Heater Valve Question

[Jolly Jumper]

On my 68 S4 Elan the heater is off when the knob on the dashboard is fully pushed in. When you pull it out towards you, the heater goes on.

Now I have a 73 Sprint as well and in this car the assembly works in the way that the heater is off when knob is pulled out, so it's exactly tho opposite. Problem is once you are driving the heater cable pulls the knob back in, thus activating the heater.

Are there two different heater valves for the Elan?
What is original?

[RichardS]

I'm pretty sure on my 1973 Sprint that the heater is ON when the knob is pulled out - can't check as it is off the road at present - I remember having to leave the knob pulled out to give extra cooling to the engine and avoid overheating which was ok in winter but hot in the summer!


Richard

[types26/36]

Are there two different heater valves for the Elan?
What is original?

Sounds like you have a Europa valve on the Sprint, it works the other way round.
Off should be pushed in on the Elan
And now a hundred people will tell me their car was delivered from the factory with the heater off when its out ....well its Lotus

[Jolly Jumper]

Thanks for the reply!

Anybody have a picture of an original heater valve assembly?

[Robbie693]

Found this one whilst trawling the achchives for engine mount info:

[types26/36]

and from google....

[cliveyboy]

Also if you screw the new valve in and it is 180 degrees out. i.e lever at top against lever at bottom. That should give you the opposite effect as well.
Is it possible to undo and reorientate the valve part within the casting 180 degrees
Clive

[bcmc33]

My late 72 Sprint is exactly as the pictures, and heater is off when the knob is pushed in.
I guess the problem in trying to reorientate 180 degrees is that the hose connection will foul the top of the passenger footwell without lifting the engine about 25mm.

As a matter of interest - what is the thread size?


Brian Clarke
(1972 Sprint)

[elansprint71]

I got rid of the horrid looking valve and fitted an in-line ball valve inside the car.

Since this shot was taken I have: got rid of the ribbed top hose, tidied it up with a 90 degree bend, ally pipe and straight connector, fitted a TTR 26r ally radiator, been very happy with the results.

Cheers,
Pete.

[richardcox_lotus]

I don't have the owners' handbooks in front of me bit ISTR that in the owner's handbook for an S4, it is (deliberately ?) vague as to whether Knob in = heater off or on. It says something like "Adjust the heating by moving the control knob as required".

However, in the Sprint handbook, it does actually say which position gives which temperature.

Mine still moves by itself sometime though.

[fatboyoz]

Also if you screw the new valve in and it is 180 degrees out. i.e lever at top against lever at bottom. That should give you the opposite effect as well.
Is it possible to undo and reorientate the valve part within the casting 180 degrees
Clive

Clive,
Bit awkward with the valve 180 degrees out. Water outlet to heater and cable entry would both be facing forward. Therefore, almost impossible to have opposite effect for heater control. You could rotate valve 180 degrees, remove the rivet from the body of the valve and move actuating lever back to a position where the cable will operate the valve, but why one would do this is beyond me. Suffice it to say, that if the correct valve is used, there is only one right way to fit it without modifing hoses and cables.
Also the image displayed, that has been downloaded from Google, is not the correct part for a baby Elan.
Also, also, knob in = heater off, knob out = heater on. This is straight from the Owner's Handbook.
Colin.

[Frank Howard]

"Sounds like you have a Europa valve on the Sprint, it works the other way round."

Brian,

My Elan and my Europa came from the factory with identical valves. On the Elan the cable is attached on the bottom and leads to the rear as does the water outlet. On the Europa, the same valve is rotated 180 degrees so that the cable is now attached on the top and leads to the front as does the water outlet. For both cars, when you push the knob in, the valve closes.

'74 Europa Special

[oldokie]

Brian, it's 1/2" pipe. Mine expired one Sat. morning many Julys ago in Barstow, Ca. on Rodeo Day, after waiting for the Parade to clear Main St. I was able to source enough plumbing parts( gate valves, nipples, etc.) to get back on the road and rethink the idea of going to Arizona for pizza!

[SADLOTUS]

This part is also used by Triumph, I've seen it on a TR6.

If you look at the two pictures above they are different, the top picture has the cable push/pulling from below and in the bottom pic the push/pull is from above. fatboyoz has the right suggestion in saying these can be dissasembled by removing the rivet, I've done it (easy job, cant remember why, maybe it came from a TR6!) and if you do that to the bottom pic rotate by 180, you'll have a pull for on and heat cable.

Off and on is determined by the plunger being pushed in or out, in is water flow stopped and therefore heater off, it's not clear in the pics which way the diagonal 'slice' that the plunger moves on is made, but this will make a difference as to whether you need to push or pull for off or on.
My one is with the cable underneath for a straight(er) route from the dash, and pull for on and heat.

A lot of posts for a heater valve, had to make mine lucky 13.

[Ashley Hinton]

Hi I have the SMITHS HEATER WATER VALVE in stock and on ebay Item number: 290645018465
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... RK:MESE:IT
I have about 250 in stock
And 150 off SMITHS HEATER MOTORS in stock it fits a lot of cars we just about to make 1000 off more fore next year
Regards Ashley Hinton