Heater valve - tap type or cable controlled

[badfelafel]

Need to replace the leaky heater valve (the one that sits behind the rocker cover).

Mine leaks and is held open by a cable tie


The cable is missing and I can't find the hole where it would go... and I don't know where the control would go in the car! (Someone has fitted a mini heater unit).

Question is: would I be better getting an earlier type tap instead of the cable controlled valve? Or can I get the cable controlled valve and use it like a tap until I work out where to get a cable and what to do with it?

Any ideas?

Thanks all!

[bmcecosse]

Early simple tap is very much more reliable. Saw a new one at autojumble at Haddington last weekend! Best to leave it open all year round anyway - to stop silting up in the heater core.

[Kevin]

Thats one shot heater valve.
The mini heater will not affect the type of valve used, from you photo the cale runs to the left under the clamp and into the bulkhead and to a position under the dash to the left of the steering wheel, there should be a small bracket with a pull knob marked push for on pull for off (or the other way round) and its the same type of knob as the choke one, maybe the cable is still there and you just havent noticed it and its coiled up out of the way in the engine bay.

[badfelafel]

Thanks - will have a good look inside the car - have spent most time peering around under the bonnet looking for the hole and wondering about the myriad of closed up old holes that are there! There has been a fair bit of chopping and changing to the car before, a lot of which is around the wiring (alternator + neg earth). Where's the regulator box gone! *grin* that'll be the subject of another post when I get round to the electrics and sorting out the wires that are everywhere!

[Rob_Jennings]

sounds a little like my car ;-)

I've still got the old heater cable and control, but am in the process of freeing it as it was stuck solid and a brass tap had been used in its place. I have a new control valve ready to fit. I know it may not be as reliable, but I want to be able to turn the heat off, I left the old brass tap open for a while but in this heat it was just too much inside the car.

I also have alternator and negative earth conversion, in which case the regulator is not needed and esentially used as a terminal block so it has been removed in my car. and its a mess that I need to resolve at some point.

here you can see how I got her....



You can see the heater cable has simply been tucked under the bracket for the air intake and has rusted soild at the end.

The regulator has replaced by some sort of fuse box, although only the two main fuses should be needed (plus one inline for the side lights I think?), some one correct me if I'm wrong?

I've already removed the tow-electrics warning mess at the top (tow bar comes off soon) and replaced the flasher unit for a new one as the old one was failing. Next step is to tidy up all those joints, find a fuse box cover and consider removing the mess where the regulator would be (might be easier to buy a 'dead' regulator and use it as a terminal block it would look more original too).

[badfelafel]

Aha! It goes through there with all that other stuff. That explains it. Thanks!

I see you have the brake reservoir thing too And I'm also chasing a fuse box cover, will let you know if I end up with 2 (cos thats what always ends up happening!). I quite like having a black Minor, but am secretly jealous when I look inside other colourful engine bays and see the painted metal - it looks much cleaner and nicer when the engine bay isn't all black.

PS Theres an old regulator box on ebay just now for a couple of quid - you could massacre its insides and use it instead

[badfelafel]

Oh yes, and am still trying to lower my eyebrows after reading that your moggie has been towing things around!

[bigginger]

2 fuses and one inline on late models IS 'correct', BTW.

[Rob_Jennings]

Thanks Andrew I thought that was the case having looked at wire diagram for the year.

Yes the heater cable comes out of bulkhead in its own hole near the heater pipes and beneath the choke cable

Oh and because she was towing she has a 1275 engine and disc brakes and is actually quite nippy, just don't expect much on corners ;-)

[millerman]

If an alternator is fitted the bulk head looks much tidier without the regulator which would be there to collect dust!!

[Kevin]

the bulk head looks much tidier without the regulator which would be there to collect dust!!

But not so original looking.

[wibble_puppy]

badfelafel (crackin name btw ) if you have kids don't let them suck that heater valve, the green salts produced by its corrosion are poisonous (and also a very good pigment for medieval artists ). Amazing photo

good luck

juliet xx

[badfelafel]

:) parts arriving - ordered a new cable controlled valve but cant find a new cable... and i cant find the hole either! thought it had worked it out but still cant find it!! i see a blanked off hole about 2 inches below the one that has the choke cable - was that it?


as it happens also have a tap type control on way due to a successful ebay win! just need the base and could use that instead! i wonder if bull motif do returns?

as for kids... little bump still too small
but thanks for advice!

and... thx for photo flattery! *grin*

[wibble_puppy]

is that the first foetus photo ever posted on the MMOC forum?

[wibble_puppy]

ello again

ok that previous post was playing for time while i uploaded a photo to show you the right hole (ooooh vicar!)

Here's a pic of the bulkhead of me van taken in the midst of ripping stuff out for its restoration. The hole with the arrow pointing to it is where the choke cable runs. The identical hole a couple of inches below it is where the heater valve control cable runs: you can in fact see it a-running like billy-oh, large as life, in my photo.

Or at least that was the arrangement on my van! Hope that's useful!!!



juliet xx

[badfelafel]

yikes my photo has gone! guess hosting on geocities wasnt such a brilliant idea!!

question - if anyone knows - mine isnt a deluxe minor - did it still originally have a tap or a valve? just wondering as the engine isnt original, perhaps the valve wasnt there in 1965? I dont think it had a heater in it when it was new (but could be wrong) - and the heater has been added from... a mini

*grin* avoided comments about holes, but now that i've reread my last post, realise i am guilty of being wide open to innuendo. is that the first time in a technical forum????

[badfelafel]

PS have fixed the photo

[ColinP]

The heater valve fitted on a 1962 (948cc) Minor was the "tap" fitting, the later heater (i.e. the square box as opposed to the round one) has the remote.

Of course, I suspect that all possible variations have taken place.

*grin* avoided comments about holes, but now that i've reread my last post, realise i am guilty of being wide open to innuendo. is that the first time in a technical forum????

It might be your first time - the really good ones have probably been Moderated (i.e. deleted) - though you can always shout:
"MATRON"

Usually Cam obliges with some well chosen pics from a Carry On !

Colin

[badfelafel]

OK... have been looking.
Wonder if the one I thought was the choke is the accelerator cable. Am at the office so cant look closer at where it goes, but here is a pic -


so....
is
A the accelerator cable
B the one blanked off with a bolt
C the choke cable
and
D another blanked off one... where the heater cable should have gone??

*grinning*

had a look at another minor for guidance, to see where its cable goes, and IT HAS A TAP! typical!!

[bmcecosse]

Just fit anything that diesn't leak. It's not important - the valve should be kept open anytway to prevent sludge building up.