Right on, Max. I have the heater valve in my '69B adjusted to
operate from fully closed to ~3/4 open. My heater will chase you out of
the car once the engine warms up.
In colder weather, say 40 deg F and down, I have to block the
radiator partially and cover the oil cooler to get the engine to reach
normal operating temp. I've been wondering if it would be worthwhile to
retrofit a oil temp valve to the oil cooler circuit.
I run a 180 deg thermostat all year round and have the radiator and
hood seals in place to direct the air through the radiator. The seals
really make a difference to cooling efficiency, in my experience.
Cheers,
CR
Max Heim wrote:
> Fine adjustments, forsooth. The main problem with the valve is not flow, but
> the fact that the silly knob/cable arrangement is incapable of managing the
> full range of valve adjustment from open to closed. Depending on how one
> adjusts the cable, you have available either the range from fully closed to
> 3/4 open, or the range from 1/4 open to fully open. In a moderate climate,
> readjusting the cable twice a year may be all that is necessary, everything
> else being equal.
>
> Glen, if you are getting nothing out of your heater, it's not the design of
> the valve at fault. Assuming the valve itself isn't plugged (this is fairly
> common), the heater core is not clogged, and the water passages in general
> are in good shape, even 3/4 flow is sufficient to heat the footwells to
> unbearable temperatures, with the engine at normal operating temperature (by
> this I mean 180-190).
>
> I always suspect the most common problem is running a 165 degree thermostat
> -- by the time the water has circulated through the uninsulated hose, its
> effect on the cold ambient air from the cowl vent is less than spectacular.
> Of course, in truly cold circumstances (not encountered here in coastal
> California), the engine will never reach even 165. An oil cooler cover or a
> partial radiator cover may be necessary.
|