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Heater Valve, anyone have a better solution????

idrivemopar

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When I restored my 73 Roadrunner, back on 2013 I installed on of these factory style heater valves, now here we are 5 years later, and the damn thing cracked, spewing coolant everywhere, so does anyone have a better solution other than one of these plastic valves???? I need a better solution, not gonna pay for another one of these pieces of crap!
20131128_080202.jpg
 
I'm running a plastic RV universal style valve.

since 2012 and hasn't cracked but was off the road for dang near 2 of those years.

It's acetal/delrin, or some kind of engineering plastic.

Looked at 1/2 dozen of them, picked the one I thought would work, and still had to make mods for the linkage to work correctly, and still not completely done with that, as my cable bent when the old valve seized up, and now bends at that same spot if ANY resistance is encountered.
 
There are metal ones (late '70's Mopar) but, they may not be period correct, if that's what you are looking for. If it cracked at one of the hose connections, I would say that you didn't have the valve properly supported and/or your hoses were too short and the engine movement caused some stress on the fitting. Then again, could be some cheap plastic crapola.
 
I would of thought dodge would of used the same type on the challengers. this is what I had on my 74 challenger
74643_1.jpg
 
Both my 73 and 74 Charger have that style valve. Its to bad the replacements have the wrong bracket and don't fit right. I will probably send my original out to be restored.
 
Look at Rockauto at the four seasons one all metal
 
Look at Rockauto at the four seasons one all metal
It does not fit without major modifications to the bracket. I bought one for my 73 and sent it back.
 
bolted on the chally no problem.
 
I would of thought dodge would of used the same type on the challengers. this is what I had on my 74 challenger View attachment 610592
Ok, I have one of those laying around in a box, its used, is there anything in those that would cause a leak? If not, I don't care about correct at this point after the mess I had to clean up and don't want that happening again. I can modify the bracket, that shouldn't be too difficult.
 
good hoses and good clamps I never had a problem.
 
post #4 is what I had on mine.

corroded and leaked from inside the mechanism.

bought a somewhat high dollar (100-ish IIRC) NOS period replacement and the internal seal on the butterfly valve leaked.

was NOT happy

RV valve was $12
 
post #4 is what I had on mine.

corroded and leaked from inside the mechanism.

bought a somewhat high dollar (100-ish IIRC) NOS period replacement and the internal seal on the butterfly valve leaked.

was NOT happy

RV valve was $12
Interesting. I have one like in post 4 but it has the bracket like my plastic one, but I am hesitant to use it, because its pitted on the hose fittings and the plating has come off, and It may still leak. All the new ones I find are like in post 4 with the incorrect bracket for my car, but I wonder and will check tomorrow if the bracket off of my plastic one matches up to the two holes on the vertical part of the one available from the part store.

Here is the one I have, saw someone on this site has one for sale, but his inbox is full, anyone know 68greenbee he posted one for sale over a year ago, but it doesn't say that it sold?

Here is mine,
20180528_221440.jpg
20180528_221425.jpg
 
It appears the only metal style one available is the one shown in post 4, searched all the auto parts stores and online, and they all carry the same one for Roadrunner, Charger, Fury, Challenger. Its not the correct one for my roadrunner like what I have shown. Its amazing that all these companies can produce the incorrect part and claim it fits all these applications, and its not the case.
 
Interesting. I have one like in post 4 but it has the bracket like my plastic one, but I am hesitant to use it, because its pitted on the hose fittings and the plating has come off, and It may still leak. All the new ones I find are like in post 4 with the incorrect bracket for my car, but I wonder and will check tomorrow if the bracket off of my plastic one matches up to the two holes on the vertical part of the one available from the part store.

Here is the one I have, saw someone on this site has one for sale, but his inbox is full, anyone know 68greenbee he posted one for sale over a year ago, but it doesn't say that it sold?

Here is mine,
View attachment 611098 View attachment 611099

That is the same valve in both my 73 and 74 and neither car has been messed with.
 
That is the same valve in both my 73 and 74 and neither car has been messed with.
Which valve and which car are you talking about, and if its a metal valve, can you post pictures?
 
Metal one like you posted above on a 73 and 74 Charger which has the same inner fender as your Road Runner. I will go get a pic.

Yellow is a 73, red 74.

IMG_0556.JPG
IMG_0554.JPG
 
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I looked them up in my 73 Parts manual. The plastic valve you have 3502346 was used until July of 73 then they switched to the 3502721 valve you have pictured from then forward. Classic Air can rebuild these valves. Thats what I am going to do on my 74.

That metal valve you have looks pretty nice, does the lever move freely? I would run it if so.
 
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That would explain a lot, my car was built in April 73, so plastic is what it got!

The metal one I have is in working condition, however, the valve works fine, but it weeps, and that was before I was up to full operating temperature. When you mention Classic air rebuilding valves, are you meaning the plastic ones or the metal ones, and aren't they Original Air Group now?
 
I made a bracket that will allow me to attach to one of the valves with the incorrect bracket until I can figure out what to do with the metal original I have or find another in working condition.

By the way, for grins in went to the local dodge dealer, and they showed me that the original part number was superseded three times and each time it included more years and models, so I think that is why its made with the same wrong bracket across the 6 years or so I checked.
 
All I have to say is plastic doesn't corrode :D.
 
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