Heater Valve Motor unavailable
Discussion
ok. so I have read lots of posts about the early Griff heater valve problems but I can't find any that have a good alternative solution.
The heater valve motor on my '92 Griff has given up the ghost and according to Crouzet who made it in the first place it was a special automotive application that they have deleted from their catalog and there is no alternative!
TVR Parts (or Clever Trever) listed it as available but that was not apparently true
Racetech have the motor itself but with out the potentiometer which is also apparently not available any more.
So, my question is... has anyone managed to work out or design a better, more elegant, solution to retrofit to an early Griff?
The heater valve motor on my '92 Griff has given up the ghost and according to Crouzet who made it in the first place it was a special automotive application that they have deleted from their catalog and there is no alternative!
TVR Parts (or Clever Trever) listed it as available but that was not apparently true
Racetech have the motor itself but with out the potentiometer which is also apparently not available any more.
So, my question is... has anyone managed to work out or design a better, more elegant, solution to retrofit to an early Griff?
I got totally fed up with trying to repair mine that I replaced the whole thing with one of these
http://www.vintageair.com/DownloadsSection/Parts%2...
Not cheap and difficult to fit the potentiometer in the panel but works great
Available at http://arnoldscustomsandclassics.com/system-access...
http://www.vintageair.com/DownloadsSection/Parts%2...
Not cheap and difficult to fit the potentiometer in the panel but works great
Available at http://arnoldscustomsandclassics.com/system-access...
Hedgehopper said:
Hi Alex.I actually ordered this and then got my payment refunded because they don't actually have them even though they are listed on the site
darojac said:
I got totally fed up with trying to repair mine that I replaced the whole thing with one of these
http://www.vintageair.com/DownloadsSection/Parts%2...
Not cheap and difficult to fit the potentiometer in the panel but works great
Available at http://arnoldscustomsandclassics.com/system-access...
Thanks Dave. That looks interesting. Its actually cheaper than the motor unit from Racetech!http://www.vintageair.com/DownloadsSection/Parts%2...
Not cheap and difficult to fit the potentiometer in the panel but works great
Available at http://arnoldscustomsandclassics.com/system-access...
Pretty sure this is the thing I had a problem with
Matt Smith at Matt Smith sports cars suggested and fitted a simple valve solution that isolated the heater matrix from the hot water completely so in summer my griff actually has zero heat on the fans and if I throw the lever in the winter it activates the heaters again.
Sounds odd but works way better than original as it actually has a cool air setting !
Matt Smith at Matt Smith sports cars suggested and fitted a simple valve solution that isolated the heater matrix from the hot water completely so in summer my griff actually has zero heat on the fans and if I throw the lever in the winter it activates the heaters again.
Sounds odd but works way better than original as it actually has a cool air setting !
bananaface said:
Pretty sure this is the thing I had a problem with Matt Smith at Matt Smith sports cars suggested and fitted a simple valve solution that isolated the heater matrix from the hot water completely so in summer my griff actually has zero heat on the fans and if I throw the lever in the winter it activates the heaters again.
Sounds odd but works way better than original as it actually has a cool air setting !
I've also installed a simple on/off valve but wired mine to the standard heater rocker switch so I can easily turn the heat full on or full off but not half way. In the summer it's always off and noticeably cooler in the cabin and its perfect for the Spring/Autumn as I usually only have the heat on for the first 10 minutes. It's also ideal for short journeys in the winter BUT the main issue is on the rare occasional long motorway run in the winter when off is too cold and on is too hot and therefore find myself constantly turning the heat off and on every 15 minutes.Sounds odd but works way better than original as it actually has a cool air setting !
As a result I'm also keeping an eye out for a better solution that can be controlled from the standard rocker switch and therefore I've emailed Vintage Gear some re-wiring questions but haven’t had a reply yet.
When I spoke to Crouzet a few years ago they informed me the motor was still available on its own and they could also supply a suitable gearbox but you would have to reuse your old push rods, brackets and micro switches. This valve looks similar but from memory is handed the wrong way, is it ??? http://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/cable-operat...
I haven't pursued this root as I ultimately want something more compact with no external moving parts to foul on the bird’s nest and at one point I was very close to using a ford KA valve until I read about the unreliability issues.
I ended up buying from Avalco Ltd an ODE 21A5KV55 Brass solenoid valve 2/2 way normally closed with an 8 watts 12v DC coil. http://www.compomax.co.th/PDF-UPLOAD/supplier-cata...
You can see the ODE valve installed goes up the side of the heater air box.
Here's the Releco C9-R21 latching relay I used to connect the valve to the standard heater rocker switch.
Merry Christmas and Happy Trails for 2015.
Steve Sprint
P.S. Please note Precat's don't have anything as advanced as the 500's potentiometers, we simply have an electric window rocker switch to control the valve motor.
Edited by stevesprint on Saturday 27th December 21:40
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