Basic question I have a 51 with the basic heater in it. My question is there not a valve to open the water flow to the heater or does it run through the core all the time? I have a knob for the defrost that runs to the lever on the heater but no knob to open a valve to direct water to the core? What am I missing? My project is just about complete, I just need to register the truck so I can really drive it and see how it runs. I was going to put a tach in it and am open to suggestions. I was thinking about mounting one to the steering column. Open to ideas.
Mine is the same way. As far as I know that is the way it came from the factory. So yes if there is no valve then coolant will always flow threw the coils of the heater core. Now you should have a fan control. That is your only temperature control, and the defrost to some extent. Not sure how it will act in the hot KC summers, but i am hoping to find out this year. There are heater control valves available from our host but you have to have a core to send them in order to get one. Or you can always install your own valve on the inlet of the heater core. won't be stock but it will work
If you're not worried about originality you could install an "in the hose" valve and either control it with a pull cable like is used for your choke or just reach under the hood to turn it on when you need it. Or you could install a manual valve threaded into your current hot water source for the heater, opening the valve in the winter and shutting it in the summer. Either is available at FLAPS for less than $15.
Here's a picture of what Bill is speaking of. I think it's a good idea to install a valve here to shut the water flow off to the heater, otherwise it gets a little warm in the cab during the summer. Just my 2 cents.
Shut-off Valve on block The valve Ken is using is available through Carter's. It is pricey at $39 or so. It takes about ten minutes to install once you figure out how to get a wrench on it in the tight space there on the block. Works nice and looks almost original. At any rate if you wanted true originality you haven't messed anything up, and could remove it in short order. Flashlight
Hot Water Valve Ken's valve is in the wrong place , it needs to be on the upper hose else it'll radiate heat through the hose and heat the cab up all summer . The correct GM valve was still available from Weatherhead Fittings a couple years ago and most hardware stores have it , it has a round(ish) knob painted red and looks like the house plumbing part is is . Over the years I've bought them at any old hardware store , they're steel and so rust away after a few years , Weatherhead makes a dandy brass one that's built in a 'Y' shape to better suit the application . NAPA has a nifty cable operated one that can be placed in the hose mid way , be sure to mount the Bowden Cable first so you'll know where to splice the hose for peroper operation as the cables are usually too short . you could use the repop defroster cable so the knob matches... If you're like me , this job will be finished the very first day the temperature rises , negating the need for a heater...
"Dang" Ken thats a real purty valve. I put one on a 63 chevy truck in the line one time. Brass with a red handle. It did not look good as yours but cut the water off anyway. Your looks just like it came that way. If I had did it your way it would not have looked shade tree.
heater question Thank you all for your comments. I will go with a valve as it makes sense. Nate, thanks for clarification on where it should go. Ken great engine compartment, some day maybe mine will look like that. Dave
Another Pointless Boring Story Back in 1973 I was driving a Auto Parts delivery truck and the outlying store sent us thier Fleetside shortbox '63 C-10 for a week or so~ I loved it but everyone else hated it , it had only the 230 CID thinwall InLine 6 Banger , a three on the tree manual tranny and (wose of all) NO RADIO but it did have a factory heater . this was in January , California's only really cold month and I wondered why I couldn't get any heat out of it in spite of overall good shape of this std. white knight workhorse ~ I pulled it into the loading dock and disconnected the heater hoses , only a thin drbble of rusty water came out , looking like tomato soup so I rigged out the water hose and began flushing , after a moment these red tubular shaped things came burping out of the hoses and plopped on the previously clean cement , looing like cat turds . About this time my perennially pissed off boss came out and had a fit thinking I'd ruined the work area no one had ever cleaned since 1946 when they opened the shop and when I'd started working there (I don't like filthy work areas) , after he was done screaming I flushed the rusty silt away and put some anti-freeze in the now clean cooling sysytem and enjoyed my heat for the rest of the week , then to " punish " me they sent the truck back to the outlying shop where the guys were delighted to have a working heater and rubbed my nose in it Those were the dayze .
Pointless maybe.....but not boring. Good thing there was one mechanically inclined feller working there. Been working on my own heater, which of course would have been too easy in the warm months. I took one out of my parts/next project truck, got it all painted up with the Rustoleum paint, new Grainger fan motor, leaking heater core etc. I noticed that the backplate was stamped xx/xx/53. Then the other night I took the broken one out of my driver. Went to put the newly rebuilt one in and.....WTF? The holes didn't line up. Went back to the basement into the light, because of course no garage and the broken one has a tag on the backplate which reads xx/xx/50. Of course the parts interchanged, lucky me. Back out in the cold installed heater in truck and quit for the night. Last night I tried to wire it, broke the low tension line from the coil to the key and couldn't get the truck started. The fan wouldn't work even though I bench tested the whole assembly. Today, I came home a little early so I had some sun left. The fan was jamming on the shroud, so I removed the shroud. Fixed the low tension wire and started the truck. Poured ALUMA SEAL in the radiatior and let it run. So far it has fixed the leaks in the core. THANKS, NATE! Lessons to be learned .....fix the heater in warm weather and in the daylight and barring that, as your cussing the blasted thing, remember THIS IS FUN! Josh
There WAS ?! Oh yeah right ~ you mean Joel , the long haired kid they hired to run the machine shop and got his hair caught in a spinning lathe and was yanked hankless ? he came walking up with his scalp in his hand , I think he's lucky he wasn't killed . I'm not sure how Mechanically minded he was tho'.... It's cool this morning , I may have the only old British car even made with a good heater , I had to roll down the window @ 04:30 to let some heat out . Most LBC's have Mouse Fart heaters , kinda goes with the flapping canvas top I guess .
Of course there is! It hadn't had time to drip on the floor yet in that picture! I took that picture right before its inagrual shake down run. Notice how purdy that rottenchester carby looks? Check it out now.
Trailer Queen?? I'm not sure Ken's truck has ever been out of the garage. He probably bought some kind of spray slime to put on his carb and exhaust manifold. Either that or he scraped a bunch of crud off of my '57 last week when he was helping with my brakes and applied it to his AD. Maybe he "photoshopped" the picture???
Simply _beautiful_! Hmmm... I didn't realize driving it from the garage out onto your driveway, then back into your garage was considered a "shakedown" run. I'm just envious~
Hmmmmm... Judging from these two comments. I guess we don't believe you drive your truck much... As long as you keep helping Bill, (which, by the way I think is cool of you~) you will at least get your HANDS DIRTY!!!!!! Hard to do that on your perfect piece of history you have parked in that nice garage of yours!
Basic heater question. Hey Maybe this drawing is of some help to you. it shows how the basic heater line. I reinstalled the hoses and bought a remanufactured heater valve control.This closes and opens the water flow (warm or cold) inside the cabin. Good luck Martinius
Oh , Jeeze ~ Draining the fuel out too isn't FAIR ya know Ken ! I could dip my entire truck in the solvent tank and it'd never look this nice , now I'm insanely jealous
