BE heater valve packing spec.

[smaceng]

Does anyone have a part number or equivalent size for the packing washer located at the top of the manual BE heater valve. This is the packing required to prevent the coolant from leaking out the very top of the valve, next to the knob. I have mine all apart, and just need the packing.
Thanks,
Scott in CA

 

[TR3driver]

If it is like the TR3 heater valve, then just pick up some valve packing at the local hardware store. It comes as a kind of string, so you just cut off a section, pack it into the gap and screw the nut down on top of it.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

I ended up ordering new from AH Spares after I could not get mine to stop leaking after 2 tries wit hrubber washers.

 

[smaceng]

Well, I just put mine together with rubber washers from the hardware store....it looked like it would work!
Pray for me! Washers: 7/16" O.D. by 5/16" I.D. by about 1/4"
Scott in CA

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Good luck, I should have realized the source of my coolant leak was that valve after paint started peeling off of the underside of hte bonnet directly over the shut off valve. I repacked/changed washers twice and finally resorted to ordering new from AH Spares. IT is a different design slightly from what the usual sources sell. And yes the leak has stopped.

 

[David_Doan]

I had issues with the valve and heater core. Neither are in my car anymore. I've actually never even put the top on, so I decided to stop maintaining the heater.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Oh you TX people, quit rubbing it in. 57 and Sunny in Dayton yesterday followed by 40+ mph winds last night and a little snow this AM. But Spring is coming. David looking forward to your next Blog Update.

 

[David_Doan]

Sometimes life & work get in the way, but i'm still cooking. Front suspension is out and almost done. Need to clean-up, lube and paint the steering rack next. Then front tilt kit, then body/paint. I will probably update the blog tonight.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

David,

Did you add a Major Suspension Kit as part of your Front Suspension Rebuild. Bugsy had everything updated last winter including new metal bushings in the wishbones, fulcrum pins, etc. Wow did it ever make a difference in handling and in keeping the front end from wandering at 60-70 mph trying to follow road grooves. Be sure and check wishbones for cracks. I spent an entire day pulling wishbones out of a '68 a couple of years ago as spares only to discover both were cracked and unusable as PO had not lubricated the front end on a regular basis and things locked up and broke.

 

[David_Doan]

My car had some suspension work done by the PO. King pins are tight, fulcrums have a little play, but I chose not to beat the fulcrum locking pins out. I'm not going to spend money on the front suspension until I upgrade to disc brakes. It is good as-is, and I'm using new rubber bushings.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Changing out the metal bushings for the fulcrum pins is an art. I opted to use one of my best tools in the toolbox my credit card and outsourced that work to Apple Hydraulics. I looked at the skill needed to correctly align both of those metal bushings so the fulcrum pin could screw across from one bushing to another and quickly realized that was beyond my skillsets. Hey as long as no cracks sounds like you are good to go.