Heater control valve

[sergio1977]

I just change my heater control valve on my 1977 Spider and I notice that on the original valve there was a thermostatic wire welded to it and it doesn't seem to have space to do so on the replacement valve. Does this wire needs to be connected to the valve or it can work without.
Thank you

[So Cal Mark]

the new valves don't use the thermostatic bulb

[bradartigue]

I don't recall the purpose of the thermostatic tube except a mention in an old write-up by Chris Obert that it aided in the function of the valve. Well, duh. In looking at the schematic of it I would assume when the heater radiator core was very cold the valve would open just slightly regardless of heater control position, to allow coolant to circulate. It looks like that is the way it works, but I really don't know.

What I do know is this valve was replaced with a universal replacement FIAT used on 124s and 128s (non-A/C, including X1/9) a long time ago.

[vandor]

Actually the reason for the capillary tube was to make the valve more of a temperatur control, not just an on-off switch. The more you moved the heater lever, the hotter the heater got. My Volvo 240s also had this.

[bradartigue]

Actually the reason for the capillary tube was to make the valve more of a temperatur control, not just an on-off switch. The more you moved the heater lever, the hotter the heater got. My Volvo 240s also had this.

But the lever/cable do that (they open, gradually, the valve, it isn't just on/off). So did it regulate the amount you could manually open it?

[sergio1977]

Thank you all for the information's.

[vandor]

> So did it regulate the amount you could manually open it?

As far as I can tell, yes.