How do you heat your shop??

[SixSpeedSS]

Do you have any condensation issues with the propane heater? My old man has a vent-free gas wall heater and the condensation is terrible. Anything stored on the top shelf gets covered in thick rust pretty quick.

I don't have heat currently, but I really want one of the radiant tubes. They cost about 5x as much as a wall heater, but I like the sealed combustion and radiant heat idea. My ceiling is only 10' though, and even mounting at a 45* angle I'm tight on the recommended combustible clearances. Heated floors are absolutely the best...but it's a little late for me on that one.

Here's the best pic I have of the garage online: 24x24x10. Has R13 in the walls and R30 in the ceiling which already helped immensely.

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I have no insulation on the walls or garage doors. I only use the propane when I am in the garage, so it's not like it runs all the time. I usually set it right by the garage door facing towards the front of the garage. I typically face it at a vehicle that I am working on, figuring that once I get it warm, the entire garage will eventually be warm.

My GTO sits in the other side of the garage, and I have no rust/corrosion issues with it.

 

[woody80z28]

I have no insulation on the walls or garage doors. I only use the propane when I am in the garage, so it's not like it runs all the time. I usually set it right by the garage door facing towards the front of the garage. I typically face it at a vehicle that I am working on, figuring that once I get it warm, the entire garage will eventually be warm.

My GTO sits in the other side of the garage, and I have no rust/corrosion issues with it.

He heats his shop all the time, and the condensation & rust issues re just around the ceiling. Down low I've never seen any...even when he was doing body work and had the car in bare metal.

Just noticed the Accel DFI in your sig. How do you like it? I just picked up a whole setup used with Gen7 software & ECM etc. Excited to get started with it an ditch the stupid carb on the Camaro. Also...did you figure out a way to energize the reverse lockout solenoid on your 6spd via the Accel ECM?

 

[Gatorboy]

only downside of the wood burning stove is that it takes awhile to heat up a larger area, and you have to keep putting wood on it

With a good quality furnace you really only need to put a few pieces of a cut up log in per day

 

[SixSpeedSS]

He heats his shop all the time, and the condensation & rust issues re just around the ceiling. Down low I've never seen any...even when he was doing body work and had the car in bare metal.

Just noticed the Accel DFI in your sig. How do you like it? I just picked up a whole setup used with Gen7 software & ECM etc. Excited to get started with it an ditch the stupid carb on the Camaro. Also...did you figure out a way to energize the reverse lockout solenoid on your 6spd via the Accel ECM?

The reverse solenoid does not need energized. The solenoid keeps it from going into reverse at speed (since reverse is fully synchronized). I figure I am smart enough to not put it in reverse at speed, so why do I need a solenoid to keep me from being stupid I put the T56 in my truck in about 1998 and never had an issue.

I originally had gen 6 DFI, but the interface box/cable decided to quit working, so it was time for an upgrade. I went with Accel's dual sync distributor and CDI box and now have sequential port injection. I had a bad CDI box out of the gate and it stranded me about 15 minutes from home. I then put the original distributor back in and drove it with batch fire for a short time. Once I got the box back, I have never had an issue again.

 

[skylark]

My shop seems to get hotter as soon as my wife comes in.

 

[5spd Z71]

On the rare event that I do need the heat the shop, kerosene salamander usually does the trick. Although I dont leave it running for very long.

 

[woody80z28]

The reverse solenoid does not need energized. The solenoid keeps it from going into reverse at speed (since reverse is fully synchronized). I figure I am smart enough to not put it in reverse at speed, so why do I need a solenoid to keep me from being stupid I put the T56 in my truck in about 1998 and never had an issue.

I originally had gen 6 DFI, but the interface box/cable decided to quit working, so it was time for an upgrade. I went with Accel's dual sync distributor and CDI box and now have sequential port injection. I had a bad CDI box out of the gate and it stranded me about 15 minutes from home. I then put the original distributor back in and drove it with batch fire for a short time. Once I got the box back, I have never had an issue again.

With a short throw shifter like I have it would be easier than you think. haha Mine is not plugged in, which leaves it in the "lockout" mode. You have to muscle past it when shifting to R. From the factory F-bodies energize the solenoid when under 5mph to make R selection easy.

 

[SixSpeedSS]

With a short throw shifter like I have it would be easier than you think. haha Mine is not plugged in, which leaves it in the "lockout" mode. You have to muscle past it when shifting to R. From the factory F-bodies energize the solenoid when under 5mph to make R selection easy.

I use a short throw shifter as well and still can't say I've had any issues (currently Pro5.0, but I had a Hurst Comp Plus before that even). Muscle-ing it into reverse isn't all that tough either. I'm well aware of how the factory f-body setup is. I too was somewhat concerned about the reverse lockout when I first went down the T56 install route (1998 or 1999). I put my T56 in a G-body before putting it in my 454SS. When I realized it could be shifted into reverse without energizing the solenoid, I knew then that I had no plan of ever connecting it.

Remember these newer vehicles are built with lawyers/attorneys in the background. The manufacturers are much more concerned with being sued because some tool wrecked their f-bucket because they put it in reverse at XXmph. Back in the old days we didn't have these safety features to keep us from killing ourselves and we still lived.

Get this...My 1966 GTO doesn't have a locking steering column, a reverse lockout (sure it doesn't really need it since reverse is not synchronized), nor does it have airbags, seatbelts (option in 1966 - I installed one set in the back for my son), key buzzers, etc, etc. These new cars just keep dumbing it down for the average moron.

 

[woody80z28]

You do make a good point. People are idiots.

I have a Pro5.0 with the stick cut down and I have never hit R on the 4-5 shift, but if you remove the solenoid I hear it is possible. The wife can't get it in R, and the guy at the inspection station couldn't either. I could leave it as another reason to not let anyone else drive it! But I am gonna do a little digging though and see if I can hook it up.

 

[SixSpeedSS]

You do make a good point. People are idiots.

I have a Pro5.0 with the stick cut down and I have never hit R on the 4-5 shift, but if you remove the solenoid I hear it is possible. The wife can't get it in R, and the guy at the inspection station couldn't either. I could leave it as another reason to not let anyone else drive it! But I am gonna do a little digging though and see if I can hook it up.

Between the reverse being tough to engage and the combination of a really hard to push gas pedal (Lingenfelter throttle body), and a clutch that is basically on/off (i am disatisfied with it's performance on the street, but it works great at the track), I have found this all adds up to a great security system - if someone steals it, they got their work cut out for them to learn to drive it. Anybody who has driven my truck (very few people - approx 5 people that I can think of) have all complained about these 3 items. A good friend of mine who has owned many German sport sedans/coupes actually drove the truck for about 10 minutes and basically gave up. I got in and drove it smooth as can be. Everybody who has driven it is scared of the gas pedal for a while.

I am used to it, but even I gotta relearn it after I don't drive it for a while.

I like everything to work like a factory built truck, but you gotta draw a line in the sand whether something is worth the effort or not. What is the payoff in the end? I feel there really isn't a payoff to justify the work.

You could just do a shifter knob with a momentary pushbutton. Press it to engage reverse.