Winter body off - heater valve question

[viku]

Long winter months, so started a chassis restoration.



When doing body off (the guide was very useful - thanks Luckyone) I found a heater water valve on top of the heater box. Has this been fitted by the factory? The car is -98 and there is nothing to control the valve, no cable or any other device. The adjustment was in the middle so may explain why the heated air never was hot.

[Tanguero]

My '97 has no such valve and I have never seen one mentioned in the workshop manuals. I was thinking of fitting something similar, but probably electrically operated.

[ukkid35]

Please do not post any more photos of your garage - that is going to create serious workspace envy.

[viku]

Finally time to turn the wrench clockwise!

[Alistair H.]

Total chassis porn.

[Boatbuoy]

viku said:

Finally time to turn the wrench clockwise!

I can't wait for that moment, I'm 7 days into mine at the moment.

[Luckyone]

Glad you found my guide, just how many body offs are happening at the mo?!

I like your shiny bits, are they BZPed or chromed?

I BZPed the smaller bits my self but didn't have a tank big enough to get the water pipes in...

[Alistair H.]

Luckyone said:

just how many body offs are happening at the mo?!

I think a lot of cars have reached the same age/state of rust at the same time. Anyone with a pre 2000 car without a body off is just on borrowed time.

[viku]

Parts are electrogalvanized (zinc plated).
The company doing it has a minimum fee for 20kg, so I sent all the small bits.

[viku]

Very very addictive work after weeks with dirty parts. (The only drawback is the copperslip.)

[buba]

Looking good

[ridds]

viku said:

|http://thumbsnap.com/y1e8dB8E[/url]

Might want to check the lower wishbone inner front bolt is the correct way round. Not sure if you can get that bolt out forwards with the body on.

I'm not 100% but it's one thing that scares me about my refit is getting one of the bolts the wrong way round and having to lift the body to get it out!! (Or cut the bolt head off....)

[viku]

ridds said:

Might want to check the lower wishbone inner front bolt is the correct way round. Not sure if you can get that bolt out forwards with the body on.

I'm not 100% but it's one thing that scares me about my refit is getting one of the bolts the wrong way round and having to lift the body to get it out!! (Or cut the bolt head off....)

Well-observed. This is the way it is pictured in repair manual, but checked my before-pictures and it actually was the other way round. Thank you, might save a lot of work in the future.

[viku]

My version of bonnet quick hinge.

Outrigger shield from abs-plate

A tool for initial camber adjustment.

I decided to put a simple choke cable to the heater valve I found above the heater box and hide it beside the ECU. For summer I can now shut heater matrix and get cooler air from heater vents.


Finally time for a test drive!