Heater Question - P15

[kbuhagiar]

Hello Folks,

My 47 Plymouth has a heater installed on the passenger side; don't know if it came that way from the factory or was installed later.

While driving, the interior of the car gets really warm, even with the fan off and all of the vents on the heater unit closed. Upon closer inspection I noticed the the top portion of the heater unit (which is not readily visible) is completely open, with no way of closing it off. This would explain the elevated temperature in the car.

I've worked on many 60's & 70's heater systems, but I'm not familiar with a system this old. Is that top portion of the heater unit supposed to be open like that? Should there be some way to restrict or completely turn off the heat when it is not needed? Or should there be a shutoff valve on the heater hoses in the engine compartment?

Thanks in advance.

[Young Ed]

There should be a shutoff in the engine compartment. Depending on which heater you have it would have been either a manual open the hood and turn a knob type or a remote cable operated one from inside the car.

[greg g]

If no shut off valve is present, you can merely bypass the heater and join or plug the hoses to ahd from the firewall connection. A short piece of coper tubing inserted into the hoses and clamped on, will maintain the flow of coolant but not throughthe heater core.

If the core remains connected or supplied, air from the cowl vent will go throughthe unit enough to pass the heat into the car, isolate the core, and no more heat.

[kbuhagiar]

There should be a shutoff in the engine compartment. Depending on which heater you have it would have been either a manual open the hood and turn a knob type or a remote cable operated one from inside the car.

Thanks Ed!

Can anyone recommend a shut-off valve? Does it need to be application-specific, or could I just use a generic 5/8" automotive-style valve?

Should it be mounted to the upper or lower hose? Or does it matter?

Thanks again.

[YukonJack]

Thanks Ed!

Can anyone recommend a shut-off valve? Does it need to be application-specific, or could I just use a generic 5/8" automotive-style valve?

Should it be mounted to the upper or lower hose? Or does it matter?

Thanks again.

Interesting question. My 47 Deluxe didn't have a shut off valve. I have installed 2 different valves, when I close them my system seems to build up pressure causing the valves to leak around the stems also caused a small leak in my radiator. Last summer I just disconnected the core and tied the hoses together.

[bobostski]

Here is a picture of the twist valve that came on my 48 Ply to stop flow to the heater. I leave it on because it leaks if I turn it down. I think this is factory.

[RobertKB]

NAPA has a replacement. Take the old valve in for measurements and just to double check.

[BobT-47P15]

I have the manually operated T type valve......purchased a new one

like it at O'Reilly Auto Supply - not very expensive.

There's also the cable operated style valve.......not sure if you can buy

these at the auto supply......this was found at a swap meet.

Others have used various plumbing arrangements for this job.

[Don Coatney]

Any valve will work. I installed a ball valve that I had on the shelf.

[Jim Saraceno]

I installed this valve along with a cable from inside the passenger compartment so I can open and close it from inside.

[P-12 Tommy]

I installed this valve along with a cable from inside the passenger compartment so I can open and close it from inside.

That's the same one I got. Works good. The only thing bad is it's plastic.

Tom

[Niel Hoback]

I just took a cam out of a small B&S engine. It, too, was plastic. No kidding, plastic lobes and gear.

[Don Coatney]

I just took a cam out of a small B&S engine. It, too, was plastic. No kidding, plastic lobes and gear.

Plastic or powdered metal? Chrysler used to have a powdered metal plant that made timimg gears and such in the small town of Van Wert, Ohio where I graduated from high school.

[Niel Hoback]

Definitely plastic. Scary, eh?

[Don Coatney]

Definitely plastic. Scary, eh?

Yep, scary. How old was this B&S and what HP?

[Merle Coggins]

B&S has been using nylon cams for quite some time now. They actually hold up quite well.

Merle

[Niel Hoback]

The cam in question was on a Toro mower from about 1994 of about 5 hp. Plastic or nylon, it just aint steel.

[Jim Saraceno]

That plastic valve replaced a metal one that I had for two or three years that had frozen up, so being made of metal is not necessarily a sign of quality either.