Diesel Kerosene Forced Air Heater FIX EVERYTHING

[@lacro5686]

I used to be a tech for these heaters many years ago. The biggest problem I found with them is water and dirt in the fuel. They really should be run on kerosene, not diesel. If the heater is stored with a partial tank of fuel in the off season the filler cap vent will allow humid summer air to enter the tank and condense. The water being heavier than kerosene will settle on the bottom, and rust the tank. Look in the tank with a flashlight to see if there is water. It's best to drain the tank at the end of the season. Or - fill the tank completely so no humid air can enter during storage. The fine mesh fuel filter tends to collect lint, and should be checked/cleaned frequently. I learned lots of tips and tricks over the 35 years I worked on these heaters, but they are too numerous to mention here. One tip I will share is to always start the heater facing outside for the initial cold start. When the raw fuel hits the cold nose cone (aka afterburner) it will cause a puff of smoke (partially burned fuel) and stink. Starting the heater outside, and allowing the nose cone to become bright red (slightly dark in the middle) and then bringing it inside will prevent the stink from filling your shop. The heater only burns clean when the cone is red.

[@FireSkittlez85]

Thank you for sharing, I bought one to keep my shop warm for a little while. Will keep these things in mind.

[@Fine_art_aerial]

I have a redline 150,000 btu heater and it fires up good and runs for maybe 3-5 minutes then shuts down/fills garage with black smoke.. Replaced the spark plug but still does it.. Any ideas how to fix?? Thanks brother!!

[@lacro5686]

@@Fine_art_aerial try removing the nozzle and take it apart to check for dirt. also, on the 150 BTU models, there is an in-line filter that gets clogged with lint. It's located inside the flare of the fuel pick-up tube. It's removable for cleaning. The air outlet filter could be clogged, and needs replacement. It's the felt one with the cork surround. There could be a spider or mud dobber in the air adjuster screw.Check inside the tank for dirty fuel or water. Use a flashlight. Lot's of possibilities.

[@BumpNrun69]

Wow, pretty much the info I was looking for. Just recently purchased one that can run on 4 different types of fuels/oils. Been running kerosene which has an odor to it and was wondering if diesel's odor would be any less noticeable. Borrowed a buddy's kerosene can and need to purchase either a kerosene or diesel can for myself but didn't want to make that $100 plus commitment with a Justrite can, until I found out what's best. Appears kerosene's the way to go, thanks.

[@jacobgriffin6812]

What would cause a 215000btu heater to shut off after a few minutes and not restart and have hard starting issues?

[@rogerjustice8835]

I own 2 of these heaters, made by desa they are as reliable as a stone and super simple to repair and service. I’ve always ran them on number 2 diesel both on road and off road grade, wouldn’t trade either one for any other heater. Years ago I bought a plug in thermostat for them that way I can set a temperature and not have to constantly tend to the heater it cycles on and off like a furnace.

[@sixtyfiveford]

I've had a few with thermostats and that is nice.

[@alancummings5008]

I wired a baseboard heater thermostat(garage sale find) into a 10 gauge flat extention cord. Hung the thermostat about chest high. Ran my heaters for years.

[@leelovins334]

Excellent video I have a cupple at my shop I'm going to repair thanks

[@vinces8974]

Great explanation, on how these torpedo heaters work,you never fail to impress me with your knowledge on how to fix things, your video are brilliant .

[@mrcaboosevg6089]

My dad got one of these back in the 70s, nearly 50 years later i'm still using it now. As a kid having what i called a rocket in the garage was a lot of fun

[@astick7777]

I have those same memories

[@GearheadStew]

Super informative! I see these at garage sales for almost giveaway prices because they dont work. Next time I see one, I'll scoop it and tune it up for a temp garage heater! 👍 For some reason I always thought they would be more complex inside.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Anytime I find them under $25 I scoop them up. They don't resale for a ton but generally still fetch $150 in the heart of winter.

[@vampirejesus8170]

Got one of these from a garage sale a few years ago. Cleaned up the outside and replaced the outside filter. Been running every winter in my garage when I needed it to. Best 20 bucks I have spent in a long time.

[@heisenberg3868]

Finally somebody that actually explains servicing these heaters properly everybody else is so maybe on half the shit thank you I appreciate it

[@alancummings5008]

Had a couple of these over the years. Picked up at garage sales for next to nothing. Through cleaning. Adjust pressures. Worked great. Thanks for sharing

[@sixtyfiveford]

Right on

[@jacknevitt7384]

I was always curious about these “jet engine” heaters and how they worked. Great video, thanks!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks Jack. -Moe

[@multicyclist]

Well I am impressed. I never knew those things could burn that clean. The last time I used one of those was in the 80s to heat the unheated bay of a heated shop when needed during freezing winter weather. Even though it was near new, it would burn your lungs from the fumes if the bay door was not open (which defeated running a heater). Definitely would be worth having one around the house for use outside now that I know they can burn so clean without all the fumes and CO. Thanks!

[@multicyclist]

I just realized the reason why the near new heater put out so much fumes (back in 1987). The altitude was 5600 feet above sea level. Had I had known {or realized) back then what you shown here I am sure it would have burned cleanly.

[@TheChewy78]

And also ultra low sulfur diesel helps too

[@billvandorn5332]

I dove into repairing one. Helped me tremendously getting my tractor to warm up and start in the freezing Winter storm last year. Game changer!

[@Texasknowhow]

I picked up 3 of these at a garage sale for $15! They all need to be gone through and checked out. Two of them are the same size as yours in the video. Orange and everything. The other one is almost twice as large, white in color and a different brand. This video and a little cooler weather is making me want to dig into them and see if I can resurrect them. 😊

[@Its_Me_Wheelz]

When I worked in construction years ago, I used to possess these heaters. I was foolish and short-sighted when I sold my business, so I also let my heaters go. A man who has had his seat for more than 20 years will soon sell one to me. I'm buying it for a very low price-like $25 low. What I need to do as soon as I acquire it is being demonstrated in this video step by step. I'm grateful.

[@davedennis6042]

Wow, that was some real quality content. Probably not a dozen people know how to properly run these. Thanks.

[@dieselrotor]

By far, the most useful and informative video I've seen in years. I've passed on free Salamanders because I didn't know they were this repairable, having never owned one Myself not needing one. But now I have a use for one and will keep My eyes open. Thank You.

[@nickklaas4776]

After watching your vid a few times I got a free one of these that had been left outdoors for years. The tank was full of water and the foam and screens were done or missing. I tore it most of the way down. Bought some parts, some adapters and $15 of kerosene. When it fired up the heat blew my mind!! This one took quite a while but I could do the next one MUCH faster. A fun project and now I have a working heater for the garage for under $30! THANKS for the great video

[@johnpossum556]

When I had a garage I ran a 110,000 BTU one in a 2.5 car uninsulated garage. Even in -20F it would heat up in about 20 minutes. I did put a CO detector in there and it never registered any CO. A friend gave me a thermostatic switch from a 120V electric oil radiator that I wired inline so about every 30 minutes it would cycle on for 5 minutes. Great system in colder states, never seen the inside of one until today. Thanks!

[@20havenfun08]

I've worked on 6-8 of these units. Great video, learned more than I thought I would have.... thank you:)

[@sixtyfiveford]

Awesome.

[@seastacker8582]

I picked up one of these years ago for $25. Would sort of light then blow out. It was that rear plastic cap was cracked. Easy fix. Set the pressure with a harbor freight gauge. Been running for years trouble free. Great video.

[@raymondcollyear4773]

Just like everyone has already said great video. I have a heater and It quit heating a couple of years ago and I didn't know how to fix it till I watch your video. So now I feel I can try and tackle trying to fix it because my youngest son bought a house and he needs a heater for his garage. Thank you for sharing what you know

[@MrTimdtoolman1]

I had one of these that I got used 35 years ago that had the cone melted off of it when I got it and someone before me had put a square metal J-box cover over the front for the "cone", I used it to heat my garage at home in the winter when I went out there to smoke cigarettes in the winter. It worked fine for years only smelling a little kerosene when it first started up. It finally stopped working 10-15 years later and I got rid of it and found a better smaller BTU unit that was intact but I have not used it for years since I don't smoke in my garage, or at all anymore. I love your channel brother, I'm 60 now but I always learn something interesting in your videos. You are like Mr. Wizard as far as I'm concerned, so keep up the great vids, and Ginger has become quite the Star.

[@ZippoVarga]

I've been lucky enough to have three Farm King high pressure heaters over the years that'll burn anything from Kero to diesel to home heating oil and filtered used motor oil. Of course, the filtered motor oil does tend to gum things up more than the rest, but in small quantities diluted in the kero or diesel, it does just fine. They actually run Wayne or Maxon (located here in Muncie) burner assemblies and typically run between 95 and 105psi. Depending on what fuel oil you use, a simple air vein shield is adjusted to achieve optimal burn. Different size nozzles are available from my local HVAC supply house. I love these things because they're quiet, efficient and so versatile and easy to maintain. But I do have a low pressure backup heater that I use for the detached garage when I start the motorcycles in the Winter. Regardless, they're handier than a third hand! Thanks for this video Moe! Zip~

[@sixtyfiveford]

Your Farm Kings are neat and I recall the videos you did one them. I have never come across one locally.

[@orvillehorner4326]

Used motor oil..filter good.. Get the oil up to about 130 degree..be for u starting it.. Seems to help..

[@wangofree]

Thank you. I've used mine for years without doing anything to them. I need to eyeball the filters and check the bushings. You are a master mechanic.

[@headpainter1]

I had a friend give me his because it quit working. It had bounced around in the bed of his truck and had a crack in that plastic housing for the air pressure. I siliconed it up and walla, worked again. I didn't fully understand why it worked but knew the crack shouldn't be there. Thanks to your video, I know now. I really appreciate your content.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Awesome

[@ogresspeedshop]

This was the video I didn’t even know I was looking for. I just picked up a heater very similar to the one you’re working on. Got it for $40 at an estate sale and I took it home, plugged it in and it fired right up. Had a pretty good fire show fly out from the rats nest inside it, but it worked great. Finding this video answered a lot of questions I had about how it actually worked. Thank you for that and awesome informative video!!

[@Mrcaffinebean]

I have one of these and just as you say they run very efficiently. I bought mine used also and it's the best $50 I have spent on the shop.

[@carlnelson3893]

I have 2 similar one in my garage for 10 years, now I have the knowledge the go thru them, Thank you!

[@richardross7219]

Nice job. I just picked up one of these for free. Now I have a better idea of how to fix it up. Good Luck, Rick

[@sixtyfiveford]

Cool, thanks

[@alfredoverno9674]

uncle burned down his entire garage with one. he had stacks of newspaper about 10 feet away, but the repeated use of the heater in the garage (doors opened for ventilation) the paper got super dry after years of using it. dont know why he had stacks of old newspapers, however, a spark hit that stack and poof. just sharing a story that I saw the aftermath of. thanks for listening.

[@preludedude4765]

Well you just sold me on these. I was in the same boat of thinking they would gas me out as I've seen several that do smell. Glad to know there's ways to make it right and make it safe. Thank you

[@Farm_fab]

I got one of these at the scrap yard, and it need a HV transformer. I called around and none were available. I then looked into a neon sign transformer, and the output was similar, and it was more than two thirds less than OEM, and it worked very well.

[@servingme09]

I now know how to fix my Torpedo heater, had tried several times without success but now I'll be able to fix it, thanks for the tutorial.

[@donlehocky7348]

I bought one of these about 30 years ago for my 2.5 stall garage/shop. Still going strong. Found this video and did a little tune on it. Was getting fumes, so I backed off the fuel a bit and now no more fumes.

[@joeycmore]

Thanks. I actually have one of these awaiting me to fix it for the past 20 years! I keep chickening out because I have never worked on heating equip. Now I lost my excuses. Great!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Right on

[@haneyoakie14]

I inherited one of these and don’t know anything about them. Until today! Now I have a basic education of what I’m looking at. Thanks for the great content.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Right on!

[@Dennis-uc2gm]

When you have to swap a water pump on a car in the Midwest in the middle of January these can be worth their weight in gold . I've had a Redi-Heater for 25 years plus and have only had to do minor things to keep it going. Great video for when I've got to go deeper.

[@sixtyfiveford]

I agree! Absolutely a lifesaver outdoors.

[@starfish5479]

I have one identical to that one Co-op decal and all. I bought it when I was 18 years old. I'm 68 now! It still works perfect!

[@sixtyfiveford]

That's neat.

[@Snailmailtrucker]

Great timing once again my friend... I love using my shop heater (exactly like the one you are showing!) I bought mine on Craigslist for $20.00 about 5 years ago and use it in my shop every winter.. I only use diesel fuel and very seldom have any smells except at start up and maybe shut down ! I usually start and stop outside! Keep the Faith Brother !

[@sixtyfiveford]

Awesome

[@Le_Comte_de_Monte_Felin]

I fixed up one last winter that I bought on BookFace Marketplace. It was one of those that had no wheels or feet & because it had sat on the ground (or concrete...) had rusted some pinholes in the bottom of the tank. There's a hint for folks: if yours does not have wheels - put some self adhesive rubber feet on the bottom to keep that tank dry. I cleaned the tank inside with vinegar then after it dried sealed the tank outside with some metal-'bondo' (to block the pin-holes & reinforce them). Once that dried, just painted the outside with Krylon and sealed the tank inside with POR-15 tank sealer. I then made a 2x4 wooden 'carriage' for it to sit on with a couple old wheels, a found tiller handle & now it's ready to use. I like how you save things that still have a lot of life in them... Really appreciate the videos. Manuals and parts for these are all available online.

[@sixtyfiveford]

That's awesome. Nice fix

[@Le_Comte_de_Monte_Felin]

@@sixtyfiveford Thanks - especially since K1 kerosene is pushing $7/gallon here in SWVa... those drums of diesel bought this spring at $1/off retail are helping keep the garage, and house warm now with this heater. I'm a bachelor so a little start-up stink doesn't bother me in the least. Beats being cold! ( I snag gift cards at Kroger stores, or online place, I shop at... then use the 'fuel points' to buy cheap fuel.) POR=15 fuel tank sealer is awesome but once you open the can you have to use it NOW. Get several tanks cleaned, stripped to metal inside, and BONE DRY and do them all at once. Again - I like how you keep 'old junk' going... while others are spending bank on 'new & improved'... and then having to pay someone to fix it. (Progress is great... but why does so much 'new' stuff break 1 day after the 30 day warranty expires?)

[@lilmike2710]

We used those back when I was working in paint and drywall. They definitely work well heating large areas. The fumes aren't bad unless you allow it to run out of fuel whilst running. Excellent for helping latex paints and sheetrock compounds dry in winter. But they're not worth a 💩 for helping oil based paints and enamels drying. They'll actually prolong it. Like trying to dry latex paint with a water humidifier.

[@Manandmachine772]

I always wondered how they worked and was hesitant to buy them at yard sales. But not anymore Thanks for sharing this knowledge.

[@sixtyfiveford]

I always buy them if they are under $25 non working.

[@notgivennotgiven7776]

Man dude, you always find the coolest junk. I came for the heater and stayed for the dog trick. Peace

[@hmac2476]

Outstanding! I'm never disappointed when I watch your tutorials. Thanks and keep em coming.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Awesome, thank you!

[@jeep2003]

Man you are great at fixing stuff! Iv had a few that i couldnt figure out. Iv been using propane because it doesnt stink up my garage but it doesnt heat very well. Im gonna go back to the torpedo and make sure she's burning right. Thanks!

[@robertwoodward4525]

Try the diesel fuel. I think it does not smell as bad as the kerosene

[@jeep2003]

@@robertwoodward4525 Iv been using fuel oil actually. Probably the worst of the three i dont know

[@rupertthomson]

That black tape is called "Self Amalgamating Tape" in the UK, maybe it is in other places too, if anyone is searching for it. It is very useful stuff!

[@tellyfaulkner3466]

Australia as well.

[@rangerriggs5066]

I’ve always called it Live Rubber here in the states, don’t know if that’s the industry terminology or if it was an odd name my grandfather knew

[@kevinstraitiff6318]

Love your videos. You know what you're talking about and convey your knowledge extremely well. I was looking at buying a furnace for my large garage, but after watching your videos, I realized I have heaters to tune and a drier i can modify. Subscribing for sure. Also, love your dog. :)

[@kalleklp7291]

You put new life into this thing and made it useful again. :) Nice job and it probably helps me out when I get to fumble around with my heater...thanks.

[@BacktotheBasics101]

I have an actual nipco heater that I bought secondhand at an auction sale and have been using it for years with relatively no problems. I sometimes use number to fuel and if I don’t put additive to it, it does seem to freeze up. I don’t know what I would do without it. Thanks again for the awesome breakdown video. This video will be very useful.

[@darellsunderlin4670]

I've fixed many of these, and have got may throw aways like your that with little effort can be fixed , best two were a 150,000 BTU and a 165,000 Btu !! Great video .

[@sixtyfiveford]

I have have a few around 150k and they are amazing but way too much for my 2 car garage. 50k, maybe 100k seams about right.

[@davidschwartz5127]

I've owned 4 of those jet engine heaters during my lifetime, only bought one though, and the rest were given to me by several clients because they stank up the building they were being used in. Actually, the one I bought was an LP gas unit for the very same reason and I still have it today and it still works fine after 50 years. For the other three, I was told the spark plugs were most likely bad and I changed the plugs but made no difference they still smelled so I donated to Habitat for Humanity years ago. I may have to keep one of them and fix them, (not fooling around with the 20# LP bottle has its advantages) if I had seen this video first there really is not much to them under the hood. Thanks, I learned a great deal.

[@lacro5686]

Depending on the BTU's of the propane models, they won't run on a single 20# bottle. I had a 150K BTU unit and it would only run about half the 20# bottle before it quit vaporizing the fuel. I had better luck Mani-folding 2- 20# bottles together. The 150K heaters really need 100# bottles to be efficient. Also, they are really loud....

[@chipwright6193]

I saved one of these they were throwing out at work. I've been wanting to go completely through it and get it running again. It hasn't run in maybe 10 years and it's probably 20 or 30 years old. I like how simply they are built.

[@ZPDSurvival]

I just picked up a 1963 Electro Magic Kota Model 740 for free. Very nice condition. Looks older school than the one you are working on. I am going to try and fire it up. Great Video.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Very nice!

[@Palmit_]

Hey Red and Ginger :) glad to see you both well and happy :D 15:38 - thats "self-amalgamating" rubber tape. it merges with itself. like the borg off of star trek. it assimilates the given info (shape) and moulds itself to that when merging. brilliant stuff.

[@PainterD54]

I owned a few of those and they do a great job using diesel fuel (I've never used kerosene because of the price) If you take them apart and clean them periodically, you won't have a problem. Using Seafoam in the fuel helps and is a good choice for summer storage as a fuel stabilizer. Always store your heater with a plastic bag over the fill opening so humid air does not condensate in the fuel over the summer months or store it with a full tank of fuel so the tank doesn't rust inside. Change the fuel filter every so often and keep the little foam air filter on the pump clean. Fuel lines dry out and crack over time so keep an eye on those when your heater gets older.

[@Scrapy-ih7ob]

very nice video. i was supposed to scrap one of these today but forgot to throw off the truck. wasn't sure if was missing parts. so tomorrow if another person hasn't taken it, going try bringing back to life. with the help of your video. At least now i know what to look for. Nice video

[@sixtyfiveford]

Right on

[@noiwanttobeanonymous3797]

When these were around in 1967 for garage's and farm's they were called Tropical heaters and used paraffin Esso blue or Alladin pink they burnt without smell and were fantastic.

[@donaldrichards9604]

What a spectacular DYI video. Very thorough. Exceptional explanations

[@rodneybrand8521]

Well now i know more about these heaters i didn't know..i bought one at a pawn shop and it smells.. now i know why..think I'll see if i can fix it ..I've used it out in my shop and had to shut it down..because of the odor..thanks for this friend..ginger is a amazing and sweet dog..see you on the next one Cheers friend 🍻🍻🍻🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@snakerstran9101]

If its this style and in good tune, he's right, you can run it all day and not have clothes smelling.

[@sixtyfiveford]

I have people in my garage all the time picking up stuff and they always ask what my heater is. Everytime I say diesel they comment "I thought those smelled and burned your eyes, why doesn't yours do that?"

[@paulerickson1906]

A number of years ago we worked in the bush and had to warm up a stranded pickup. So we had a diesel fuel heater similar to this. We pointed the heater at the front of the truck intending to blow warm air under the hood to warm up the engine to a small degree to start it. We didn't have the heater too close as it could throw quite a bit of heat. Enough room to walk by 3 to 4 feet. Well it warmed up alright. Melted the plastic grill right off. This was in -35 degree weather.

[@sixtyfiveford]

That's a great story!

[@TRUMPUSA1]

I like my similar 35k btu propane heater. We used one like in the video on many cold nights wrenching in the garage! It easily heated the room! Great video. Thank you! 🔥

[@cwb43068]

Ive worked on many things in life including these heaters and never once have I realized the nozzle is servicable.... off to the garage I go!

[@scottfirman]

Good video. I have never pulled one down as far as you have. I had to replace the fuel line as well, as you stated, mine was split and sucking air. Those things can sit forever and still run. I would replace that sensor as it is a safety feature that should be functioning. I had to use one under my mobile home when our hear tape got chewed by a mouse and even though the pilot light said it was functioning, it was not. That torpedo heater quickly thawed my water lines and I replaced the heat tape.

[@johndoe43]

Good job. I had a new teddy heater. Used it twice and it got stolen. Thanks for the info. Makes me want to buy another one.

[@richardclifton4120]

I have one of those sitting in the corner of the garage and you're right they do heat things up fast. I have mine strapped to an old skateboard with a handle attached for moving it around. The price of Kerosene is ridiculous but I have never tried anything else to run it so it sits. I have never tried diesel, but I assume it would work and I keep a few gallons of that around at all times. I may try it this winter. I'll remember this video if I ever have a problem with mine.

[@sixtyfiveford]

I've never found one that didn't run good on diesel. Kerosene is just Diesel with the Paraffin wax removed and I actually find there is a slight odor with kerosene that you don't get with diesel. Paraffin wax has a very pleasant odor and that may contribute.

[@richardclifton4120]

@@sixtyfiveford I've never used diesel but I'll give it a shot when our economy and diesel supplies aren't about to run out across the country. I will covet what I have as a backup for now. Thanks

[@AtimatikArmy]

@@sixtyfiveford I didn't know that. I run diesel in my kerosene Aladdin lamp simply because it's cheaper to buy that at the gas station than a gallon of Kerosene at home depot. Seems to burn fine. As you said, maybe the paraffin is helping it not smell as much? Interesting. I always knew kerosene and diesel were very similar and I wasn't too concerned, but some people say it's bad in Aladdin oil lamps.. I dunno...

[@BumpNrun69]

The price per gallon of kerosene and diesel here is nearly the same, couple pennies here or there. Both are expensive nearing the $6 mark at the pumps.

[@gregorypiercesr.2769]

I have used them in the dead of winter to keep heat in friends of mine well houses to keep the water flowing and they work fantastic!👍👍👍! Super detailed video!!

[@sixtyfiveford]

That's awesome.

[@scottyellis3442]

Great video, I wish I had seen this 20 years ago "but 20 years ago there was no KZbin LOL". Back in my sheetrock days we burned a 150,000 BTU ready heater & it only smelled at first start up.

[@bobfugazy4916]

This was great, thank you. I grew up with these in my Dad's garage.

[@juanlanda2441]

Mine kept getting clogged because of rust or debris in the tank . I'll have to boil It out and do an anti rust coating . . Thanks for the tour . Lots of good info 👍

[@621ELECTRONICS]

My dad used one of these for years, occasionally you’d get fumed out and eyes burning. A part in it finally died and could not source a replacement. Went to a natural gas heater mounted on the wall, and it heated a 2 car garage very warm in the winter if needed. Not saying the torpedo style heater didn’t heat well, it did too, but the natural gas heater was more convenient and off the floor.

[@tomayrscotland6890]

That is a good quality service you did there, And very instructional too. well done.

[@kennethparker2168]

I have one I bought in the mid seventies It kept me from freezing to death working on cars in a garage and sometimes outside in Wyoming it has a rubber air pump that went bad it was such a valuable tool I still have it after watching this video I will try to get the part from the company he says make most of them and use it some more

[@adnacraigo6590]

Dandy exploration. I have never seen inside of one of those heaters but they sure do throw out the heat in a hurry.

[@fourdubn]

I don't even own one or plan to as my shop is heated by NG, I still Watched your whole video though. Great work!

[@taiguy4961]

Amazing video. I am looking to purchase my first heater and with basic knowledge of ICE’s and carburetors, You have thought me all I need to know to get started right off and a jump on maintenance. Thanks!

[@RPS2443]

I had one of these that was a hand me down from my grandpa. It obviously wasn't "tuned" because it smelled terrible and burned my eyes. I think it ended up in the landfill because I didn't know how to fix it. 30 years too late, but I'll try to fix the next one I run across!

[@backyardsounds]

Instead of just ATF, I mix acetone, ATF and 3 in 1 for things like that. Works as a way to unfreeze nuts and bolts too. Much better than Kroil or similar stuff.

[@gregorypiercesr.2769]

Your correct!😎😎

[@sixtyfiveford]

For breaking stuff free yes, this is more for just lubrication in this application.

[@not2fast4u2c]

I never knew how they worked I have seen many of them thrown in the scrap pile ..They would be a lot easier to work on than some of the stuff like lawn mowers that get junked

[@sixtyfiveford]

It amazing how fast they can heat a shop. I can go out to 30's and have my 2 car garage 60+ in 30 minutes.

[@heliarche]

My Wife can get headaches from the fumes coming off fresh OSB board. I have one of these and I can run it in the house if it's really cold and it doesn't bother her at all. No fumes, no burning eyeballs, just stupid amounts of heat. They probably aren't the most economical thing but Man do they make some fast heat! Mine says to run it on kerosene or #1 heating oil which I guess is just regular heating oil/diesel. I can't get it to run heating oil without a ton of fumes. Maybe lean it out? Heating oil would be cheaper than Kero around here at least. As far as I've seen, it's heating oil that grows the fungus or bacteria. Nice trick on the hot screwdriver and I love that swanky handle!

[@petermolnar8667]

You can get additives against bacteria in diesel, I think it would be a problem when the fuel is stored for a longer period 🤔

[@heliarche]

@@petermolnar8667 Aye, last I saw it was when it was heating oil in tanks and it was probably 10 years old. I've never seen diesel with this stuff in it but I've never had it sit for so long nor even seen it sit for so long.

[@tobygathergood4990]

AWSESOME, GREAT VIDEO! I've got a used one of these in my shop for about 20 years that I picked up somewhere for cheap, (prolly 'cos it didn't work...I tend to do that a lot). I've never done anything with it. Now I can give it a once over, and half assed know what I'm doing and maybe stay a bit warmer in my shop this winter. The ironic thing now, is that here in BC Kerosene and diesel are ridiculously expensive. No 1 diesel is at $2.28 a Liter. It costs me $320 to do a complete fill on my old 1991 F250 4x4 7.3L IDI. Whereas when my truck was new, Diesel was.53 cents per liter. So it cost $75 to do a complete fill up. That's a 420% rise in price over 31 years...insane!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Dang that's expensive.

[@tobygathergood4990]

@@sixtyfiveford You're telling me! I can barely afford to go food shopping once a month, but I have to have a vehicle 'cos I'm 12 miles away from the nearest town. MY old '91 right now has 830,000 miles on it already.

[@f.chrisliuzzo7889]

We use a torpedo heater every winter in the shop.. works great.👍👍 just don’t let it run outa fuel while running because it’ll blow a huge white smoke that wreaks of straight diesel exhaust!!

[@sixtyfiveford]

So true. I'll hear it cough and I run as fast as I can too shut it off before it dies and pumps the entire shop with diesel.

[@bigDbigDbigD]

Moe, this channel has the most useful information to guys like me on youtube!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Glad you think so!

[@davidgridley3643]

Thanks so much for this informative video. I I have an old one that’s been sitting for 30 or 40 years. I’ll have to see if I can get it fired up with your help. I remember seeing these type of heaters running years ago and it stunk and made my eyes burn. You inspired me to give new life now that I truly know how it works and why it works.

[@R3TR0R4V3]

I have one of these too, which was brought back from the dead.. Great heater! 😎

[@knighthawk86855]

Great video, one thing you forgot to mention was adjusting the top, so the fan when it's spinning doesn't hit the cover, I found a top of the line one in the trash, and it just needed adjusting and a good cleaning, like in your video, but when I screwed the top back on the fan was hitting the top cover, which needs a person with a lot of spare time to tighten, and untighten, push in, adjust, spread apart, and try to get it just right, the top of the line one I have was a real bear to get jusy right, and as soon as you lift it to move it, the adjustment process has to be done all over again, I finally gave up, and put spacers in on every screw, which made a gap, and you know what that causes, so I used heat resistance gasket material to seal the unit, just wanted to share my problem and fix.

[@sixtyfiveford]

My main unit under my bench was like this and it took me at least 8 dozens times to get it right.

[@flocksbyknight]

Well done my friend. Thank you for showing the internals of over of these and demystifying the supposed danger.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey Thanks.

[@cr76802]

I've rebuilt a few of them It's amazing how easy they are to fix and swap out

[@isaiahvillarreal4512]

I saw this post yesterday and lo and behold I’m out looking around the 5 acre property I just bought from the widow of an old hoarder. Found one same faded orange.

[@werner.x]

Finally i know, how these heaters work. I never bought one, didn't trust them. My experience with the self sealing rubber is, that it is not oil- or Diesel resistant. I used to use it a lot, never worked with oils or gas. And i don't use it much on electricity any more, because it creeps away under pressure too. So - limited use, unfortunatelly.

[@OldSneelock]

Nice work. The photocell will keep the unit from spraying fuel all over if the flame goes out. I never worked on one of these. Simple enough. I just never thought to buy one. If I see one sitting I might just try it. 😁😁😎😎

[@kentuckytrapper780]

At six bucks a gallon, my wood and coal pile will be seeing some action, great heaters but the cost will keep mine in storage, great video.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Even when I had a wood stove I used this to take that initial chill off before the stove heated up. One 5 gal jug of diesel lasted the entire season.

[@fastacker2]

I had no idea they could be adjusted to burn clean! The ones I have smelled were deadly.

[@wayneo7307]

Nice Job Moe ! She Looks And Runs Great Now ! I Used to Use These in Winter Doing Framing All the Time ! Great For Doing Everything ! Just don't put anything too Close !

[@sixtyfiveford]

They pump out a lot of heat.

[@billrimmer5596]

I need me one of them. Great job as usual!!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks!

[@Enigma-Sapiens]

Great video and How-To Moe. Very useful information, thank you! That girl is talented and smart! Those dogs never cease to amaze me.

[@marty3469]

I bought a new one of these last year, run it on diesel, it's great for the shed but quite loud !

[@vincemajestyk9497]

I've noticed they are pretty clean burning. I have a multi-fuel version and have burned diesel in it because it was on hand. But I did call the company (Desa) and they told me to ALWAYS burn Kerosene if you can.

[@sixtyfiveford]

The only difference between Diesel(fuel oil no2) and Kerosene(fuel oil no1) is the parafin wax has been removed. There's actually more BTU heat energy with the diesel so it puts out more for less money. The only drawback would be in extreme cold you could get gelling and possibly a fouled spark plug after hundreds of hours. However, most places that sell "winter diesel" you should have no issues; because winter diesel is just 25-50% kerosene to prevent gelling.

[@vincemajestyk9497]

@@sixtyfiveford I was just reporting what they said. Mine did have a dirtier burn with the diesel vs kero as would be expected. Slight but noticeable. I guess if you wanted to tinker with the mixture it would clean it up, but they're factory calibrated for kero. I've only ever burned kerosene (mostly) and diesel. The whole cone diffuser is always bright orange with both, but the diesel always had a slight odor. The BTU difference between kerosene and diesel is 4%, or 2% for 'winterized' diesel. Most of these units are 55,000 btu's or slightly more or less. I've never noticed any difference either heat wise or fuel economy wise between the two fuels. Kerosene is 133,000 btu vs 139,000 for diesel (IIRC). It doesn't matter which you use really, it just comes down to which is cheaper.

[@rafaelrodriguez-vx6ck]

Your videos are helpful and your dog is one of a kind. Keep the on keeping on. Thank you

[@Mach1bud]

You are gonna turn me into a shop tool flipper at this rate. There is definitely money to be made fixing up all this old (better quality too) equipment. I need to hit up some yard sales.

[@jhartford58]

Just discovered your channel. Thank you for the quality in-depth content.

[@tjs_welding_and_fabrication]

Thanks for this. Mine stinks so bad I have not used it in years. Going to go thru it.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Yeah, these are unbearable when they smell.