Mystery parts - 73 RR engine compartment

[kb73rr]

Mystery parts - 73 RR engine compartment

I have a couple mystery parts that I could use some help with. I think the first one is a heater water valve. Of course it doesn't look anything like the supposedly correct NOS part I found on eBay. Not only that, this one has no visable means of connecting to electric power, a cable, or vacuum. How can it work? And why is it even there? I understand the purpose of a heater water valve is to stop the flow of coolant to the heater core when the a/c is on. Well, this car has no a/c and never did. On top of that, when I got the car there was also a manual shutoff valve in the other heater hose. That one looked like something from Home Depot. Check it out in the pic below ha ha ha!!!


Incidently the fender tag has code H41 - Strato Ventilation. Yippee! Anybody know if that option needed a heater water valve, and if so how it could work with no connecting anything?

Mystery part 2 is the radiator. This was originally a 318 car with a 22" radiator. This one is a 26". From what - who knows?????? When I got the car it had a universal flex hose. I found the stupid looking one that's on it now at Autozone by using the bent coathanger method. It beats a flexhose but I sure would like to get a reasonably correct looking replacement hose but need to I.D. what 440 Mopar used a 26" radiator with the top hose inlet on the driver's side. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance for any ideas, comments, insults or laughs.

 

[Bruzilla]

Is that a valve in the line or an opening? When I first saw it I thought it was one of those kits that Prestone sold in the 80s that allowed you to flush your cooling system by taking the cover off the piece you installed into the heater line, then attach a hose to it and flush the system.

If it is an actual on/off valve, it's most likely there because the heater core was leaking and someone thought shutting off the coolant flow would fix the problem... it won't by the way unless you cut off both lines.

As for the radiator, I'm not positive, but I think they had different locations for the top hose for cars with air conditioning as the extended alternator brackets caused clearance issues.

 

[YY1]

Bru is correct on the hose, that bend clears the a/c compressor.

I beg to disagree on the heater valve, though.

What you have is a manual heater control valve, likely from an RV store.

...and it most certainly will stop the flow to the core in one line only (although there is an IN and an OUT line).

Additionally, if you remove it, your heater will be on all the time.

I just went through heater control HELL on my car.

Somewhat "Correct" replacements are $65, and true factory style can be $300!!!

I ended up with an RV unit that can be actuated with the factory cable, but the arm is too short, and I need to find a way for it to get more throw. As it is, it's kinking my cable at the control end unless I help it, and it won't close 100% unless I get under the hood. It was $12, and I can see the mod I need to make, just haven't done it yet.

- - - Updated - - -

Strato-vents are COOL (ha).

Is it all there and working?

 

[YY1]

...and the valve won't stop a heater core leak (unless there's one on each hose).

There will still be water in the core, it just won't flow.

 

[Bruzilla]

I have a stuck heat/cool blend door on my Police Interceptor, and it's stuck in the warm position so even with the A/C on the air through the vents is still warm. You have to tear apart the whole dash to replace the blend door, so until I reach that level of motivation I just pulled the heater hoses from the firewall and connected them together so the hot stuff flows like it should but not through the heater box. So now I have cold air from the A/C but I've got to replace that blend door before winter.

Back to this car though, why would someone put a valve on one heater line? You have to stop flow on both of them to do anything.

 

[kb73rr]

Sorry I did a lousy job explaining the pics. The second picture is how the car was when I bought it. That red valve was in the top heater hose. It was a simple manual on-off ball valve. It really did look like some Home Depot plumbing part. And yes, it did turn on or off flow through the heater core. I removed it and replaced the hose.

There was also the other valve closer to the firewall shown in the first pic. That one has no cable, wires, or vacuum line going to it whatsoever. The lower heater hose goes in and comes out and that's it. That valve is still in the car - but I can't understand how it can work to turn the flow on or off without something to actuate it.

I just went through heater control HELL on my car.

Somewhat "Correct" replacements are $65, and true factory style can be $300!!!

I ended up with an RV unit that can be actuated with the factory cable, but the arm is too short, and I need to find a way for it to get more throw. As it is, it's kinking my cable at the control end unless I help it, and it won't close 100% unless I get under the hood. It was $12, and I can see the mod I need to make, just haven't done it yet.

I've had my own version of heater hell with this car. Some previous owner screwed with the control in the rallye dash. The lever doesn't work properly. The fan on/off switch does work. I assumed that since I got rid of the red valve there would be constant flow through the heater core but very little heat comes out regardless of lever position and fan on/off. Maybe the remaining valve by the firewall is stuck closed? But once again - there is no cable or anything to actuate it.

Strato-vents are COOL (ha). Is it all there and working?

I don't know. Hopefully once I get the heater sorted out, I'll find out. Until then I'll just keep pulling those two knobs under the dash. They work good!!!

As for the radiator, I'm not positive, but I think they had different locations for the top hose for cars with air conditioning as the extended alternator brackets caused clearance issues.

Bru is correct on the hose, that bend clears the a/c compressor.

OK, thanks guys. I searched images on Google for 440 engine and found that most of the 440s including a/c cars have a passenger side upper hose. However I did find a 72 440 a/c RR pic with a drivers side upper hose with the bend you are talking about. Good job!


I found a hose that looks like it would be perfect for my car.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-70-73-B-E-Body-Big-Block-Upper-Radiator-Hose-/270666036341
It's expensive but even worse it would be shame to waste such a nice rare part on my car. I need the Gates or Goodyear version.

 

[YY1]

Factory valves are on the inlet hose only.

The outlet is just a pass-through.

Is there a better pic of that mystery valve?

 

[kb73rr]

Factory valves are on the inlet hose only. The outlet is just a pass-through. Is there a better pic of that mystery valve?

Thanks for the info. Here is a close up view.



Upon closer inspection it looks like there is a little tube on the top pointing toward the firewall. I suppose that is for a vacuum line. Maybe going to the heater control? Of course my car has no such vacuum line anywhere to be found. More previous owner modifications.

It has been disconnected just like this the whole time I've owned the car. It looks like crap and I am tempted to just remove it and run a straight hose. There was a '70 RR parked next to me Sunday and he had no valve at all in either of his heater hoses.

Do you know if this valve supposed to be open or closed by default? Before I change anything I guess I need to get the car up to temp and then feel the hoses to see if there is flow through them the way things are now with the valve in there.

 

[YY1]

Yep, that looks like a vacuum operated valve.

Perhaps someone didn't know there was a difference.

Is your cable present?

Mine kinked pretty bad up under the dash when I tried to operate my new valve.
Now it kinks every time unless I put my finger up there and help it into the sheath.
Can be kinda painful if not done slowly.

Luckily I have a parts car, but I want to mod the cable guide/arm on the valve first, so I don't kink it again.

- - - Updated - - -

IIRC the non-a/c cars had vacuum valves.

 

[kb73rr]

Yep, that looks like a vacuum operated valve.....IIRC the non-a/c cars had vacuum valves.

You are right, good job, thank you.

Is your cable present?

I looked at the heater controls under my dash and there is a cable for the flap valve going to the heater box. That's still working OK. There was also a couple of cut off vacuum hoses. One must of came from the engine manifold vacuum and the other must have gone to the vacuum operated valve in the heater hose.

Right now the heater hoses get hot all the way to the firewall when the engine is running so there is flow through the valve. I'm going to make up a vacuum jumper hose direct to the port on the carb and test the valve. If it still works I'll try re-rigging some vacuum hoses properly through the heater control. Thanks for your help getting me pointed in the right direction.