Cascade Crew

QwkTrip

Opened up a big box in my garage and found a bunch of V6 stuff. This looks to be some type of vacuum operated valve on the heater core coolant line. What does it do? Wondering if I need it any longer.

I'll also be posting a for sale ad to get rid of most the stuff I found.

QwkTrip · Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 1:46 pm Post subject:

And this. Alternator bracket?

chevymad · Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 1:46 pm Post subject:

It shuts the hot water off going to the heater core. Your heater also has an air door that serves a similar function. Many people just remove the hot water valve as they break easily. But if your air door seal leaks, you'll get a constant flow of warm air.

QwkTrip · Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 1:54 pm Post subject:

Okay, great. That's what I was guessing but I couldn't figure out what is the benefit. You answered that, too.

I completely cleaned and repainted my HVAC box because it had mouse pee in it. Laughing

One thing I did was remove all the seal pads because they were greasy and gross. Guess I have to decide if I'm digging out the box to glue in new foam pads or re-using the shut off valve.

Al Hasse · Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 2:32 pm Post subject:

The second pic is a power steering pump bracket, serpentine V6.

QwkTrip · Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 2:48 pm Post subject:

Ah! That would make sense because I still have my power steering pump in the car. Thanks!

IROCDave · Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 2:53 pm Post subject:

If you plan to keep the heater control valve, go buy a 2nd. You will either break it during install or it will break shortly after the car is running. Seriously, it never fails, touch it and it will break and if it's been sitting it will break. You will know it broke when it splashed antifreeze all over your windheild and rear tires while you going 120 racing a ....never mnd, just replace it or ditch it.

chevymad · Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 4:39 pm Post subject:

Lol.. well I havent quite had that experience with mine. Shouldnt jinx it, but I'm only on my 2nd in 300k miles.

aaron_sK · Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 6:06 pm Post subject:

I had one crack in my IROC, replaced it with a used one which gave me no trouble.

Personally I think mine benefited from my removal of the factory bracket. I image allowing the unit to hang free causes less stress on the bungs. Not that I'm an engineer or anything. Very Happy

Alphius · Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 6:28 pm Post subject:

This HCV seems to be arcane technology.

How hard would it be to retrofit to a car that never had one from factory?

Twilightoptics · Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 6:35 pm Post subject:

It's just a matter of capping one line, and joining the other two.

Alphius · Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 6:49 pm Post subject:

Does it use vacuum from the control head to allow coolant flow the same way the vents use vacuum to move?

Twilightoptics · Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 7:03 pm Post subject:

Basically. When the controls go to the warmer side, it gives more and more of the feed vacuum to that valve to open and allow more and more hot coolant into the heater core.

If you run A/C it's a good thing to have, because your system can run cooler not having hot coolant pumped through the heater core right there next to the evaporator. It's not critical though. Thirdgen systems are pretty forgiving.