Leak from passenger heater valve

I have a 1989 328 GTS , when I turn on the heater/defrost there is a slow leak from the heater valve , can they be fixed ? And how difficult is it to tackle ?? Thanks Elliot

 

Per Ricambi (sponsor's website) they are no longer available. Are you certain it is the valve and not one of the hoses?

 

Thoses are tight it appears to be the center of the valve itself , any suggestions ???? Again how difficult is it to remove , examine , replace or repair , Thanks Elliot

 

I have not removed or inspected this particular part. I have replaced the heater box filters but cannot recall if I could have easily accessed the heater valve(s).

Have you removed the fiberglass cover under the bonnet to take a closer look? Removing the fiberglass cover is straightforward and will expose the heater boxes and potentially provide easy access to the heater valve for closer inspection.

 

Definitely take off the cover...it may be the hose(s).

 

I removed the fiber coweling(sic) I hope removing and replacing/ rebuilding this heater valve is as easy!! The hoses are tight it appears to be leaking slowly from the rubber projection approx 3/8" in diameter x 3/4" at the center of the valve ? Just drip drip not a spray and only when the heater is turned on when I turn the passenger side heater off the leak stops , any suggestions , Thanks Elliot It's only leaking on the passenger side !

 

I am sorry I cannot assist you with a fix for this but a search turned up just a few threads related to the subject (see below links). One noted a possible gummed up heater core that was producing a leak that appears to be similar to yours that was corrected with a coolant system drain and refill that was more diluted with water. Good luck I hope it is a simple fix.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=307213&highlight=leaking+heater+valve

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=266554&highlight=leaking+heater+valve

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124827&highlight=leaking+heater+valve

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51250&highlight=328+heater+valve

 

I dont know about the 328's but i had my heater valve fail. It looks like in the parts diagram you are talking about part 34, there are two one for each side.

I pull my valve off (308 carb), and it was marked "Ranco", and I found a guy in Washington State that said it could be rebuilt.

JC Auto Restoration, Inc.
20815 52nd Ave W
Lynnwood, WA 98036
ph: 425-672-8324
fx: 425-771-2522
www.jcauto.com
[email protected]

the reason i explored this option is bc it was a $700 little part that simply controls the flow of hot water from the circ system into the heater cores. I thought of either rebuilding it, or just buying a GM heater control valve and rigging it up (simple, via cable controls). In the end, I decided to buy a new valve, the cheapest I could find was from AW auto parts. It arrived, and the valve was fine, but the mounting brackets required some fabrication.

Bottom line, pull the thing off, I dont think they are easily rebuildable. When you get it off, blow air in and see if when you open and close the valve it is seals properly. Again, my experience is from an old 308 so you might have something different.

Geno

 

I have the same problem with mine. It leaked out of the shaft due to the O-ring failing.

It is turned by an electric servo. It sounds like the 308 is cable operated.

I searched but could not find a replacement anywhere under the Ferrari number.

In the end I used a heat gun to soften the bond between the two housing parts then used a small flat screwdriver to pry it apart. The O-ring was old and hard but very easy to replace. The tricky bit was joining the housing back together. I used a cyanocrylate (super glue) and thought that ought to do it but then checked the heat range and found that it was only rated to 85 Celcius. Doh! Might work for a while?

I have another hold up on the car so I have not been able to test it yet.

While I was working on it I noticed a very small Bosch logo ( the thing that looks like a rivet ) but no part number. I tried Googling various European cars from that era to see if something would match but I had no luck. The next step is to take it around to some parts specialists to see if I can find what boring car Ferrari borrowed it from.

If I have any luck with my patch or locating a cross reference I will be pleased to share the knowledge.

regards

Paul

 

Hi Paul ,This is why I love our Ferrarichat , It is probably a BMW or Fiat part??? How difficult was it to remove the valve , did you have to drain the cooling system ,and what material would you use if the crazy glue does't work ? Thanks Elliot

 

Hello Elliot

All you will need is a screwdriver. Remove the spare wheel and the plastic cover that sits behind it. The valve and actuator will be right in front of you. Remove the valve and actuator as an assembly then remove the two hose clamps and the electrical plug. To save losing too much coolant, have a 2 inch piece of 3/4" tube on hand. As soon as you remove the hoses push them on to the tube and clamp them up. Before you take the valve assembly apart it would be wise to take a photo. Undo the screws holding it together and you will be left with the offending valve. The actuator can be pulled away from the valve body by hand.

Have a look over it for any identifying marks. All I could find on mine was the very small Bosch symbol.

I work with aviation composites so I have a range of adhesives to try but I will first try to find new replacement units.

Good luck with your search too.

Paul

 

Elliot,
Please post pics of the process.

Thank You.

 

I have (had?) a similar problem. I could not find a replacement for the heater valve, though it's clearly a Bosch of 1987 manufacture. It appears to have been designed for a wire control, and Ferrari mounted it in a cage with an electric actuator to operate it.

The plastic valve body is bonded together and it does not appear possible to open and repair it.

What happens in my car is that the electric actuator that rotates the valve tends to over-rotate and torque the valve shaft when fully "on", cocking it just slightly so the shaft seal leaks: at all other positions from fully "off" to almost fully "on" it does not leak, so I am just careful now to never turn it fully wide open (not too tough in San Diego).

I would love to find a source of new valves, though, so please share if you find one!
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Paul,

On more careful rereading, I see that you did in fact get the valve apart, fixed it and glued it back together, something I was afraid to try. I hope that continues to work out, and if your glue holds, I may just try it too: I'm sure the hard O-ring is my problem also.

Like you, I have a small Bosch logo but no part number visible. I suspect that sooner or later, all 328's will have this issue.

Forrest

 

I have tried a BMW specialist but had no luck there.

My friendly local Porsche parts specialist opens up after Summer holidays on Wednesday.

After that I will try Audi/VW.

Regards

Paul

 

I've been searching extensively myself too.
I've even searched the european Ebay sites too.
Closest I've found on UK ebay site was a Volvo (330?) heater valve, very very similiar , even had the "87" with the circle around it.

I joined a Bosch site too but didnt turn up anything.

 

I came across this valve by Bosch and although not original it does combine both valves in one and may be electronic. Do you think this may work? I was just curious if the electronic aspect might not replace both the servos and the valves with one shot.

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/replacement_sm/bosch~heater_valve~replacement.html

 

While my 328 isn't having any problems in this area, the fact that the original valves appear impossible to get will ultimately require a workaround at some later date. That said, I like the second one in that list: What appears to have one intake port and two valve-controlled outputs.

Obviously there are challenges with retrofitting such a valve to our 328s, namely electrical connections, calibrating the console controls to match the expectations of the valve solenoids, and hose diameters. Not saying it isn't doable, but it isn't just something you can swap around without taking into consideration.
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Agreed, I was just thinking out loud because I intend on passing this car to my kid and sometime in the future it will fail and it would be nice to have a fix ready. Thank you for the comment.

 

It is not Porsche.

 

I see that Italiancarparts sells this and rebuilds these. At least it is listed on the website.