I picked up another one. This one is NG from the factory (ugh) but it has a thermostat (yay).



The burner is the biggest chore. It starts as a old rusty plugged up trot line weight. First you gotta get it out. It is the last piece to come out of the now empty heater cabinet. Then find your sharp 7/64” drill and start drilling out those rust filled holes. Just rust should come out. If you get shavings dropdown a size to 3/32”. They were not all drilled 7/64” but most are. It went in the blasting cabinet next, then finally it was pickled with phosphoric acid to stop future rust. It is about ready to go back in.



So, about converting NG to LP, the NG units have an extra regulator for the NG flow. LP does not need that, so it goes and is replaced with a short piece of 3/8 black steel pipe.

This is a model of the NG burner. The big unit connecting to the burner is the valve/thermostat. It is not a regulator. The little unit connected to the valve is the NG regulator. That is replaced with a 3/8” x 6” black iron nipple.



Oh, one more thing about the conversion to LP. Under that round black cover there is a large brass straight slot screw. That’s a NG specific part, so it comes out and is replaced by its LP counterpart. A little tricky to remove, it has an o-ring that fights you. Just unscrew it as far as you can then use two tiny screwdrivers to carefully and gently pry it out. Those are the only two changes made converting from NG to LP.

So, y’all think it will ever be a heater again?

Our house was heated with those things growing up, wall mounted and free standing unvented NG heaters.
Looks like it should heat again.
Be cool for a cabin or camp heater.

Yep!

Used one in our cabin, and had the small white enameled ones for deer blinds.

Do you have a part for the LP screw?

The part (flow rate valve) is coming. I’ll update post when it arrives. If you need Dearborn parts or advice call Eastside parts in Houston. Talk to Mike.

Cool thanks. I am pretty set for now but back when I was looking I couldn't get anyone to tell me over the phone how to convert. I still come across some decent deals on them but most are NG.

Yeah I’ve seen posts about converting them but haven’t encountered one until now. I think I’ve got it about figured out, so I thought I’d put it out there.

Thanks for sharing...

Edit -

I was way off on conversion requirements. This LP Unit does need the little regulator, but It changes to the LP version. I do not know why as my others run fine without it. It could be because of the thermostat. You also change the injection orfice and the flow rate screw.



The injection orfice. Easy to see the difference




This is the flow rate limiter I mentioned earlier. It’s held in with an o ring after unscrewing so you have to lift it a little. The new one had a different size hole in it.

I got the pilot light burner and the ignition sparker mounted on the plate and the plate mounted on the burner. That was tricky. I’ll get pics of that later. I’m gonna touch up the paint a little around the rusty bottom and test fire it.

How did that Dearborn you got from me turn out? I know it was a big one. I bet it used more gas than a 1980's 454 Chevy. We only used it briefly in the house we bought and moved off after the new build. With that blower it was a blast furnace in that little house. When we used it we were on propane. I think/thought my brother had it converted to natural gas. Wasn't that the case? I forgot.

This is it. It was NG from the factory. Now it is converted to propane. It gets cleaned and treated to stop the rust then touch up paint and it’s ready to fire up. This one was a learning experience.

Oh, wait. Yours was the one with the blower. Yeah your brother ‘converted’ it to NG. He stripped everything off the back and attached NG flow directly to the burner. I guess it worked. I had to replace everything from the burner to the propane tank. Maybe a ceramic brick or two also. Anyhow, it’s a heating fool now and running the blower will run you out of the room. That’s the only one I have that doesn’t have a sparker to light the pilot. That makes it difficult to do. It’s next. I’m gonna add that sparker now that I have my mind wrapped around it. Oh, the burner was almost completely clogged, so now it’s making even more BTU’s with a clean burner.

I guess my brother didn't convert it after all. It had been stored for a long time between when we used it until you got it, about 10 years. There was something about it that didn't look the same when I got it out of storage and after he had borrowed it. I figured he tinkered with it. I know he ended up using one of those radiant type heaters instead.

I still have one of the smallest Dearborns that I put in my shop last winter. I think I lit it twice. My shop isn't finished yet.

Cast is it still cold up there? It's warm out here

No, I just turned on the A/C.

This conversion is complete.



Pilot light on the right. Every burner port is burning. Thermostat works too. Wouldn’t light the burner until I turned it to high.