Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi All
So, taking Basil's engine out for the clutch, amongst other things, I've removed and serviced the Heater Tap.
With reference to the composite image below....
Ever since I brought him, there's been a bit of damp seepage around the join to the head, and around the top of the tap, as illustrated by the 2 red arrows on #1. Well I soon found the seepage under the base plate was no washer under it, just some Red Hylomar type sealant.

#2 On stripping it down, the whole tap seemed to have been glued together with the red stuff and the sealing rubber on the shaft was beyond redemption.
In the plumbing world, that's the one seal I've never found available for replacement on leaking stopcocks etc.

#3 Measuring it up, I found the shaft to be 7mm and the housing 11mm, so I brought from the usual auction website, a pack of 5 7x2 O rings, that's 7mm internal diameter and 2mm rubber diameter. So 7mm + twice 2mm = nominal 11mm external diameter.

After cleaning off all the grime and rubber residue, two O rings was a good fit for the Shaft seal.
A little PTFE thread tape replaced the copious amount of red paste on reassembly.
It's now just awaiting refitting.
If it leaks around the top, I can just just tighten the top nut a little more, or add another O ring.

One rescued Heater tap

Just in case anyone in the future is having problems with a leaking early style heater tap.

Nice job and great to overhaul the original part.

My (later) tap has a mounting plate under the heater tap and it is often a cause of leaks. I think people forget to remove it and clean it and the cylinder head when they fit a new tap. I think they assume that the cylinder head is raised when it is actually flat but with the mounting plate on the cylinder head. The plate is usually rather stuck to the cylinder head too. The clue is that new taps are supplied with not one but two gaskets!

Stephen

They have sealing rubbers? Mine leaked near the top as well but any rubbers must have long since perished. I actually cured the leak by putting a glob of grease near the top of the shaft! It hasn't leaked since (about four years now).......but I never turn the tap, it is always left on

myoldjalopy wrote: ↑Tue Jul 11, 2023 9:08 am They have sealing rubbers?

It normally a fibre/graphite packing as used on valves/water stopcocks etc Picking it out will wreck it ......as Geoberni found out


You normally just tighten the gland nut slightly to stop leaks as it compresses the packing and sometimes the brass shaft needs a clean and wipe with vaseline to remove light corrosion. However once fully tightened replacement or addition of further packing will be required..


Here you go (not sure this is correct size though)...



Taupe

taupe wrote: ↑Tue Jul 11, 2023 9:16 am

myoldjalopy wrote: ↑Tue Jul 11, 2023 9:08 am They have sealing rubbers?

It normally a fibre/graphite packing as used on valves/water stopcocks etc Picking it out will wreck it ......as Geoberni found out

Taupe

Actually it was already completely shot; if you look closely at my #1 of the installed valve, you can see a bit of it coming out the top of the compression nut.
I think I did see that example you posted when I was searching, or certainly something similar. I think they were 15mm diameter, I'm not sure if that's I/D or O/D, but far too big; I couldn't find any others anywhere. Hence resorting to O Rings for convenience.
Traditionally, as you say, that aspect of a seal on a rotatable shaft, under the compression nut, goes by a description such as 'Graphite Fibre Gland Packing', but I couldn't find anything suitably small, even if I were prepared to by a 30 mtr roll
It was all for Glands on industrial pipelines
I'll just have to see how it goes. It's not as it it's something that is going to be operated frequently.

I’ve repaired antique house taps. I thought they used “greasy hemp” as the gland packing? Gas tape which is thicker and stronger than ordinary PTFE tape works quite well.

This is the plate I was referring to that is used with my later tap. I do not know if it was used with the earlier taps. The order of assembly goes: cylinder head, gasket, plate, gasket, tap.

svenedin wrote: ↑Tue Jul 11, 2023 9:59 am I’ve repaired antique house taps. I thought they used “greasy hemp” as the gland packing? Gas tape which is thicker and stronger than ordinary PTFE tape works quite well.

This is the plate I was referring to that is used with my later tap. I do not know if it was used with the earlier taps. The order of assembly goes: cylinder head, gasket, plate, gasket, tap.

Yes, Greasy Hemp only appears to be available in large quantities too; often associated with chandlery or other marine applications.
Perhaps if the O rings don't work, I'll just grease up a strip of old handkerchief and use that

The different taps are a bit of a quandary in the original Part List:
The first illustrated appears to have consisted of
Valve - heater ACA 5455 (1), which had 2 shims and a washer, presumably to get the correct alignment to the 'plate adaptor' (4) and a washer (21) between it and the head. Then the later illustration, has the same valve ACA5455 and plate adaptor, but with only 2 shims, No Washer
Item 21 being a washer to the head.

However, your final valve type has a 'piece -packing'(20) but no washers shown at all?? Illustrations from AKD 3542 Body Service Part List