The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk AD Truck Heater Valve Rebuild Kit?

Is there a rebuild kit for the Heater Control Valve for an Advance Design Truck? It would be for the Deluxe Heater.

Need a rubber gasket, round looking thing, sorta, kinda? That goes into the valve.

The shaft that goes into the tube has a stainless pluger on it, is it suppose to have a rubber o-ring too?

Need schematics to this thing.

Help!

no schematics, but NAPA has a Ranco valve repair kit that's the only thing available: Napa/Balkamp #BK660-1000 .... sometimes better off to buy a new one or get it professionally redone

Bill

Just lookin’ at this site that Bill posted a link to and I was wondering about the capalary tube that is attached to the valve. What’s it for?????
http://www.heatercontrolvalve.com/50_chevy_pu.html

I will be pulling all this off for rebuilding this winter and was not aware that there was any other control on the valve other than a twist valve to control the water flow.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny - some don't have the capillary tube, but if so, it's part of an 'automatic' temp control, sensing the temp and controlling the flow

Bill

Where it attaches to, I don't know? Seems like it goes into the cab somewhere, but not near the heater outlet?

That's my guess.

I just had one rebuilt through Classic Parts of America. $49.95 and it looks like brand new. I mailed it in and it only took them about 2 days to get it done and on the way back. About 2 weeks total. One other thing. Be sure to include $7.95 for shipping-minium amount.

Guess I didn't phrase that right Bill, I'm sure that's what it's for, a lot of vehicles had them, but my point was, I'd never seen an AD with an automatic temp control. I'll bet that at least doubles the cost of rebuilding one of those valves. Having a capillary tube surely bumps up the cost for a temp gauge vs the cost of an electric head.

Oh I'm sure the tube just clips across the bottom of the dash Blue, that's where it would make the most sense and that's where I've seen them on a lot of the later cars.

Pablo, that's quite reasonable, I'll bet yours didn't have a sensor on it. They wanted over $100 to rebuild my temp gauge, and they don't have a solenoid on it like the heat valve would have.
I'm wondering if this was maybe only a GMC thing and not available on the Chevys or if it was just a later option for both of them???? Gonna have to do a little parts book searchin' and see what I can find out.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

As is happening more often as the years go on, I'm confused about what is being discussed.

Is this discussion about a heater control valve, as used on Air-Flow (deluxe) heaters (47-54 Chevrolet & GMC trucks)? This has a capillary tube temperature sensor/controller. The tube has a screw tab near the end (often broken off - see picture at the link above); and, that tab is screwed to the firewall "dash mat", under the dash, on the upper right side of the hump. I will post a picture this evening, if I can find the installation manual that came with my Air-Flow (Deluxe) heater. [a diagram can be found at the link given by Jim Meier, below] My understanding is that valve can be "trimmed" , by turning the dash-mounted control rod, so that water flows through the valve and thus through the heater at a variable temperature setting (a thermostatically controlled heater).

Or, is this discussion about a temperature gauge sensor/sendor, which has a capillary tube on Chevrolet trucks and was electronic on GMC trucks (at least for some, if not all, New Design years)?

Both parts seem to be brought into the discussion above.

Both parts (at least on on Chevrolet 47-55 trucks) use a capillary tube as a temperature sensor (gauge) and/or controller (heater).

Yes, this is getting confusing? I was questioning whether all these valves had a capillary tube control or not. I was just making a comparison of the capillary tube on the temp gauge to the capillary tube on the control. In one case it moves a needle, in the other it apparently moves a diaphragm to control the water flow?
Now Tim I gather from what your saying, all of the 1947-54 Chevy and GMC trucks have valves with a capillary control tube, like that shown in Chevy Duty’s catalog, is that right???
Here’s what I see when I look under the dash at mine; So somewhere behind the firewall cover is a capillary tube??? Boy that’s a surprise to me and is that gonna be fun to get out if its strung across the firewall and fastened with a screw down in the middle of the cowl somewhere. I guess I’ll find out this winter when I dig into it.
Here all this time I thought that the purple twist knob was what was controlling the temperature in the truck. I’m having a little trouble understanding exactly what function the tube has in controlling the water flow. I suppose I’ll understand it more after I get it all apart and see how it’s all hooked up. Might help to hear how it’s supposed to work first.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

The valve with the capillary control tube was used on all 47-54 Air-Flow (Deluxe) heaters. No such valve was used on the more common recirculating heaters.

Here is a picture of the two types of heaters. (The 54/55 Air-Flow heater was slightly different from the earlier Air-Flow heaters).

Both types of heaters had a heater fan speed-control switch. The "purple twist knob" that you refer-to is, I presume, an after-market fan control switch like this one (can you post a photo of the switch)?

Tim

Denny - the knob is used to set the temp you want, the capillary control will increase/decrease water flow to keep it close to that without you having to change it as the water heats/cools

Bill

Denny,

I think this is the knob that Bill and you are referring to.

Tim

I have a box of heater parts that I have no clue as how they go together. Can someone please post a pic. of how the control valve attaches ? I am thinking there is a schematic some were, but I sure can't find it.

I could also use a picture

The following link will take you to the online accessories manual. It shows the complete installion of the heater and many other accessories.

http://chevy.tocmp.com/accessories/1951am/index.htm

Perfect, Thanks Jim. Now if the AD assembly manual was on-line, I would be set.

Another timely thread... I'm about to dig into my Air Flow heater and for the first time I think I understand what goes where and why.

Well ya got that right Woody, This is the first winter that I've had the truck and all this time I thought that the purple knob just worked a valve. I can see now, partially, that it some how affects a diaphragm in the valve won't have it figured out till I get it removed in a few weeks.
Two reasons I was so confused is I didn't know that they had thermostatically controlled heat in the early 50's and the other is that the capillary tube is broken off or removed from mine. Now that I'm digging into it I can see a hole where the tubes clamp was screwed into the bulge in the dash pad. My 1950 Accessories Installation Manual shows the same thing on page 7, fig.2
Yes, I would agree, another timely thread!
It sounds like some of ya’ll have your heaters in a basket, here are a couple of pics of a 1950, 3604 factory installed Deluxe heater (minus the capillary tube);
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2930706240098611668hUbRZA
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I never had the switch for the hi/low fan when I got this truck from a junkyard.(if they even had one. I don't know what an original hi/med/lo switch looks like). I did end up getting a switch from parts store that looks like it could have been original, it is maroon in color and has off/hi/med/lo settings and mounts under the dash.

The truck had the deluxe heater and had the Control valve with it. I am rebuilding the control valve. Have found a guy out in Calif. that sells the rubber diaphramm that I need for the deluxe heater control valve.

http://www.heatercontrolvalve.com/index.html

If the capillary tube is broke,The heater control valve will not work properly.The capillary tube is filled with ether.The ether expands as the temperature in the cab increases,when it reaches the setting of the control knob,it cuts the water off.I hope that makes sense ? I learned that from Mike at Jim Carters.

Yep Tim, thats the way it works. When it gets to hot I just shut the blower off for a while. Thought that was the way it's supposed to work, a pleasant suprise to find out I could have a thermostat.
We went through the ether bit with the temp gauges a couple of months ago, same thing.
Denny G

I didn't know it worked like that. I followed the shop manual instructions to install the heater but never considered "why" I was installing the capillary control tube. I've not use the heater yet but its getting cold now so I'm going to learn some more about that heater. Thanks for teaching me more everyday!

Bill

I would like to know the exact location the capillary tube is suppose to be screwed down too. When i redone my truck 17 years ago,i never screwed it to the new fiberglass firewall insulator panel.My capillary tube is needing to be screwed down,never could get an answer as to where it is to be located . I looked at a truck in a field awhile back,and it wasn't attached either.

Hey Denny,

You have a PICTURE on your Webshots that shows a cable attached to the lever that directs the airflow to either the heater or defroster.

Where is the knob end of that cable located?

What we really need is a clear concise explanation of this heater in the Tech Tips. If you guys can wait a year or so, I might just be able to put one together.

That helpful diagram is also shown on page 37 (figure 99) at the link given by Jim Meier (above).

Tim,Jim and Native49 link ,joggs my memory.I have the 1951 Chevy Accessories Installation Manual.I just plain foregot and skipped screwing the capillary into place.I'm on vacation,so i'll get"R"done.

Thanks for your help.

Sure Woody, here’s a few more pics. That’s all there is to it.
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2987674750098611668xXoQWO
I think the screw is just screwed into the fiber dash cover.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Just posted some more pictures , my TF heater is coming apart and trying to help me remember how to put it back together when I'm done with it. Even in 56 there was a capillary tube. Ed

Ed - here's some pics of TF heaters that may be of use to ya - the capillary tube was dropped after 59 I think

Bill

Thanks Bill, I've looked at your pics seems like 50 times before I started this project. You seem to be the Heater Honcho for Bolts. :/ Ed