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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - MK III Heater Valve Upgrade

This past weekend I installed a new heater valve on PON307G that allows heat control from inside the car. Moss USA now sell a kit which provides what I now believe to be a TR-4 thru TR-6 heater valve, a new base plate, an extension tube, and cable with pull handle. The extension tube (to raise the heater valve above the engine valve cover) may be needed for later 1275's as the two heater core connections would be on the right side of the heater box.

Attached is a photo of the set-up under the bonnet, and I will post an interior shot later.

Regards,

Larry C.

Larry C '69 Midget

Here is an image of the interior of the car. I removed the cigar lighter, and installed the pull handle there. I'll be looking for a bezel to cover the locking nut at the attachment point, but otherwise the system works quite well.

Regards,

Larry C.

Larry C '69 Midget

Looks great larry....should work well

What about gutting the old cig lighter, and runnng the cable thur it, and use the cig nob as the pull handle...

That way it would look orginal as a cig lighter, but be your heater control knob...it will take a little rigging, but do-able.
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Prop,

Thanks for the comments, and suggestion. I'm going to use the control handle where it is over the winter to see how I like it.

Regards,

Larry C.
Larry C '69 Midget

Hope it's better than the one that used to be fitted to other BMC A series engined cars. They used to leak frequently.

Never understood why it wasn't fitted to Spridgets actually. Anybody know why not?
Lawrence Slater

Because they leak? :)
Philip Dodd

top bit looks sim ilar to the ones fitted to MGBs too

it will benefit from regular use or test checking and the occasional lubricating
Nigel Atkins

I can't remember the MGB ones leaking particularly if the car was actually used, without use they do sieze up and you did need on some to adjust the cable fitting for fully off or fully on as you didn't get both

Lawrence,
I'd guess we got the tap type because of cost and it was the same in the Minor (IIRC)
Nigel Atkins

The valve I just installed (from the Moss kit) is the same replacement part for the Triumph TR-6. Looks very similar to the MGB except for the base. The A-Series did pre-date the "B", but still find it odd that Austin's didn't find a way to consolidate this feature.

No major problems with the installation, or leaks on the local driving tests I did. We have a much longer club driving event this weekend so we shall see what happens then. I'll be carring a jug of coolant with.

Nigel,

You will be happy to know we did not put the fixed roof on the car (yet), so the top will be down for the club drive this weekend. If it's too frosty the new heater control handle is close enough to my wife to keep her happy. Wooly hat for me.

Regards,

Larry C.



Larry C '69 Midget

Larry,
good news about the hardtop remaining at bay

we had a bit of a run on Saturday and there was a nasty cold bite to the air despite the sun and I forgot we were to be standing about at one of the coldest parts of the county so for the return journey I lifted the hood(?) and turned the tap to get the hot coolant into the heater matrix

with the roof down I open the footwell flap on the passeger's side to get the hot air to the passenger's feet and legs, I get enough conducted heat for me on the driver's side with the flap closed

I don't use the fan when doing this as I think it speeds up the air movement and takes the warmed air out of the open car quicker so not as warming

I find for driver and passenger scarves are required plus a hats, a lot of heat is lost through your head and the backdraft seems to cool necks very effectively

ETA: from the weeps I've seen on heater vavles/taps a jug of coolant would last a life time
Nigel Atkins

This thread was discussed between 15/10/2012 and 16/10/2012

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