C1 heater control valve resto question

[Clare Carpenter]

I have an original heater control valve with the capillary sensor tube that I like to freshen up and cosmetically restore. Obviously function is important too. It has some light corrosion on the housing that needs to be nipped in the bud before it affect the function. Springs and their plating look good. Corrosion is on the painted metal surfaces.

Does anyone provide this service? I'm hesitant to try it myself due to what looks like a difficult disassembly but I don't know the tricks or techniques. Someone told me MJ Rohner's husband might do it and I know they do a real nice job on wiper motors but I haven't contacted them. WOndering if anyone has any experience with this item. Thanks.

[John M.]

Re: C1 heater control valve resto question

Clare,
The seal in the valve is usually gone by this age as well. I have looked a rebuilding my valves before, but realized that the only noticable difference in the replacement valves and the originals was the capillary tube temp control. after looking at both for a while, I realized that I could just put the old cap tube control on a brand new valve, and nobody would ever know! A couple of screws, and you can switch the entire thremostat unit from one to the other.
The unit will probably not modulate like it was designed to do originally, but it will look correct and will work as good as later model C1 cars did when they deleted the thermostat system.

Regards, John McGraw

[Clare Carpenter]

Thanks John, that will work for me! *NM*