By Robert Emslie
Hey everybody, I need to engage the awesome power of the greater Hooniverse in finding a replacement part for one of my project cars.
My Jensen Healey got a handsome new radiator yesterday, one I picked up on the cheap at last month’s Queen’s English car show. It was while testing and installing the radiator that I discovered that the heater valve has apparently been keeping company with Greek wine amphora in a shipwreck at the bottom of the Mediterranean. At least that’s how it appears.
The valve is vacuum operated and has 1/2-inch connections on either side. I’m sure that there’s an exact replacement option that would keep the car OEM and my wallet all the emptier, but that’s not my goal. What I want to do is find the best replacement that won’t clean out the kids’ piggy bank.
Does anyone have a suggestion as to an alternative valve that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg? So far I found one – for a Porsche 928 or all things – on PartsGeek that runs $22.99, but I’m not sure if the connections are the right size on that one.
Does anybody have any ideas?
Image: ©2015 Hooniverse/Robert Emslie, All Rights Reserved
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Go to ebay and search Heater Control Valve, you get tons of listings for all sorts of vehicles. Looks like the ones for late model Ford and Chevy vans are sort of simple and generic and about $15. http://www.ebay.com/itm/HVAC-Heater-Control-Valve-Heater-Valve-Front-Rear-4-Seasons-74803-/131477354967?hash=item1e9ca939d7&vxp=mtr#vi-ilComp
I’ll check that avenue out. Hopefully they’ll include piping specs.
I used this manual heater valve http://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=29373&SortOrder=50 Not very convenient but my heater isn’t that powerful anyway.
I actually have a couple of those laying around the garage – as well as one already fitted to my Sprite. I’m looking for something that will work the same as the old one – with a vacuum diaphragm to work off the dash lever.
Maybe something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Motorcraft-YG136-Heater-Valve/dp/B000C5DZOG/ref=pd_sim_sbs_263_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=043EXDX29W7BDCT45EYY
That’s looking promising. Thanks!
I’ve got a new heater valve for a 928 sitting on my workbench. When I get home tonight, I’ll measure the dimensions for ya.
Some quick, unverified, googling shows that the 928 valve has 2 sizes of ports, 3/4″ on one side and 5/8″ on the other. The vacuum line is 3.5mm ID. One thing to note is that the valve fails open and needs vacuum to close, which may be the opposite function of your HVAC.
Yeah, that’s both the wrong size and it needs to fail closed. Thanks for the research!
Solenoid valve and a pressure switch? Depending on how handy you are with a soldering iron and shrink wrap.
When the overpriced block-mounted heater valve on my MGB failed, I sawed off its base, thereby producing a flange of the proper size, tapped it for pipe threads, and screwed in a hose barb: Instant always-open valve. Of course, for the MGB, the heater is merely nominal at best.
Assuming a Jensen Healey’s heater also doesn’t do much (especially when the fan isn’t running), I’d say try bypassing the valve with a length of hose and plugging the vacuum line before going further.
I thought the purpose of a heater on a British sports car is for last-ditch efforts to prevent overheating.
My solution turns it into a much more pragmatic first-ditch effort.
My local parts store knows that I frequently need parts not listed in their computer for my application. They point me to the right area of their stockroom and let me open boxes until I find something I can make work.
Failing that, the plumbing aisle at Home Depot should have a manual valve for about five bucks. Twice a year as the seasons change, you pop the hood and either open or close the valve for the next few months.
Looks pretty much the same as the ones I used to sell for 73-88 Chev 1/2-tons.
Looks just like the heater control valve for a 88-94 Jaguar XJ6. I figure for that era vehicle British cars used parts bin bits and pieces.
The lede image immediately reminded my of the heater valve from my XJS. I went down to my garage to take some measurements, but can’t find the valve. I may have thrown it away when I removed it (the LeMons car has no heater, thus no need for a heater control valve) If it ended up in the recycle pile, I’ll never find it, but if it’s in any of the other random piles of parts strewn about the garage, I might still have it.
another option would be a HCV for a 69 GTO with AC. Looks different but would also work.
Do you use Parts Geek often? My one experience with them has left me wary.