Re: Need advice on interior heating #16
refisk Rick Fisk Frankenmuth, Michigan, USA 1959 Austin-Healey Sprite 1961 Austin-Healey Sprite 1979 MG Midget 1500 "Party Midget"	Posted: April 17, 2012 10:27AM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 2,236

Is there a plate over the heater opening?

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Re: Need advice on interior heating #17
sinar John Steele Uxbridge, United Kingdom 1974 MG Midget MkIII "Sport"	Posted: April 17, 2012 10:40AM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 15

Interesting problem. I'm thinking that the great British designers of yesteryear never counted on hot weather. When I relocated to the UK I was amazed that very few people had air conditioning, cars or buildings.

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Re: Need advice on interior heating #18
cjcharvet Courtney Charvet Titusville, Florida, USA 1972 MG Midget	Posted: April 17, 2012 11:49AM Registered: 4 years ago Posts: 1,299

In reply to # 2042645 by Ilovemymg2 I don't have a heater attached just an open area where the heater used to be.

I think that's your problem Jeanette. Under-hood temps in these cars can get pretty extreme. The only thing keeping the hot air from under the hood out of the cabin is that lettle flap in the footwell...and if you don't have the defroster hoses in place, it's coming in there. Seems counter-intuitive, but the best way to cool you down is to add a heater!

I live in Florida and it's hot...but not in the footwells.

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Re: Need advice on interior heating #19
Ilovemymg2 Jeanette Vallejo Southern California, USA 1972 MG Midget	Posted: April 17, 2012 12:17PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 41

I brought this car this year. What I do have is the heating core and the assembly both outer assembly and back of unit, but am not sure if it is all there.Also in studying exactly where I sit- I sit into the engine and the exhaust runs right under my seat.

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Re: Need advice on interior heating #20
Bob Braley Robert Braley Tacoma, USA 1975 MG Midget 1500	Posted: April 17, 2012 03:10PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 157

In reply to # 2042764 by Ilovemymg2 I brought this car this year. What I do have is the heating core and the assembly both outer assembly and back of unit, but am not sure if it is all there.Also in studying exactly where I sit- I sit into the engine and the exhaust runs right under my seat.

If you have no sealing plate (or heating core assembly) over the the heating duct hole you see in the center of the attached photo then you are forcing all the upper hot air from the engine bay into your foot wells. I would advise you to seal that hole off with sheet metal until until you can get the heater installed. I grew up in Santa Monica and you will still need the windshield defroster working during the winter. Anyone have photos of an installed system on a 1973 that they can post here for her. Mine is a 1975 1500 and any photos I have might confuse her as the system is installed on the left instead of the right engine bay.

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