ITR HURRICANE HEATER DIAGNOSIS and REPAIR

Furnace, air conditioning, thermostats, distribution.
Safaritoonces
Posts: 215
Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2019 9:51 am
Location: Bowen Island, BC
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ITR HURRICANE HEATER DIAGNOSIS and REPAIR

Post by Safaritoonces »

My Safari Continental had a ITR hurricane heater that ran on diesel fuel, this system also controlled the A/C units. The Hurricane system had a controller board that would not power up. Therefore neither the A/C or heating system was functioning. This presentation shows how to diagnosis of the system, repair the controller board and shows how to make an alternative to the expensive brushes in the ITR March re-circulation pump. This is a presentation on how to diagnose and repair the controller board as well as to make a set of bushes (new brushes are $70 per set).

https://safaritoonces.org/project-tree- ... nd-repair/
Robert and Bev Lewis
2000 Safari Continental, since 2017
3126B Cat, 330hp
MD3060 Allison
Bowen Island, BC

https://safaritoonces.org/
bdub
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2019 6:48 pm

Re: ITR HURRICANE HEATER DIAGNOSIS and REPAIR

Post by bdub »

Interesting presentation, Robert. Thank you for sharing.
Love your entire site, btw. This nubie really appreciates it.

The Hurricane furnace on our 1998 Serengeti had just been repaired when we got the coach last December. It had a brand new ($600) pump. But I couldn't get it to light. ITR told me to get a yearly maintenance kit and referred me to a dealer to purchase it. That dealer said that it was the same as the Aqua Hot and sold me the kit. I could only use a couple a parts from that $150 kit. Main one being the nozzle. Everything else in mine was different. Anyhow, it then worked great for about a week when the pump started making noise. It finally quit altogether so I just haven't used it. Seems to me if a $600 pump won't last any longer than that, I don't want it.

An anomaly on my unit is that the water heater does not get hot from the engine water as the PO told me it did. I can't remember it that worked initially or not, but is this a clue as to why the pump might have quit? Might it have been pumping against a blockage, causing it to over amp?
I don't know where the engine water takeoff is but have imagined that perhaps a solenoid controlled valve has malfunctioned. Is this a possibility?
Can you tell me where on the Cat 3126 the water takeoff is located and if there is a control valve on it?

I'm expecting a new propane Suburban furnace via UPS on Wednesday with intentions of replacing the Hurricane unless I can figure out what's going on. It's getting cold and electric cube heater just don't cut it for boondocking! :-)

Thanks again for all your excellent presentations.
Billy Massey
40' 1998 Serengeti, 3621b Cat 300hp
2015 Willys
Brownwood, in the Heart of Texas
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Safaritoonces
Posts: 215
Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2019 9:51 am
Location: Bowen Island, BC
Contact:

Re: ITR HURRICANE HEATER DIAGNOSIS and REPAIR

Post by Safaritoonces »

You are most welcome.'

My suggestions is "DON'T DO IT", ie change out to the furnace. You are being made a victim of a graduate from the RV specialist Academy of Incompetence.

The hurricane heater was sold to the military, it is extremely reliable and field serviceable by you! Look at the links to IRTheating I posted.There are all the simple procedures to clean the nozzles and so on. It sounds like the pump may have a failed brush or the armature is bad. It takes only a few seconds to remove the brushes.

I will take some videos of the system today and walk thru how to remove the brushes and how the valves are set up in the engine bay (that is where the heater valves are). I also have a diagram of how they are to be set for winter and summer.

You will not get as even and good heat from from the furnace as the hurricane. Conduction and radiation heat on the hurricane with multiple zone heating versus just convention heat (hot gas air transfer) in the propane system.

I am tied up for the next few hours but will try to get this to you by tomorrow. It takes a bit of time to do the presentations because there are a number of computer tools involved. Be patient, don't let these predators take another bit out of you.
Robert and Bev Lewis
2000 Safari Continental, since 2017
3126B Cat, 330hp
MD3060 Allison
Bowen Island, BC

https://safaritoonces.org/
bdub
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2019 6:48 pm

Re: ITR HURRICANE HEATER DIAGNOSIS and REPAIR

Post by bdub »

On standby. Really appreciate the help. It's too cold here to do anything right now anyhow. :|
Billy Massey
40' 1998 Serengeti, 3621b Cat 300hp
2015 Willys
Brownwood, in the Heart of Texas
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Safaritoonces
Posts: 215
Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2019 9:51 am
Location: Bowen Island, BC
Contact:

Re: ITR HURRICANE HEATER DIAGNOSIS and REPAIR

Post by Safaritoonces »

The information promised is posted. Hope that it helps. I have put in a concise detailed post by Tom. Also the manual is included. I think you may have a failed impeller on your pump and the motor should be good if it was changed. That is not difficult to change. Just be sure inadvance to get materials to to plug the hoses so you don't loose the coolant if you do this yourself.
Robert and Bev Lewis
2000 Safari Continental, since 2017
3126B Cat, 330hp
MD3060 Allison
Bowen Island, BC

https://safaritoonces.org/
bdub
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2019 6:48 pm

Re: ITR HURRICANE HEATER DIAGNOSIS and REPAIR

Post by bdub »

Thank you, Robert. My pump is located above the boiler suspended from a frame member. The PO told me that it needed to be higher than the boiler (for some unknown reason). It looks much different than yours. More like an old automotive coil.

Does the engine heat feature for the water heater work without the hurricane pump?
Billy Massey
40' 1998 Serengeti, 3621b Cat 300hp
2015 Willys
Brownwood, in the Heart of Texas
Image
Safaritoonces
Posts: 215
Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2019 9:51 am
Location: Bowen Island, BC
Contact:

Re: ITR HURRICANE HEATER DIAGNOSIS and REPAIR

Post by Safaritoonces »

No, because there is no re-circulation without a pump. You loose a lot without the full system. The zone heating is needed for the basement as well. There is a heater there to keep the lines from freezing that will not work without the pump. There is no requirement for height on the pump, in fact I think it would be better lower that way no air gets in when the lines are being filled. It just occurred to me that perhaps you have cavitation in the pump. That is air... because of the height. Try it lower and let it run for a while.

On your controller board there is a jumper that turns just the pump on without the boiler running. Remove the large panel, 2 screws, move the jumper to ON (across both pins) for the Pump Overide (jumper both pins, you will have a shunt on just one right now) turn on the switch on the silver box in the bay. The pump will start running. Listen for which part is making a noise. If you go to Harbor freight you can buy a stethoscope for < $10. This will pin point exactly where the noise is coming from, motor or pump, bearing or armature.

I just looked at my V11 board and the shunt is bottom left quadrant and white with the jumper on just one pin. On my picture in the presentation the V12 is in exactly the same spot both are clearly stenciled "Pump Override". If someone has not put the jumper back and it is missing you can use an small alligator clip across the two pins, or another jumper. Make sure the power is off when you are doing this or a mistake can damage the board.

You have 99% of a working system I wouldn't abandon it, you will be missing a lot of functions with just propane. If some fool has put in a low capacity pump and motor then tried to pass it off as a design requirement, I would suggest doing the homework and buy a new good pump and have a mechanic install it. It is just two hose clamps and two wires. You might have to put an adapter on the hoses if the other installers cut the input/output lines short or the new pump is a different size port. But maybe it is just air. Look at the armature and see if it is scoured.
Robert and Bev Lewis
2000 Safari Continental, since 2017
3126B Cat, 330hp
MD3060 Allison
Bowen Island, BC

https://safaritoonces.org/
Safaritoonces
Posts: 215
Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2019 9:51 am
Location: Bowen Island, BC
Contact:

Re: ITR HURRICANE HEATER DIAGNOSIS and REPAIR

Post by Safaritoonces »

Also please post some pictures of your pump and bay, remove the controller cover... ie the large sliver box and take a picture.
Robert and Bev Lewis
2000 Safari Continental, since 2017
3126B Cat, 330hp
MD3060 Allison
Bowen Island, BC

https://safaritoonces.org/
bdub
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2019 6:48 pm

Re: ITR HURRICANE HEATER DIAGNOSIS and REPAIR

Post by bdub »

My hurricane pump
[image]https://www.dropbox.com/s/9chibpwlp24lr ... pg?dl=0&m=[/image]
[image]https://www.dropbox.com/s/me68wqe0w81fl ... pg?dl=0&m=[/image]
[image]https://www.dropbox.com/s/sxkuxqibz6jbj ... pg?dl=0&m=[/image]
Hurricane Fuel filter
[image]https://www.dropbox.com/s/aw2sq4bs230w3 ... pg?dl=0&m=[/image]
Season valves
[image]https://www.dropbox.com/s/wag7frq959k1b ... pg?dl=0&m=[/image]
Control Board
[image]https://www.dropbox.com/s/2szl1fpi239zv ... pg?dl=0&m=[/image]

Pump didn't work by jumping the "Pump Bypass" shunt on the board. I snipped the wires on the pump and jumped them from a known 12+ and ground with zero results. So, I'm off to find a new pump since this one does not seem to be rebuildable. Any suggestions?

Thanks
PS: When I get this fixed, I must figure out why the front fans will not come on. I switched to a regular roof A/C last summer so didn't use the thermostat wiring that was available. I imagine that might be the problem with the Hurricane unit fans. Any advice on correcting that problem? They are insulated from one another.
Billy Massey
40' 1998 Serengeti, 3621b Cat 300hp
2015 Willys
Brownwood, in the Heart of Texas
Image
Safaritoonces
Posts: 215
Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2019 9:51 am
Location: Bowen Island, BC
Contact:

Re: ITR HURRICANE HEATER DIAGNOSIS and REPAIR

Post by Safaritoonces »

Ok, can you pull the armature out and check the brushes? We should define some terms. The motor is connected to the pump your motor may be bad. You might be able to get a single unit motor and pump or is it possible to get just a motor if that is not repairable. I think someone has put in an inferior motor and pump. That is not the unit that comes with the hurricane. I posted some pictures I took off ebay in looking for pumps.

I will call Marcello tomorrow and ask him about the flow rate needed for the system. Any 12v pump with the same output will work.

I don't know about the fans, you have to give me more information. Is this the zone fans, dash or other fans not working. How many radiator heat exchangers do you have in your coach? I have one in the basement, one in the bedroom, one in the shower / bathroom, one in the salon. Which of these do not work? Heating is separate from A/C, the hurricanne controls both.

I included a topic summary of the last 20 years of people posting on the ITR system. See the link please. Best of luck... it isn't that hard to get going if you have a working controller board as you seen to have.
Robert and Bev Lewis
2000 Safari Continental, since 2017
3126B Cat, 330hp
MD3060 Allison
Bowen Island, BC

https://safaritoonces.org/
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