Replacing my heater control valve, noticed it was leaking coolant. Ordered a new one from opgi, doesn't look like the one that is on there now. Mainly there are two small parts where it looks like small hoses connect which the one currently in place doesn't have. Hoping someone can clear this up for me and point me in the direction of the correct part is i do indeed have the wrong one.

 

What year/engine is it? Your id says 69 442, but your engine is blue? Neither of those 2 valves looks right to me. You do have to be careful because vacuum works differently on different valves. Sometimes vacuum opens them and sometimes vacuum closes them. I believe your valve should have 1 vac nipple only. If it's typical like 1968-70, it should look something like this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1961-1970-G...QAAOSwNSxVXfpM

 

That's a Comfortron heater valve. It will work, but not correct for your application as Ctron was NA on A-body.

The "pill" with two nipples keeps a Ctron from starting until coolant temp is 120 degrees or so. It's part of the master switch.

Try for the correct valve. Someone somewhere has a wonky Comfortron that needs the one you were sent!

 

I have a 69 with a 455, PO owner had it installed when i bought it, not sure of the year of the 455. The ebay link appears to be the same as the one that's in there now. Might be making an ebay purchase.

 

As Glenn has pointed out, OPGI sent the wrong valve. Be aware that your 69 uses a valve that is normally closed and opens when vacuum is applied. Most vendors list them incorrectly. Yeah, I'm sure you're shocked by that...

FYI, when I needed a valve for my 67 Delta, I bought it from the vendor at Carlisle who has the stocks of correct valves. Not only did he have the correct one, but I was able to verify it was normally open (by blowing through it) before purchasing it.

 

There's always something to learn, thanks Glenn! Yeah, maybe you should grab the ebay valve. It's probably 1/2 of what you paid from OPG, anyways.

 

Thanks for all the help. I went ahead and purchased the valve listed above in the ebay like, @mrolds69 you were pretty spot on, it was roughly half the price I paid for the incorrect valve.

I'm now having a fun time trying to remove the old one, been hitting it with penetration blaster, damn thing doesnt want to budge. Anyone got an tips for taking this thing off other than what i'm already doing?

Thanks again for the assist all.

 

If the valve is junk, break off the stem part of the valve. Then you can put a 6 point socket and a big breaker bar to get it out. A small propane torch is also a big help.

 

If you have an impact wrench they work wonders on these things too. Hey- it's already junk, so cut the head off and make your life easier!

 

When I first looked at the valve at the beginning of the thread, I thought "yeah, that will be a tough one to get out". I usually use a large 4 point cut open end wrench, or a crows foot, or a flare nut crows foot. I'm fortunate to have a lot of quality tools, so I don't remember exactly what I've used in the past. But I've never cut one of those, or a ported switch to get them out. I've not used heat either. I just go back to the box and get something different. But it would make life easier cutting it. Kind of a tough spot to get a sawzall, or hacksaw, or wheel in there, though. Let us know how it goes. Wait, yeah..maybe what Matt says, just break it off. That would be more fun than cutting it!

 

Just wanted to give everyone an update and yes i ran into another issue. Finally got the old heater control valve out, picked up a pneumatic reciprocating saw from harbor freight, cut through it very easy. Then needed a 1 1/16 socket and it came right off. New issue, picked up that heater valve control off ebay that was mentioned earlier in the thread, well after finally getting the old one off, turns out the new one won't screw in cuz the thread part is too small when i try to screw it into the intake manifold. So any one have any ideas on why this is? I have a 69 442, it's got a 455 vice a 400, not sure what the 455 came out of originally. I found this one, looks similar to the one i pulled off originally.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1971-72-73-....m46890.l49292

 

The early engines used a smaller (3/4”) thread whereas the later ones used a larger (7/8”) thread. I think they also have different operations, as in one is normally open and closes with vacuum and the other is normally closed and opens with vacuum.

 

Actually, the A-body cars used the normally closed valves with the larger thread for the 1971-72 model years. In any case, a brass NPT reducer bushing solves the problem. By the way, the hole in the intake is probably 3/4 NPT. The early heater valve is either 3/8 NPT or 1/2 NPT.

 

Thanks for updating. Sorry if I led you to the wrong part, but you did say it was a 69, and I did mention how the engine was painted blue. An adapter like Joe mentioned should fix you up.

 

@mrolds69 no worries, it's all a learning process for me and Joe provided a way forward with the current part. Just wanted to get it swapped out and get her back on the road. About the blue, the engine should be painted gold right? Could you think of any reason that they might have been painted blue (correct color scheme for another year 442/cutlass/ other olds)?

 

All 400s were bronze. Small blocks were gold.

 

455s bronze as well?

 

No. Red for 68-69 RWD cars, metallic blue after that. Of course, the 455 was never installed in the 68-69 442s, only in the H/O. Those were red.

 

Picked up the fitting this morning at Lowe's, got it all installed, filled her up with coolant and started her up. No leaks from the fitting or the new valve cover, success! Well, not entirely, noticed what i think is the fuel filter leaking fuel into the manifold. Was hoping i could get some help verifying that it is the fuel filter and if there is a specific part I'd need to get to fix it. The fun continues!

 

That's some sort of fuel filter, but it's not original to the car.

 

Whoa...that's scary looking with the gas and that red wire laying on the manifold like that !

 

😳😬

Please please PLEASE get rid of that setup and throw it as far away as you can.

I cannot imagine what ANYONE was thinking when they cobbled that up. Fire looking for a place to happen!

Ideally order a new steel fuel line and route it properly. If you don't have a QJet you can use fuel injection grade rubber fuel hose with a metal-bodied inline fuel filter. If you must have a clamp to hold it in place, attach it to a water pump stud.

Again PLEASE get rid of that ASAP. Makes me cringe to think of how that fuel filter is attached and routed. Scary!

 

Thanks for the quick reply all. Think I'll go ahead and tackle the fuel issue next. Not sure what PO was thinking when he did the fuel filter set up. No q-jet, car has an edelbrock carb on it. There appears to be a metal line coming off the fuel pump to just over the AC compressor and then a rubber line is clamped on and fed into the filter, then rubber line out of the filter into the carb. You saying i should run a rubber line from the metal line, off the fuel pump, to the carb with a metal enclosed fuel filter? First time working on fuel system, want to make sure i got it right.

 

X2 on eliminating that fuel contraption. Absolutely no reason to increase the risk of an engine fire. I’ve never understood reasons associated with any add-on fuel filters. Be sure you carry a CLASS B fire extinguisher and it’s readily available e.g. under the seat a good location.

 

Which side of the Edelbrock is the fuel inlet on?

Way I'd do this is remove what's left of the fuel line from the pump, then get an appropriate double-flare type brass fitting with a barb end on it. Put that in the fuel pump, then run a quality fuel hose from there to carb inlet, routing it away from belts etc. Decide where you want the inline filter, cut a section out of the rubber hose and install the filter. Good clamps at all connections.

If you want to secure the filter in a clamp, there should be a stud or bolt to mount it somewhere on front of the engine. An Adel-type clamp with rubber insulator would work great if you can find one large enough.

 

While we're into it, clean up that electric choke wiring. Needs an insulator on that spade terminal.

Search forums for electric choke wiring. Joe P has a good writeup on that, how to wire it from alternator thru an oil pressure switch so it gets full voltage and only works when engine is running. Even has the OP switch part numbers!

You sure the PO doesn't wear a bowtie? Cause that looks like some of the cobbled up **** I've seen on Chevrolets thru the years... You're having to correct some POS-Previous Owner's Stamp!

 

Thanks for all the info. Have a few more questions, seems this heater control valve replacement is opening up other issues. Here's a pics of the hard line to rubber hose from my fuel pump to the filter. Am i replacing the entire hard line or just adding a connector from the hard to rubber line? Sissy there is a pic of an object just in front of the carb in the drive side, seems to have a wire to the AC compressor, any ideas on what that is? Last one, if you look (previous pics) at the connection on the carb where i believe the elective come connection is made, it looks like some crappy black stuff, almostv like melted rubber, is that normal?

 

The right thing to do is to trash all that rubber line and bend up a new metal hard line. Actually, the really right thing to do is to trash that E-brock carb and get a Qjet. I suspect the poorly-installed idle kicker solenoid isn't doing anything. Fundamentally you have a mismatch of parts. The original 1969 intake used a divorced choke, so it wasn't possible to use it on the 1970 intake. The adapter plate under the E-brock isn't helping flow (and frankly, a W-manifold doesn't flow any better than the original iron intake). I know this is a slippery slope, so you have to decide how far you want to go with it.

 

The best place for a fuel filter is on the suction side of the pump that way you don't get blasting fuel spurts when it fails. The sock in the tank and the internal filter to the carb are fine, when they work. A filter back by the tank is good.

 

That, and also because this keeps crap out of the fuel pump check valves.

 

So would the best route to attack this problem would be: find the year of the engine, then locate a correct year intake manifold, correct year q-jet carb, bend new metal line from fuel pump to carb, and back towards the gas tank insert an inline fuel pump. That sound about right (did I miss something)? This is def a slippery slope seeing as the original issue was a heater control valve. Any reason the w-manifold wouldn't flow better than a stock cast iron? I would have assumed the w-series parts would perform better than stock parts. With regard to the idle kick up solenoid, is there a certain way that it needs to re-installed it versus the way it's on there right now? First time addressing some of these issues so it's def a learning experience.

 

The first question is, what do you want to do? Are you trying to get the car to look stock, or are you looking for a good running engine with the best possible performance? To be optically correct, you need a 1968-69 cast iron intake with the divorced choke pocket and a 7029251 carb. The divorced choke coil will be the most difficult part of that to find; they are not reproduced. If you really want a good running engine and don't care about the optics, get a Performer for a BBO. I'd use a Qjet modified as needed for your engine combo, but carb selection in that case is a matter of personal preference. These choices would likely use an electric choke, so the divorced choke is no issue. You could keep the W30 intake if you want, but as I noted it won't really flow any better than the original 1969 iron intake. The W30 intake requires either an electric choke or a 1970 style hot air choke. Once you select the intake and carb you want, I'd just bend up a metal line to fit. If you go back to OEM, you can get an aftermarket pre-bent line.

 

Joe, and all, thanks for the all the feedback. As for what I want to do with it, I'm more on the side of running a good engine/best possible performance. It's already a 455 with 5 speed in a 69 442, not what they came with factory and not looking to take it back to factory specs. Per your suggestion, read up on the Performer intake on here, got good remarks, think I'm gonna go that route and throw the edelbrock 750 cfm carb back on there, fix the fuel line issue, and start driving it again. Think I'll have to play with the carb (tune) once I get the new manifold on there? Tossed around the EFI idea, but it's pricey and I got another project (non-olds) i'm putting money into.