Heater control Valve...HELP!!!!!

[Mouse]

A quick question for everybody....I need to replace mine (83 944) and I cant get to it. It's right there but I cant get the bottom clamp off. Any hints?
Also....someone e-mailed me and told me for a quick fix (relief from the heat) just slide the valve closed. What??? Can you do that and if so could someone please tell me how to do it because I tried and I found that impossible to do. Sorry I'm not a mechanic but I try my best.
Thanx

[Mouse]

It's an 83...there is no heater control clip for that year.

[951carter]

there is an arm that the cable connects to. all the cable does is move that arm back and forth to open and close the heater valve. you can manually move that arm to close,or open, it as necessary. and yes, it is a pain in the a*# to replcae the valve on early cars. that is why the dealer will charge you $150 to install a $20 valve. in case there is any confusion, the valve i am speaking of is in the engine compartment on the back of the cylinder head, between the engine and the firewall. it is below the mount that the crank sensors clip into. good luck to you.

[T86951]

Shaun, I was about to say the same thing, my clip broke on my '86 model. I ordered one for a couple bucks and replaced it easily up under the dash near the center console. I guess the pre 85.5 models have a different control. The post 85.5 models have a complex bosch over engineered heater /AC control system. I had to replace my whole control unit with a (used) unit for $250 , new $500. Pre 85.5 units are like $37.50.

[shaftk215]

To slide to value closed, stand on the passenger side of the car. Reach behind the engine with your left hand and pull on the white plastic arm towards yourself(and the passenger side of the car). This should shut it off.
I just recently did this fix to mine after purchasing the value and realizing how much of a pain it would be to replace it! I also took the tab off of the heat control inside the car so niether myself or someone else can turn the heat on accidentally. Hope this helps!

[Mouse]

Well I ried to shut the valve last night...no go. It's stuck. Wouldn't move. Guess Im going to have to spend a few hours and try like hell to replace it. Probably going to have to enlist my five year to turn a wrench down there. (Cause her hands are smaller than mine)
Mouse
83/944

[tifosiman]

Hello all! I have recently become the proud owner of a near mint 85.5 944NA with only 71k miles on the odo. There are a few small glitches to work out on it. I too have the same heater valve problem. I tried pulling the lever but it won't stay in place, it just goes right back. I also tried using something to hold it in place, and even with that fix it still blows enough heat to overpower the AC. I have a new valve on order, but do you have any other ideas to get me thru the next week or two until I can install it? I also checked the clip on the rod under the dah, it's fine, and I replaced the vacuum lines to the heater valve. This BBS seems very informative, by the way! I can see myself spending a lot of time here..........

[pico11653]

can someone show a picture of where all the vaccum lines should be going to?

or explain even.

mine arent hooked up.....heat always on

[SoCal Driver]

Originally posted by T86951
Shaun, I was about to say the same thing, my clip broke on my '86 model. I ordered one for a couple bucks and replaced it easily up under the dash near the center console. I guess the pre 85.5 models have a different control. The post 85.5 models have a complex bosch over engineered heater /AC control system. I had to replace my whole control unit with a (used) unit for $250 , new $500. Pre 85.5 units are like $37.50.

Drat! I sold the one out of the 86 for $85!

[SoCal Driver]

Originally posted by pico11653
can someone show a picture of where all the vaccum lines should be going to?

or explain even.

mine arent hooked up.....heat always on

You need the factory manuals. Has a section on the heating. Will not find anything on this in the Haynes.

There is a white plastic clip just above the gas pedal that breaks or comes undone. Search this section for past messages. Some even have a picture of it.

[rob83944]

I have an 83 944 and followed the following procedure.

I replaced my control valve several weeks ago. It is a pain to get to. To make room I removed the two sensor connectors that are above the heater control valve. Remember to mark both ends of the connectors so you can put them back together correctly. Remove the bracket. Once these parts are removed you should have room to work on the valve. DO NOT DROP ANY PARTS BECAUSE IF THE FLY WHEEL COVER IS MISSING YOU CAN DROP EITHER THE BOLT OR NUT HOLDING THE BRACKET OR CLAMPS HOLDING THE SENSOR WIRES INTO THE HOLE THAT IS USED TO CHECK TOP DEAD CENTER.

Check the Pelican Parts link to Electircal Parts - ECU BRAIN to locate the bracket and two electircal connectors that need to be removed.


Using a long screw driver remove the upper and lower hose clamps. If the bottom clamp is unreachable, use a flexible shaft extension with a socket to fit the screw on the clamp or screw driver head. Take you time doing this. Also remove the clamp holding the cable onto the valve. Replace the valve and reinstall the hose clamps. The clamp that holds the cable is the hardest and most time consuming part of the job. If this is not installed correctly, the dash control will not close the valve completely and you will still get heat into the car. I had to adjust the cable on the valve two or three times over several days to get it right. You need to have the car heated to test this.

After the cable is mounted, you can reinstall the bracket and reinstall the two cables and clamps.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/944/944_parts/944_83-85/Pic109.jpg

[rob83944]

Reviewing the pelican parts diragram, the parts numbers I am referring to are parts #17, 18 and 19. You wil see them at the back of the engine against the firewall just above the heater control valve. You will have to rest your entire body over the engine while working on the valve. Be carefull not to break anthing else.

[SoCal Driver]

Wasn't that fun!!!!

The big problem with the early heater valve is the clips that hold the end of the cable (wire) sheath inside the dash. Well actually it's the plastic section that all three of the cables terminate at. This piece is the one with the three levers.

The plastic part of where the metal clip snaps to breaks off letting the sheath move back and forth effectively keeping the heater valve patially open.

One of these days I will replace mine. Since home is southern Californa about eight miles from the ocean, it gets cold but not chilled.

[rob83944]

I've had the dash open several times and had to rebuild the dash heater/defroster/vent control myself. Once that was done working on the heat control valve on the engine side took about 4 hours. Getting the metal clip that holds the cable in place on the valve must have taken at least an hour. Several bouts of cussing like you P-O-S, you F'n cable clip, Oh I dropped the clip again, please please snap on this time, and such didn't help the completed task but made me feel better.

[SoCal Driver]

Originally posted by rob83944
I've had the dash open several times and had to rebuild the dash heater/defroster/vent control myself. Once that was done working on the heat control valve on the engine side took about 4 hours. Getting the metal clip that holds the cable in place on the valve must have taken at least an hour. Several bouts of cussing like you P-O-S, you F'n cable clip, Oh I dropped the clip again, please please snap on this time, and such didn't help the completed task but made me feel better.

How did you "rebuild" the control where the metal clip snaps on?

[rob83944]

The trick is to line up the cable/sheath so that the cable when connected to the slide will not kink with an extension arm.

I used several short flat strips of steel that is drilled like Swiss cheese (3/4 inch wide and 1/8 inch think. I used several pieces: one 1 and ½ inches long and the others about 1 inch long stacked up to build up the thickness so that cable/sheath will sit flat. The bottom piece that is 1 and ½ inch long is attached to the bottom of the plastic slide unit. I drilled a hole into the plastic unit and used a nut and bolt to hold the first piece. The other pieces are held together with another nut a bolt. I then attached the cable sheath to the new extended arm that is lined up with where the cable used to be attached. Using a soft piece of flat steel that fits around the new arm ----think of a ring on your finger but the ring is cut and has two flat tabs on it so that a nut and bolt can be used to tighten the “ring” to a snug fit----- I slid the cable between the top of the new arm and under my ring. I then tightened the nut and bold on the ring so that the cable sheath is held tight.

This was a trial and error engineering procedure, but it seems to work quite well. I would take a picture, but I have the unit back installed on the car.

While I was building the extension arm I used a short piece of cable that I had cut off of the heater valve cable I replaced so that I could build the unit on my workbench.

[SoCal Driver]

Trick.

[rob83944]

Yeah, something like that. I was a lot of fun fixing this. Almost as much fun as reattaching the arm that controls the heater defroster flap. The shaft broke and the arm fell out. If you know this arm it fits over the defroster/heater flap shaft. I had to use a self-tapping screw to reattach the arm. Have you ever tried to get a drill in that tight space?

After much fiddling around I was able to get a starter hold drilled for the screw.

Attached the cable and I how have that fixed. My next project will be fixing the rear window defroster. It works but whenever I turn it on, it smells like some electrical cable is melting.

I replaced most of the wires to the dash because most of them were melted. Thanks to the previous owner for his electrical talents.

It might have been the same owner of the 928 that used electrical cord to fix his wiring problem? Who knows!

[SoCal Driver]

Don't think so. You said the hatch smells like electrical wires not socks.

[repoman]

I'm also of the "disconnect heater control school". Someday I'll deal with repairing it and the broken defrost flapper. Don't drive '44 in winter

I was sorting through my collection of junk and found the old manual HCV from my 71 Ford van. Seriously tempted to install it in P-car!

Last summer I thought I had my valve shut but still getting some heat through.

at least the AC works well