Here's the problem I started the car the other day I put the heat on and, cold air blows out... I also open the radiator and it is full with antifreeze but not moving around, it is still.. The car got to 160 fan came on and temp stood at 155 like always..
Question about the radiator?
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groumoutis
Active Member
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There is a vacuum operated valve on the passenger side firewall right above the passenger side valve cover. That valve allows the coolant to the heater core. It could be bad. Put vacuum to it to see if it opens and closes.
williambavila
William Avila (The Buick Guy)
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Behind your glove box torward the center of the car is a cable that switches your flaps from hot to cold also. you need to make sure the tab is not busted holding the cable still. If it is the cable will not fully open/shut the flaps giving you heat if the prior steps are complete. 1 make sure yoru vaccume switch under the hood is working,it should be on the passanger side at the back of the engine next to heater box at the end of the hoses. then try my step 2
1KWIKSIX
Well-Known Member
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If your car has a hard time reaching 160deg F, I'd suggest putting in a 180deg Thermostat....
Also, have your chip re-programmed to command fans ON. I believe Turbo Tweak Chip has them On at 165 & off at 160 vs Bob Bailey's Chips which command fans on at 175 and off at 170.
I'm gonna try to retrofit in a chevy 170 deg T stat over the winter & see how that goes.
Also, have your chip re-programmed to command fans ON. I believe Turbo Tweak Chip has them On at 165 & off at 160 vs Bob Bailey's Chips which command fans on at 175 and off at 170.
I'm gonna try to retrofit in a chevy 170 deg T stat over the winter & see how that goes.
phil_jordan
Active Member
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170 would be perfect. Lol
Meziere makes a 170* thermostat for our cars
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/m...ons/make/buick/engine-size/3-8l-231/year/1987
You can also pull the bypass hose off the return from the heater core to check coolant flow.
Then the valve itself usually looks like crap after 25 years.
How it actually works is always a crap shoot.
A good maintenance action item is to replace not only the control valve - but the S / J hoses as well.
Be very careful and try not to wiggle or yank them off the heater inlet tubes - as you can break the heater core inlet / oulet tubes.
It is best to slice / cut off the old ones and replace with the upgraded silicone S hoses.
http://www.gbodyparts.com/product_info.php?products_id=1264&osCsid=9bd1ebf31c6b99c8b48946fc9e9db4d8
At the same time - pop in a new heater control valve.
http://www.gbodyparts.com/product_info.php?products_id=974&osCsid=9bd1ebf31c6b99c8b48946fc9e9db4d8
The black plastic vacuum lines tend to get very brittle with age and will sometimes simply break.
Or on some occasions; it will just slip off due to engine movement or what have you.
I found mine dangling one time. Where is comes off on a little angle from the hard lines from the vaccuum block
(Engine mount issue)
I replace most of my black plastic vacuum lines with blue nylon and then use tie wraps with a tie wrap gun set to max tighten.
There are one (or two I believe) black plastic lines that run into and thru the firewall to the heater box, so they get spliced right before the firewall.
Also - you can slip a 2"-3" piece of the black blastic line into the rubber connector, the slide on a nice flexible pice of silicone vacuum line.
In the one pic, you'll see that is what I did on my WE4.
It was sort of a temp measure at the time, but I kept it for the time being.
As long as you have solid vaccum connections without leaks, you can use whatever material you like.
Those rubber vacuum connectors also get very deterioted and spongy / flaky over time.
I like to keep a stock of decent silicone sizes of straight and elbow and replace when needed.
Any regular NAPA, Peppy boys, etc has them in asst sizes.
But as others have said
2 step diagnosis
1 - Is hot water getting to the heater core and flowing?
2 - If yes - then air damper check
I'm assuming the lower vents are blowing.
On occasion, the other plastic damper behind the radio will break, and all you get is defrost vents, thinking you have no heat or A/C.
There is a thread about the damper behind the glove box for the heater box.
It's a common TR break point.
I saved it and can retrieve it if you need further assist.
Then the valve itself usually looks like crap after 25 years.
How it actually works is always a crap shoot.
A good maintenance action item is to replace not only the control valve - but the S / J hoses as well.
Be very careful and try not to wiggle or yank them off the heater inlet tubes - as you can break the heater core inlet / oulet tubes.
It is best to slice / cut off the old ones and replace with the upgraded silicone S hoses.
http://www.gbodyparts.com/product_info.php?products_id=1264&osCsid=9bd1ebf31c6b99c8b48946fc9e9db4d8
At the same time - pop in a new heater control valve.
http://www.gbodyparts.com/product_info.php?products_id=974&osCsid=9bd1ebf31c6b99c8b48946fc9e9db4d8
The black plastic vacuum lines tend to get very brittle with age and will sometimes simply break.
Or on some occasions; it will just slip off due to engine movement or what have you.
I found mine dangling one time. Where is comes off on a little angle from the hard lines from the vaccuum block
(Engine mount issue)
I replace most of my black plastic vacuum lines with blue nylon and then use tie wraps with a tie wrap gun set to max tighten.
There are one (or two I believe) black plastic lines that run into and thru the firewall to the heater box, so they get spliced right before the firewall.
Also - you can slip a 2"-3" piece of the black blastic line into the rubber connector, the slide on a nice flexible pice of silicone vacuum line.
In the one pic, you'll see that is what I did on my WE4.
It was sort of a temp measure at the time, but I kept it for the time being.
As long as you have solid vaccum connections without leaks, you can use whatever material you like.
Those rubber vacuum connectors also get very deterioted and spongy / flaky over time.
I like to keep a stock of decent silicone sizes of straight and elbow and replace when needed.
Any regular NAPA, Peppy boys, etc has them in asst sizes.
But as others have said
2 step diagnosis
1 - Is hot water getting to the heater core and flowing?
2 - If yes - then air damper check
I'm assuming the lower vents are blowing.
On occasion, the other plastic damper behind the radio will break, and all you get is defrost vents, thinking you have no heat or A/C.
There is a thread about the damper behind the glove box for the heater box.
It's a common TR break point.
I saved it and can retrieve it if you need further assist.
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1KWIKSIX
Well-Known Member
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- Sep 29, 2007
- Messages
- 3,134
Yup, they do make a 170deg T-stat, but it's not a drop in thermostat.
I've got this one in front of me & it is 2.120" OD so needs to be modified (trimmed) to fit our thermostat housing in the intake manifold.
Alternatively, Meziere makes an in line thermostat housing that takes this larger thermostat which is commonly used in small block chevys.
I bought one & also an extra upper radiator hose as I was contemplating installing this inline on the upper hose.
http://www.meziere.com/ps-571-540-wn0071.aspx
hello people; Kinda on the subject. It was told to me to get rid of my heater contol valve on my van as it was suppose to get me more heat. I did and it doesn't seem much better. The HCV on our cars can get pretty ugly and what do you think would happen if you got rid of it on our cars?
IBBY
IBBY
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- May 27, 2010
- Messages
- 1,968
IMO if you have one that's over10 years old replace it. Both valves I replaced on my cars the piece inside was rotted away causing the valve not to stop flow. Heat works great with the new valves. I would keep them might keep the interior a little cooler in the summer. Otherwise you will have the heat pumping into the ducts.
