dougbgt6 Posted August 27, 2019 Report Share Posted August 27, 2019 I went to a funeral last week, an East Berks member so took the GT6. High Wycombe, lots of hills, engine working hard and I got hot, but not in the foot department. The foot well is relatively cool since I sorted the gearbox cowl, no it was the de-mist vents, they were red hot! The heater valve was leaking. I bought the “four seasons” heater valve after Richard (AKA rlubikey) fitted one last year, it has a very easy action unlike the Triumph unit. Time to fit it. I thought I would have trouble getting the old one off, but it was easy. However, nothing is easy. It’s the wrong way round! As far as the dashboard controller is concerned on is off and off is on. So the top has to come off the valve. You prise up the 4 retaining lugs and it separates with the complete valve mechanism. You replace it turned 180 degrees and whack down the lugs. Richard also had to do this when he fitted his but he thought mine would be OK as he thought GT6 controller is opposite to the Spitfire, but mine ain’t, it’s the same. Maybe it’s another late mk3 anomaly, but pretty annoying, a lot of work to fix something you never use on a GT6. I made a neat device to attach the cable to the valve spindle. I found a collet in an electrical fitting that slid over spindle. The collet has a screw thread on the side and the collet is thick enough to get the screw in three turns before it touches the spindle. Next the sort of wiring connector that has a screw either side. The head of the screw into one side, the cable in the other. Doug 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gully Posted August 27, 2019 Report Share Posted August 27, 2019 That's interesting, Doug. I'd read that the Mk3 heater control was the opposite to the Mk1&2, but not sure how that compares to the concurrent marks of Spitfire. Would you be able to post the link to where you bought the valve from, please? Mine works okay at the moment, but it's a bit of a messy installation that I think will be problematical when I do eventually have to swap it. Heater needs a back-flush at the moment - there's a bit of debris restricting the flow occasionally (piece of PTFE tape I believe - long story!). Thanks, Gully Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted August 28, 2019 Report Share Posted August 28, 2019 Theres a whole scattering of valves on car bullder solutions Doug will be along when he comes off the other site !!! Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted August 28, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2019 Gully, An odd story. Although there are "four seasons" heater valves on amazon.co.uk, the right one is only available on amazon.com, the American site. You order it from there, but it appears to come from amazon.co.uk. Mine arrived within 3 days which indicates there must be a stock here. Richard thinks they're used on black cabs so that would make sense. Cost is $31.21 plus $11.71 shipping. Shipping includes import duty, which may change after Halloween, for some reason. Hurry, only 17 left! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C2UVQ4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlubikey Posted August 28, 2019 Report Share Posted August 28, 2019 Gully, Pete, the valve Doug and I used seems quite common in the USA but is not generally available this side of the pond. (There is a different model which is used on London taxis, but it doesn't have the threaded inlet.) Here's the valve that I recommended to Doug and which I bought via Amazon. It's a Four Seasons 74648 Heater Valve - the trick is to use Amazon.com but you can still log in with your UK credentials. It's also available from RockAuto where, if you choose the expensive shipping, the tax gets paid with your order. My 1500 Spit has a "pull for off" heater with hot on the left and cold to right on the dash. I expected Doug's GT6 to be the opposite after a conversation with Mark at East Berks, but it turns out Doug's heater is the same - hot on the left and pull for off. It's quite easy to modify the valve to do this. The Four Seasons brand have hundreds of different heater valves with several of the same general format. It's quite possible they even do one which is pull for off, if that's what you need. Hope this is helpful. Cheers, Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlubikey Posted August 28, 2019 Report Share Posted August 28, 2019 Snap - well, nearly! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gully Posted August 28, 2019 Report Share Posted August 28, 2019 Many thanks, both of you. My early Mk 3 GT6 is also hot left, cold right, so some fettling required... Gully Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlubikey Posted August 28, 2019 Report Share Posted August 28, 2019 OK Gully et al, I'm looking at another FOUR SEASONS valve - 74682 which appears to be almost the same but is described as "Cable Operated Non-Bypass Closed" which I think means pull to close, whereas the 74648 valve is "Cable Operated Open Non-Bypass" which I think is pull to open. If I ever have to do another heater valve I think I will order that and see if it's indeed the right one for a Spit & GT6. If you want to have a go with it, you should first satisfy yourself that my assumptions are indeed correct about the 74682 valve. One thing I think I didn't mention is that the output port is 5/8" instead of 1/2", but I found the hose stretches over without too much difficulty. Cheers, Richard 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted August 28, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2019 Richard, Hmm, well I've got the thing on, but the heater hose is a bit stretched as the inlet (or is it outlet?) is 180 degrees turned around, an excuse to buy new (silicon?!! ) I'll wait and see how you get on. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlubikey Posted August 28, 2019 Report Share Posted August 28, 2019 Hi Doug. Did you use plumbers' tape on the threads? Not only does it seal the joint, but the lower friction allows a bit more rotation adjustment to get the right position. I'm afraid mine is different as it's the TR5/TR6 set-up coming directly off the head via a stand-off, and by happy chance it lines up with the hose absolutely perfectly! Cheers, Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpitFire6 Posted August 28, 2019 Report Share Posted August 28, 2019 Hi, I took my heater valve out in the mid-'80s. Never felt the need to fit one again. It is on demist most of the time. regular hand shuffles feedback engine temperature. Cheers, Iain. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted August 29, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2019 11 hours ago, rlubikey said: Did you use plumbers' tape on the threads? No, grandson has made off with my PTFE tape. So I used "plumber's mate" Thick gloopy stuff, well it is a plumbing thread, apparently. Strange how plumbing threads are universal. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted August 29, 2019 Report Share Posted August 29, 2019 should use thread drift tape did you add some hemp in the mate to act as a filler never get on with ptfe you end up doing it twice or more .... pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted August 29, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2019 15 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said: did you add some hemp in the mate to act as a filler Na, run out, I'll have to go see my dealer. db Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlubikey Posted August 30, 2019 Report Share Posted August 30, 2019 While I was taking photos of the brake MC, I also took one of my heater valve in case it's of any help. You can see that the heater pipe has been stretched slightly to get it over the hose barb. The white stuff lower down is the plumbers' tape. I used the contact from a piece of chocolate-bloc (electrical joining screw terminals in a plastic strip) suitably drilled to attach the cable to the valve. Nowhere near as neat as Doug's! Cheers, Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted August 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2019 Richard, Looks OK to me, in fact my chocolate block is white and I think I prefer yours. I notice you've also swapped the sheath clamp to the other side same as me. Doug 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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