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VeeTee

Member Since: 06 Mar 2011
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 1512

Heater housing rivetting

I bought a Webasto Hotshot secondhand recently, and now summer Is nearly over, I am wondering now where in the engine compartment I can install it. There is not much spare room in my engine compartment, and after thinking a while, a sensible place seemed against the heaterbox. This is conveniënt near the washer fluid bottle so fluid lines remain short. (Note mine is LHD).

Question: is it possible to fix the hotshot to heaterbox, using rivets? What is in the heater box, near the top, can I damage something by rivetting there?

Click image to enlarge Cheers, Vincent
1959 Polynorm 1/4 Ton Trailer, Olive Drab Green (sold)
1970 M416 Military Trailer (Camping Trailer Conversion), Epsom Green (sold)
1975 Series III 88 V6, Light Green (sadly sold)
1996 Defender 110 CSW 300 Tdi, Epsom Green (sold)
2000 Freelander 1 TD4 3-drs, Silver (sold)
2006 Freelander 1 TD4 5-drs Facelift Automatic, Tonga Green (sold)

MySite

18th Sep 2016 10:38am

jocklandjohn

Member Since: 16 Sep 2016
Location: Highlands
Posts: 62

There's a heater matrix in there which you really don't want to puncture! I have no idea where exactly as it can vary slightly depending on the build.

What might work is to drill out two rivets on the top edge, and two on the bottom edge, and fabricate a light alloy L bracket that will be re-riveted into the holes and onto which you can easily and safely bolt the hotshot.

26th Oct 2016 4:00pm

GREENI

Member Since: 22 Aug 2010
Location: staffs
Posts: 10383

Safe to do so, carry on

Look at the pic of the matrix in relation to your pipes... The box is pretty empty with only a crude cat flap to open and close airflow.

Click image to enlarge

26th Oct 2016 7:10pm

VeeTee

Member Since: 06 Mar 2011
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 1512

Thanks guys, I have postponed this job looking for a good mounting place, think I'll give it a go shortly.

Cheers, Vincent
1959 Polynorm 1/4 Ton Trailer, Olive Drab Green (sold)
1970 M416 Military Trailer (Camping Trailer Conversion), Epsom Green (sold)
1975 Series III 88 V6, Light Green (sadly sold)
1996 Defender 110 CSW 300 Tdi, Epsom Green (sold)
2000 Freelander 1 TD4 3-drs, Silver (sold)
2006 Freelander 1 TD4 5-drs Facelift Automatic, Tonga Green (sold)

MySite

26th Oct 2016 7:26pm

foxyred

Member Since: 16 Jul 2016
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 227

1994 Defender 90 200 Tdi HT Montalcino Red

What about under the water bottle fixed to the inner wheel arch ? check out the price of a good heater box before you mod yours !

26th Oct 2016 7:47pm

VeeTee

Member Since: 06 Mar 2011
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 1512

Choices, choices... I was wondering if I could first fix a mounting plate to the heater box using a good quality strong adhesive bonding mastic (Sikaflex?) and then bolt the HotShot to that? Note mine is a LHD, so location of some components in the engine compartment is different to RHD... Cheers, Vincent
1959 Polynorm 1/4 Ton Trailer, Olive Drab Green (sold)
1970 M416 Military Trailer (Camping Trailer Conversion), Epsom Green (sold)
1975 Series III 88 V6, Light Green (sadly sold)
1996 Defender 110 CSW 300 Tdi, Epsom Green (sold)
2000 Freelander 1 TD4 3-drs, Silver (sold)
2006 Freelander 1 TD4 5-drs Facelift Automatic, Tonga Green (sold)

MySite

26th Oct 2016 8:03pm

jocklandjohn

Member Since: 16 Sep 2016
Location: Highlands
Posts: 62

At the risk of being boring I'll repeat my suggestion.

Where the rivets are already is obviously 'safe'.

So on the top of the box drill out a couple.

Make a U shaped bracket with two small arms and long enough to span the heght of the heater box, so the two small arms wrap around the edges of the heater box. This, if you're a slow worker will take you about 10 minutes to cut and bend out of a small piece of 3 or 4mm alloy.

The top arm is able to cover the area on top where the rivets go so drill a couple of holes to match the heater-box-holes and re-rivet the heater box with the arm under the rivets. No damage to the box, little risk of hitting anything inside.

If you cant easily access the lower rivets, whack some heavy duty adhesive to it.

Then mount the hotshot onto the U bracket.

If you take it all back off and replace the rivets there will be no sign it was ever fitted.

29th Oct 2016 6:37am

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