viper771

Hey everyone! Well, I noticed that my heat riser valve is frozen in place. I am not sure if it is stuck open or closed since the one end of the spring was not connected to the metal pin. I am thinking it may be stuck closed, which is what is causing my over heating problems.

Do they repro these? I am going to attempt freeing it up, but I wanted to have a plan B. What are my options??

MDchanic

Across various makes and models of cars, I have never seen one of these that worked.

When they work right, the spring contracts when cold, pulling the valve closed, but allowing it to open when you floor the gas pedal. As the pipe heats up, the spring relaxes and the valve opens.

Look for the little weight on the shaft - it wants to go down toward the ground and hold the valve open, against the spring. If it's down, then the valve is open.
If it's not, or if you're not sure, then remove the pipe, and possibly the manifold, and get in there with a hacksaw blade of Moto-Tool and cut out the valve, then knock out the shaft ends and weld up the holes.

- Eric

Rickman48

Chrysler makes/made a spray specifically for heat risers - also beats PB Blaster as a penetrating fluid by about 20%!

D. Yaros

One may purchase a new heat riser. However, the price is an "arm & a leg!"

Do you need the valve is the more important question to be answered. It only helps in cold weather, when the engine is cold. If you do not drive in winter, it is not needed. Just force it into the open position and forget it.

oldcutlass

As the heat risers failed over the years, most people me included, welded them open!! So if the weight is towards the bottom, your is probably open. Believe me if it were closed you would definately know it, and have a severe overheating issue!!

viper771

Well I will check it again today. It is hard to determine if the valve is adding to my overheating issue since my Starfire doesn't have dual exhaust as it should. Also, I have never driven my car on the road yet, just in the back yard or letting it idle with the hood up..which even that has led to my hot light coming on. So if the valve is closed, it would be causing a lot of problems. I am going to crawl under there in a few mins and see which way the weight is. I think it was pointing toward the driver side fender.

I take it that I would have to find an NOS heat riser?? At this point it doesn't matter to me if it is there or not. Is there a place that sells em or just the spacer? They sell this stuff for Chevys (heat risers and spacers), but I have yet to find any Olds stuff.

59-59-59

Fusick sells heat risers for just under $80. They are located in the '35 - '60 catalog and is probably the same for yours. Personally I have taken every one out in my previous cars and saved just under $80 in the process

MDchanic

Also, FWIW, back when I drove '60's and early '70's American V8s as daily drivers year-round, I always disabled the heat risers, and I never had warmup problems, even down to -20°F.

- Eric

viper771

Yeah it is definately stuck..I am still not sure if it is stuck open or closed yet.. but I think it is stuck closed I am just afriad of breaking the studs if I take it out right now. I didn't know Fusicks sold them. I would be ok with just a spacer in place of the heat riser. I've seen the spacers for sale in Chevy catalogues but I am not sure about my pipe diameter yet. It is either 2 or 2.5 inches. Hopefully I can put dual exhaust back on the car so it sounds better and so it will become more muscle car like instead of family coupe