20 replies to this topic

[olly33]

Replaced my fallen apart heater valve on the head,with another new one,and low and behold,its leaking out where the rod goes in and out.(Titter me not).
So I am back to sorting a decent replacement...any where do any that do not leak ?

[Spider]

I gave up on those valves yonks ago. If they don't leak, it means that they are siezed!  These days I just fit an elbow on the head and a ball valve somewhere in the line (even made a servo version), not as elegant or user friendly, but doesn't leak, works every time and is about 10% of the price!

[Steve220]

Best option ^

Unless you're going for concourse then replace it with a modern alternative.

[lawrie124]

I had one go too recently.

Bought a straight take off from mini mines eBay shop, and didn't bother with an in line tap or valve.

Works for me.

[geoff-d]

Until the summer & you want to turn it off

[lawrie124]

Until the summer & you want to turn it off

There is an on/off switch on the heater Ashley.

[mab01uk]

 

Until the summer & you want to turn it off

There is an on/off switch on the heater Ashley.

 

 

The hot water flowing through the pipes and matrix will still generate much extra heat in the cabin during the summer, that is why the water valve is fitted on Mini's.

 

As said best bet is to fit a modern in-line alternative valve or as below which the factory fitted to later Mini's changing from 1/2 inch to 5/8 inch hoses where required, also retains the cable on/off operation from inside the cabin:-

"From 1989 until the introduction of the twin point injection cars, Rover fitted this in-line floating heater valve which was the first time they never bolted the heater valve as a direct outlet on the cylinder head. A strange looking black plastic valve to control the water to the heater."

http://www.minispare...s/JJB10011.aspx

 

 

Edited by mab01uk, 28 December 2014 - 10:33 AM.

[corrado vr6]

I'm sure I've seen a simular thread where people were saying they had used black cab heater valves as an alternative

[AVV IT]

As above the switch on the heater control panel just turns the blower on and off, and the off position on the slider just closes the flap to reduce the amount of hot air entering the car. If you remove the valve/tap, then you will still have hot coolant flowing through the heater matrix year round, some of which will be blown into the car by air flowing through the heater via the fresh air intake duct. There are actualy some advantages to this though, a permenant flow of coolant through the matrix makes it less likely to clog and block up over the summer months and it also helps prevent in hot weather by acting as a small auxiliary rad.

Trust me though, when you find yourself stuck in a tailback on a scorching hot day, in a tin box with no air conditioning, the last thing you want is to not be able to shut the heater off. I say this having spent a good hour and a half stuck in traffic with the wife and kids at L2B this year. It wasn't pleasant, even with the windows/ sunroof open and sporting a T-shirt, shorts & flip flops!

So my advice is to fit an inline valve (like the one pictured above), you don't really need to connect it up to the control knob on the dash if you don't want to, in reality you probably only ever open the valve in the autumn and close it again in the summer, so long as you can pop the bonnet and open/close the valve manually when you need to, then that's all that really matters.

[pusb]

I heard the early heater valve off a Morris Minor works well, looks like a straight swap.

 

It is literally a tap, so you have to open the bonnet to adjust it, but apparently give very few problems. I think I will fit one of these in the summer.

 

 http://www.ebay.co.u...=p2054897.l4275

[mingy]

I heard the early heater valve off a Morris Minor works well, looks like a straight swap.

 

It is literally a tap, so you have to open the bonnet to adjust it, but apparently give very few problems. I think I will fit one of these in the summer.

 

 http://www.ebay.co.u...=p2054897.l4275

Does anybody know what is the thread size on the Morris Minor heater flange and can it ( flange & gasket ) be bought individually because, a neat plumbing solution could be assembled using a full flow quarter turn M/F ballvalve and an M&F stainless steel elbow and a hosetail which would be far cheaper than the above mentioned assembly.

The cost would be approx £ 3.50 for a 3/8" or 1/2" full flow M/F ballvalve plus £1.50 for a F&M elbow and £1.00 for a hosetail. Total cost = £6.00

And if you made it up before fitting then it,s a quick swap and you could use an old choke cable connected to the valve handle to operate it from the dash.

[olly33]

Yes, i read about the black cab ones, but was wanting to just replace like for like, but as they all seem a load of crap its time for a re-think.I will take this new leaking one back and see if he has the newer inline valve instead.
Does the newer inline version have to be plumbed in a specific place on the hoses? And surely if still using the opening cable it needs to be inline with it? Cheers

[Spider]

I have used one of the Black Plastic Valves and seem quite OK, however they only suit the 5/8" hoses.

 

 

 

I heard the early heater valve off a Morris Minor works well, looks like a straight swap.

 

It is literally a tap, so you have to open the bonnet to adjust it, but apparently give very few problems. I think I will fit one of these in the summer.

 

 http://www.ebay.co.u...=p2054897.l4275

Does anybody know what is the thread size on the Morris Minor heater flange and can it ( flange & gasket ) be bought individually because, a neat plumbing solution could be assembled using a full flow quarter turn M/F ballvalve and an M&F stainless steel elbow and a hosetail which would be far cheaper than the above mentioned assembly.

The cost would be approx £ 3.50 for a 3/8" or 1/2" full flow M/F ballvalve plus £1.50 for a F&M elbow and £1.00 for a hosetail. Total cost = £6.00

And if you made it up before fitting then it,s a quick swap and you could use an old choke cable connected to the valve handle to operate it from the dash.

 

 

I didn't think of these, but yes, a much nicer looking solution. I'm pretty sure that the thread would be something quite common, however it wouldn't be too hard to make up a flange in any case. Nice one

[mingy]

I have used one of the Black Plastic Valves and seem quite OK, however they only suit the 5/8" hoses.

 

 

 

I heard the early heater valve off a Morris Minor works well, looks like a straight swap.

 

It is literally a tap, so you have to open the bonnet to adjust it, but apparently give very few problems. I think I will fit one of these in the summer.

 

 http://www.ebay.co.u...=p2054897.l4275

Does anybody know what is the thread size on the Morris Minor heater flange and can it ( flange & gasket ) be bought individually because, a neat plumbing solution could be assembled using a full flow quarter turn M/F ballvalve and an M&F stainless steel elbow and a hosetail which would be far cheaper than the above mentioned assembly.

The cost would be approx £ 3.50 for a 3/8" or 1/2" full flow M/F ballvalve plus £1.50 for a F&M elbow and £1.00 for a hosetail. Total cost = £6.00

And if you made it up before fitting then it,s a quick swap and you could use an old choke cable connected to the valve handle to operate it from the dash.

 

 

I didn't think of these, but yes, a much nicer looking solution. I'm pretty sure that the thread would be something quite common, however it wouldn't be too hard to make up a flange in any case. Nice one

I will contact the supplier shortly regarding the flange thread size and, get the other fittings together because my heater valve does not leak but it still allows a flow of water through the heater matrix which is ok at this time of the year but a bloody nuisance in summer.

I will keep you informed.

 

Regards

 

Mingy

[ado15]

 

 

Until the summer & you want to turn it off

There is an on/off switch on the heater Ashley.

 

 

The hot water flowing through the pipes and matrix will still generate much extra heat in the cabin during the summer, that is why the water valve is fitted on Mini's.

 

As said best bet is to fit a modern in-line alternative valve or as below which the factory fitted to later Mini's changing from 1/2 inch to 5/8 inch hoses where required, also retains the cable on/off operation from inside the cabin:-

"From 1989 until the introduction of the twin point injection cars, Rover fitted this in-line floating heater valve which was the first time they never bolted the heater valve as a direct outlet on the cylinder head. A strange looking black plastic valve to control the water to the heater."

http://www.minispare...s/JJB10011.aspx

 

 

 

 

None of the later Mini valves are available as the company went pop a year or two ago. It was the same company that made the head mounted ones which is why you can only get nasty copies these days.