Morris Minor Owners Club

My heater has been left on hot since the Morris went back on the road in November but as its been warmer these past couple of weeks I pulled the lever to stop hot coolant getting into the heater.

Now coolant is leaking out of the valve

I should have just left it on hot

I got a new valve ordered today so all should be back to normal in a few days.

Dohh !!

Best left on HOT all the time anyway - to keep water circulating through the matrix - and to keep the back end of the cylinder head cooled. If you really feel summer has arrived - change the thermostat for a lower value - say 74C.

Yes I will leave the new on on hot - makes sense about the cylinder head.

I had two of these heater valves go as you describe, the diaphagm inside is probably adversely affected by antifreeze I now only ever run with the 948 type of wheelhead valve which although more of a faf to close is inherently reliable.

I fitted a new valve tonight - all tested and working fine. Now set to hot!

Just as the weather turns cold again! Excellent.

Is a well-ordered heater valve capable of being sort of half-on? Mine seems to be either fully on or fully off; it would be nice to have a bit more controllability...

Is a well-ordered heater valve capable of being sort of half-on? Mine seems to be either fully on or fully off; it would be nice to have a bit more controllability...

The early type of outlet tap (with a wheel) can do this - the later type are nearly impossible to control as the slack in the cable is bigger than the travel required between open and closed.

aha. Just looked at early heater tap online; controllable only locally, presumably. O well, arctic or equatorial it is then