Stock or aftermarket heater? Advice?

[theslownorris]

I bought a 1980 CJ a while back and the guy I bought it from removed everything to do with the heater/defroster.

I have found a place online that said they would sell me everything I would need to replace the stock heater for $522 (includes new core and blower), but heatercraft makes a 40,000 btu for $350.

If I went after market I would have to find a way to block off a couple of holes in the firewall and the cowl intake, but which do you think would be warmer ?

It would seem aftermarket would be the way to go?

Any thoughts from those that may know? (or educated guesses?) :)

[RecycledTeen]

I've always wanted to take out the heater and block off the line so I didn't have any liquid lines in the cab, but I'm hesitant because I don't know if my electrical charging system can handle the additional load. I have a heavy duty alt on my jeep for the lights but I still am unsure. I would rather have the electric heater rather than the engine driven one simply because of the instant heat! Since I don't have AC, I figured it will be easy to remove the heater and install the smaller electric unit. Right now, the aftermarket unit is the way I'm leaning.

As for the holes in the firewall, I have used electrical covers that have a small bar that bridges the hole on the opposite side and is held on by a bolt and wing nut. Seal it with silicone or cut a rubber gasket and use it to seal it up.

RTeen

[theslownorris]

The 40,000 btu (and the slightly less powerful one) both use engine collant. So I would still have to run the two coolant lines, +/-, and find some sort of heater valve (unless I wanted it to get even hotter in the summer) to do the aftermarket.

I have seen some purely electrical, but my concerns were the same as yours... Would/could the alternator take it? If so how much would it really put out?

Seems like if the hot collant is there, might as well harness that energy for heating the cab?