Heater Water Valve

[Wandering star]

The water heater valve has seized in the open position and wonder if someone knows a quick route to get this out of its housing. Ages ago there was a very descriptive article on this subject in the Club Mag and cannot find the copy . Does any body remember it ? Any suggestions welcome.

Thanks in advance
Mike

[Stagdad]

Remove the center bolt,take off the leaver arm and replace the bolt .Use the bolt to pull on using some grips or the like or you could rig up some sort of leaver that pulls on the bolt but I think you need to get the valve rotating first to free it up a bit.I now remember I used the bolt with a large washer to bolt a pair of grips onto the small amount of valve showing and that stopped it keep slipping off.

cheers Steve

[milothedog]

Mike,

when mine was seized I released it by running the engine up to temp, then if you take the lever off it that is held on by the screw in the middle you can get a spanner on the shallow flats on it and twist it back and forth and hopefully free it up.


I always make a point now of moving it on regular basis as well.

Ian.

[Tonyw]

The water heater valve has seized in the open position and wonder if someone knows a quick route to get this out of its housing. Ages ago there was a very descriptive article on this subject in the Club Mag and cannot find the copy . Does any body remember it ? Any suggestions welcome.

Thanks in advance
Mike

Hi mike,
I had the same problem and released mine like Ian suggests but the brass on the flats rounded off. Once I managed to remove the valve I put a pin in the bracket through into the valve to stop the bracket rotating without the valve!! If that makes sense.

Also don't forget that if you warm the engine up and release (remove) the valve without the bracket the hot fluid comes out a quite a rate and is hot!

Been there done that.

Tony

[pcoleman]

a word of caution here Mike,this valve is an integral part of the heater matrix pipework and if you split either the valve housing or the pipe it's a matrix out job. Mine has been jammed since I had the car over 7 years ago and have had a garage mechanic try to free it last year to no avail,so unless you're desperate I would be inclined to leave the beast well alone. They jam up as everyone leaves them open for additional engine cooling through the heater matrix and never close them off !

regards. peter.c

[Stagdad]

its not that hard to do and once you have freed it it with regular use it should last,did mine 6 years ago and its been fine since,

[Goldstar]

If you need extra leverage (and it is liklely that you will) I did as Stagdad describes in post #2 and then inserted a long bolt from a domestic plug socket through the end hole in a tee hinge like this one that I just had lying around ae235.jpg but any steel bar with a hole will do and then using a hand on the left end to pull and mole grips on the other, it came away. Bit of water to catch. Quick wipe with wet and dry to clean up and replace with a smear of vaseline. You may eed a new O ring if it has been seized for some time.

Good luck

Paul

[Moraystag]

Use plenty old towels bellow it as it's pulled clear of the housing, I was amazed how much water and anti-freeze actually came out. I buffed mine up on my bench rotary wire buff. Deffo put new O ring and apply plenty vaseline or KY jelly, which ever you use most of at home (-:
A small piece of thin steel 1cm x 4 with a small hole drilled in the middle. Remove the screw, put the steel plate in place insert the screw and slowly pull the valve clear.
Be carefull when refitting and make sure the orifices match up to ensure water flow. Mine had seized up and had previously been fitted back, but was not in the full open position although the levers indicated it was full open or closed. Heating works 100% better after refurb. Easy little project.

Mike