I want to tie off my heater control valve to the fully closed position. What is the procedure for separating the black actuator arm from the white valve arm? Can it be done without removing the valve or without breaking off the white plastic connecting tab? Am I correct in assuming the spring holding the valve open is in the actuator part of the assembly?

 

leave the arms connected simply wire /Zip tie it closed

 

Why not disconnect the input/output hoses from the heater core (under the flimsy plastic cowl covers), and bypass the core completely by joining the 2 hoses with a "U" shaped pipe? Then if your heater valve fails, you STILL won't get hot air. Easier to access the hoses than the heater valve--airbox can stay in.

 

Unless your heater hoses are new they are very hard to get off the pipes to the heater core. I have cut them to avoid pulling too hard on the heater core because changing that is a really big job. Pulling off the lower aircleaner box and closing the heater valve with a tie wrap is easy and if this "temporary" fix happens to still be there when the weather turns cold cutting the tie wrap gives you heat

 

Jim, that's exactly what I want to do, but there doesn't seem to be a place or way to attach the tie wrap other than through the arm hole.

 

Grab the black plastic vacuum pod press down a bit and twist counter-clockwise the pod comes loose from the mount. You can then tie wrap to the arm and the mounting holes. Use two tie wraps one to grab the arm the other to secure it.

 

Chazz
I did the same thing (thanks to Bill and Dr Mike) to my 88 a couple weeks ago...use a small tool to enlarge the existing hole and slide a zip tie through there...if you hold the actuator down in the closed position it is not that hard to zip tie it closed...& like Jim said its easy to cut the zip tie off and have heat! I'm guessing San Diego is hot enough that you won't need heat for at least a few months (I know I won't in the valley)
Brian

 

Anybody have a picture?

 

Once again, Tony to the rescue!

http://members.rennlist.com/v1uhoh/summer.htm

 

Thanks, Chris, but I'm looking for a procedure that is easily reversible - without swapping the valve.

 

Chazz the link will take you to the only permanent sooution of which I know.

http://www.napaonline.com/cgi-bin/nc...rpid=101532809

 

Easily reversible too!

 

Heinrich, the NAPA (Audi?) control valve looks like a well made product but I think it still defaults to the open position. I want to prevent hot engine coolant from entering the core during short stops so that the A/C can devote it's full attention to cooling off the car interior immediately upon startup. What I think this car needs is a valve that defaults closed and has a control solenoid that opens to admit actuating vacuum. Lacking that, I want something to fully close it off mechanically that can be quickly undone on the few occasions that heat is needed.

 

Chazz-

John Pirtle's excellent page makes reference to what I think you are looking for:

http://members.rennlist.com/pirtle/svc_heatv.html


Frankly, the picture he includes looks like something that was made in the 19th century, but there may be manually operated valves that will fit. Just need to be 3/4". Not sure of space down there, but you should be able to find an orientation that will fit under the air filter box. And you'd need to plug that now unused vacuum hose.

I couldn't find such a valve on a quick search - NAPA won't let me actually just browse, need's a car. Good luck!

 

Chris, it was John's and Tony's excellent websites that got me started on this quest. If I can find a simple mechanical shut off similar to the picture on John's site, I think I will try to install it in series with the existing control valve. That way I won't have to mess with the valve and it's vacuum source. Thanks for your interest.