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I thought i would share this In case anybody is curious about a purchasing & installing a cab heater system...
So after a couple of years of debating about installing a heater (& pricing about every kind out there) in my 2014 700, i decided on the UPI “Inferno” heater system. I purchased it through SideXSideStuff.com located in Missouri for $400.01. Free shipping & only took a coupla days to get, but i am also located in Iowa. You can also buy direct from the manufacturer at universalpartsinc.com. However they charge $450. They are located in Humboldt Iowa.
I would have liked to go with the OE Honda system, but just couldn’t see spending that much.
I did exchange several emails with the manufacturers salesman about this kit concerning heat output, & plumbing. This kit comes with 5/8” heater hose & “T”s, & is meant to tie into the radiator hoses. I did tell the salesman that Honda no longer plumbs this way & have switched to coming off the oil coler, etc. He said if i wanted to do the same with their kit that woul be fine also. He didn’t say why they don’t do it like Honda.
I did plumb Hondas way as it provides faster, better, more consistent heat, & i liked the idea of extra cooling for the engine oil.
I did use 3/4” heater hose since the block & oil cooler nipples are that size. The only problem is that the heater core nipples are 5/8”, but the larger hoses will hose clamp down.
The install went pretty smooth. It took about 6 hours, but I tend to be a little picky.
The only negatives i had was :
1- The instructions call for using a 2 1/2” hole saw for the 4 vents, but the ones that came with the kit required 2 5/8”. And YES i drilled first, then discovered this, but i I was able to enlargen the holes using a carbide burr, so it wasn’t a huge deal. A file would work too, the burrs are just faster. 2 vents go where the big safety decal is on the dash & the other 2 go under the dash.
2- There is part of a dash bracket behind where the drivers side dash vent goes. The instructions say the vent will fit with the bracket there, but it will not. I knew this going in as this is talked about in the online reviews. After looking at this for a while & making sure the part of this bracket could be cut out without weaking anything, i used a sawzall through the vent hole & grinder under the dash to remove it. It is tight under there & getting the angle grinder with a cutoff wheel in was tricky, but possible. Just be carefull not to burn or melt anything. With the part of the bracket gone the vent & hose fits just fine.
The kit calls for electrical supply right off the battery, but i just came from the accessory fuse. I may change this in the future. I did install a Honda volt guage to monitor the elect system since it is common for me to run the heater, winch & lights at the same time. This heater doesn’t seem to draw much, which i was glad to see.
For now i zip tied a piece of window screen over the fan housing opening in hopes of keeping out debris. I will probably re-do this.
Overall the kit in my opinion is extremely well made, especially the core & motor assembly. The unit is heavy & the core is encase in a stout metal box. I did seal the core box around the seams with silicone, just to keep a little hot air from escaping. The provided 2 speed selector switch is lit & heavy duty. The vents are plastic but are pretty thick & sturdy & the vent hose is very flexible & is thicker than i would have expected.
The kit has been in operation for about a month now & I am surprised with the amount of heat this provides. It has no problem keeping the windows from fogging up & de-iced as well. The floor vents do keep my feet very warm also. It gets warm enough inside that i usually switch back & fourth between hi & low fan speeds. I can push snow, etc with no gloves or stocking hat on & wear my normal non-insulated work boots. It’s not as hot as a car or truck, but darn close.
That being said, my machine does have the full hard Honda cab system, but i think it would do well in a machine with canvas doors too. I have also sealed the cab up using black foam pieces, & black spray foam which i trimmed after curing. Doing this even made the cab less noisy.
My only concern is if the motor ever quits & if a replacement is available. But i’m sure the manufacturer has motors only available. Just might take some more emailing.
For anybody agonizing over buying a heater kit like i was, i would have to highly recommend the UPI “Inferno” kit. Don’t get me wrong, $400 is a lot of money, but I do think this kit is worth it & am glad i went ahead with this project.
Thanks for readin...
So after a couple of years of debating about installing a heater (& pricing about every kind out there) in my 2014 700, i decided on the UPI “Inferno” heater system. I purchased it through SideXSideStuff.com located in Missouri for $400.01. Free shipping & only took a coupla days to get, but i am also located in Iowa. You can also buy direct from the manufacturer at universalpartsinc.com. However they charge $450. They are located in Humboldt Iowa.
I would have liked to go with the OE Honda system, but just couldn’t see spending that much.
I did exchange several emails with the manufacturers salesman about this kit concerning heat output, & plumbing. This kit comes with 5/8” heater hose & “T”s, & is meant to tie into the radiator hoses. I did tell the salesman that Honda no longer plumbs this way & have switched to coming off the oil coler, etc. He said if i wanted to do the same with their kit that woul be fine also. He didn’t say why they don’t do it like Honda.
I did plumb Hondas way as it provides faster, better, more consistent heat, & i liked the idea of extra cooling for the engine oil.
I did use 3/4” heater hose since the block & oil cooler nipples are that size. The only problem is that the heater core nipples are 5/8”, but the larger hoses will hose clamp down.
The install went pretty smooth. It took about 6 hours, but I tend to be a little picky.
The only negatives i had was :
1- The instructions call for using a 2 1/2” hole saw for the 4 vents, but the ones that came with the kit required 2 5/8”. And YES i drilled first, then discovered this, but i I was able to enlargen the holes using a carbide burr, so it wasn’t a huge deal. A file would work too, the burrs are just faster. 2 vents go where the big safety decal is on the dash & the other 2 go under the dash.
2- There is part of a dash bracket behind where the drivers side dash vent goes. The instructions say the vent will fit with the bracket there, but it will not. I knew this going in as this is talked about in the online reviews. After looking at this for a while & making sure the part of this bracket could be cut out without weaking anything, i used a sawzall through the vent hole & grinder under the dash to remove it. It is tight under there & getting the angle grinder with a cutoff wheel in was tricky, but possible. Just be carefull not to burn or melt anything. With the part of the bracket gone the vent & hose fits just fine.
The kit calls for electrical supply right off the battery, but i just came from the accessory fuse. I may change this in the future. I did install a Honda volt guage to monitor the elect system since it is common for me to run the heater, winch & lights at the same time. This heater doesn’t seem to draw much, which i was glad to see.
For now i zip tied a piece of window screen over the fan housing opening in hopes of keeping out debris. I will probably re-do this.
Overall the kit in my opinion is extremely well made, especially the core & motor assembly. The unit is heavy & the core is encase in a stout metal box. I did seal the core box around the seams with silicone, just to keep a little hot air from escaping. The provided 2 speed selector switch is lit & heavy duty. The vents are plastic but are pretty thick & sturdy & the vent hose is very flexible & is thicker than i would have expected.
The kit has been in operation for about a month now & I am surprised with the amount of heat this provides. It has no problem keeping the windows from fogging up & de-iced as well. The floor vents do keep my feet very warm also. It gets warm enough inside that i usually switch back & fourth between hi & low fan speeds. I can push snow, etc with no gloves or stocking hat on & wear my normal non-insulated work boots. It’s not as hot as a car or truck, but darn close.
That being said, my machine does have the full hard Honda cab system, but i think it would do well in a machine with canvas doors too. I have also sealed the cab up using black foam pieces, & black spray foam which i trimmed after curing. Doing this even made the cab less noisy.
My only concern is if the motor ever quits & if a replacement is available. But i’m sure the manufacturer has motors only available. Just might take some more emailing.
For anybody agonizing over buying a heater kit like i was, i would have to highly recommend the UPI “Inferno” kit. Don’t get me wrong, $400 is a lot of money, but I do think this kit is worth it & am glad i went ahead with this project.
Thanks for readin...
