disabling/deleting the viscous heater

diesel_guy86 · **Posted:** Fri May 16, 2014 11:51 pm

Has anyone done it? Your thoughts? I know what it does and why its there, its complicates the cooling system and its one more thing to go bad.
Im in the middle of putting my jeep back together. I've already deleted the egr, fcv, and the cumbersome factory vnt turbo. I'm taking this thing back to a plain diesel engine with a Garrett ball bearing turbo. Getting ready to run the coolant lines to the turbo and noticed the tight-necked water pump inlet is right in the way of making a nice air inlet for the turbo. If I can get rid of the viscous heater, and make a new water pump inlet I'll have it made.

diesel_guy86 · **Posted:** Sat May 17, 2014 12:10 am

Here's a couple pics of what things look like now

I think I can make a new, more rounded inlet elbow for the water pump. Relocate some nipples and I think it would look beautiful. I hated opening the hood and not being able to see the engine.

thermorex · **Posted:** Sat May 17, 2014 8:01 am

Check with Mountainman, I believe he removed the viscous, and also may have a gates belt # for you for the serpentine belt, so you won't measure youself

diesel_guy86 · **Posted:** Sat May 17, 2014 12:34 pm

Will do thanks. I think I can use the turbo to do the same thing as the VH.

Mountainman · **Posted:** Sat May 17, 2014 1:11 pm

I sure did, and it only took me three trips to the parts store and 4 belt sizes to finally get it right :banghead:

Anyhow, I'll post a how to with pics as soon as I get a chance. The only hard part was getting a pulley big enough to clear the tensioner pulley. I'm at work, so don't have the part numbers on me now, but it took about a 5.5" pulley, and I put it where the upper left idler pulley was. NAPA sells them, and I think they are made by Gates. The bad part is that they are plastic, so I've hunted around a bit, and havn't found a good metal one yet, but since it is only acting as an idler, it should last a good while anyhow.

Most importantly, I removed the mechanical fan, and the AC. I don't think the AC matters except you'll need a different length belt than I, but I didn't even look to see if it was feasible with the fan in place. I don't think there will be room for a 5.5" pulley next to the fan pulley though. The front of my engine is open, and I can easily swap a belt, pulley, tensioner ect. with my 1" deep fan shroud. I can also pull two wires off the control, a couple zip ties, and the whole electric fan and shroud slides right up and out. I spent countless hours pounding on that shroud to make it fit like it does :furious:

Next time I would consider the one that they sell with the FFD fan, but mine was $26 for the sheet of aluminum, and it covers the entire radiator :rockon:

Edit: The Gates belt part number with the fan, AC and VH removed is 060775. It leaves a nice 1/3 to 1/2" clearance between the belt and tensioner.

diesel_guy86 · **Posted:** Sat May 17, 2014 1:38 pm

Thanks for the reply mountainman, I take it you have to have a pulley there to be able to use the tensioner? If so I'll have to put a few more parts on so I can see what room I have, right now I have to make a new wp inlet so I can even get a good air inlet. There's plenty of room down there for a larger radius'd elbow, not sure why they made it like it is.

Cant wait for this thing to be done and driving again....

Mountainman · **Posted:** Sat May 17, 2014 2:32 pm

Yup, I think that's the case anyhow. Now you've got me thinking, I could maybe remove that 5.5" idler pulley with a different tensioner, or maybe it's possible to relocate it, although I doubt that.

You're welcome, and thanks as well, as I would really like to get rid of that plastic pulley. Back to the drawing board :frankie:

Edit: I went out and took a look at it. If the area where the idler pulley bolts to is flush with where the mech fan base assembly bolts to the block, then it looks like I didn't even need the 5.5" pulley! I'll find out this evening on my other broken CRD if this is possible. I can't believe I didn't think to move the tensioner originally. The new setup would have the belt go accross the bottom of the PS, crank, AC (or not in my case), up around the alternator, and back to the PS with the tensioner inbetween. The belt would also not be taking that extreme bend at the tensioner. Can you say much longer belt life? :rockon:

diesel_guy86 · **Posted:** Sat May 17, 2014 3:50 pm

I'll look at the belt routing diagram when I get home, I'd like to keep from having anything there at all. If I can get rid of it and make a new elbow, I'm home free :BANANA:

Mountainman · **Posted:** Sat May 17, 2014 4:07 pm

definately. I probably wasnt very clear with my ramblings :5SHOTS:

, but I have the VH completely removed, and the idler is down where the idler that bolted to the fan base was (I removed fan, and pressed out the center bearing, but left the base there as a mounting point for the 5.5" idler. Soon enough the smarter than I wife will help me get some pics up :ALONE:

diesel_guy86 · **Posted:** Sat May 17, 2014 11:20 pm

Found the diagram in my service manual. Starting at the crank going left it goes over the tensioner, around the power steering pump, under an idler and then up to the viscous heater, to the fan and over to the alternator. You could get rid of the VH but the belt will have to the go over the idler pulley instead of under it. Which means I need to find a ribbed idler instead of the factory smooth one. I took a pic of it but must of deleted it arch. Gonna try to start on the new water pump inlet tomorrow if I don't work.

*edit* took another pic:

disabling/deleting the viscous heater

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