Valve in heater core line?
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From: Fremont CA
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-'20
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From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
They list it as a Corvette heater control valve and it shows to still be available although as a "special order" item. They list it as '97-'00. I know my '99 does NOT have this item so I'm wondering if this was a piece on Canadian cars or California cars or something. I agree that it's probably a flow restrictor of some kind. Also, (maybe it's just me) but I noticed what appears to be a slight difference in the size of the two hose nipples on it.
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From: S.W. Ohio. . . . . . NRA Life Member
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From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
I just got off the phone with ordering something from Fichtner Chev, and I shot that part number to Tom and he said his parts info shows it to be a C4 item. He said it is still listed as an available part number but listed for '8X (?) to '96 Corvette. I can't recall the beginning year but I think he said '84. Anyway, now I'm wondering if it was something a previous owner had just stuck on the car to patch a broken hose maybe? Dunno.
Melting Slicks
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From: Worden Illinois
I just got off the phone with ordering something from Fichtner Chev, and I shot that part number to Tom and he said his parts info shows it to be a C4 item. He said it is still listed as an available part number but listed for '8X (?) to '96 Corvette. I can't recall the beginning year but I think he said '84. Anyway, now I'm wondering if it was something a previous owner had just stuck on the car to patch a broken hose maybe? Dunno.
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From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Same on my CD too. I got the part number from the white sticker on one of the pix posted.The gmpartsdirect data base is apparently incorrect as to application, as they list it as '97-'00. It's a factory part on the C4s, not C5s.
Melting Slicks
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From: Worden Illinois
Me too! LOL!
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From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
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I added a true vacuum-operated heater-core fluid valve to Yvonnes previous C3; as they stopped using them in the C3's after 1971'ish I believe. It was a common mod on C3's that didnt' have them from the factory; stopped the hot foot syndrome.
Anyways, what has been pictured does not appear to be a valve; just a restrictor.
Burning Brakes
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From: Jensen Beach FL
It looks like a flow restrictor. My 96 LT4 had this. I believe it’s intended to restrict the coolant flow through the heater core at high RPM’s. I found in my Camaro days that once you started to exceed 6500 RPM’s the heater core would balloon and split from too moch coolant flow due to the higher RPM’s. I found this valve was available on the Vettes. After installing in on the Camaro I didn’t have anymore problems.
Thread Starter
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From: Fremont CA
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-'20
NCM Sinkhole Donor
I just got off the phone with ordering something from Fichtner Chev, and I shot that part number to Tom and he said his parts info shows it to be a C4 item. He said it is still listed as an available part number but listed for '8X (?) to '96 Corvette. I can't recall the beginning year but I think he said '84. Anyway, now I'm wondering if it was something a previous owner had just stuck on the car to patch a broken hose maybe? Dunno.
My car has an A4 transmission. Others that have this?
There has to be a common theme here. 
Melting Slicks
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From: Worden Illinois
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From: Bryan Texas
I had one of those in my 97 6 speed with the dual zone ac controls. It had sprung a leak so I went to the local chevy dealership to get another. They said it was no longer available and had been replaced with just a straight heater hose with no restrictor. I just stuck a backwash "T" in there and called it fixed. However, when I looked inside the restictor, it had a spring loaded puck in there, apparently making it a one-way-flow restrictor.
Last edited by myk7; Apr 15, 2008 at 08:04 AM.
Melting Slicks
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From: Worden Illinois
I had one of those in my 97 6 speed with the dual zone ac controls. It had sprung a leak so I went to the local chevy dealership to get another. They said it was no longer available and had been replaced with just a straight heater hose with no restrictor. I just stuck a backwash "T" in there and called it fixed. However, when I looked inside the restictor, it had a spring loaded puck in there, appently making it a one-way-flow restrictor.
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From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
I had one of those in my 97 6 speed with the dual zone ac controls. It had sprung a leak so I went to the local chevy dealership to get another. They said it was no longer available and had been replaced with just a straight heater hose with no restrictor. I just stuck a backwash "T" in there and called it fixed. However, when I looked inside the restictor, it had a spring loaded puck in there, appently making it a one-way-flow restrictor.
Melting Slicks
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From: Worden Illinois
After reading your post I'm starting to think it was a carry-over piece from the C4s. It may have been a precautionary thing on GM's part and after further review/testing of the LS engined cars on the C5s, deemed unnecessary. The part IS still available from GM and as I said earlier is listed by them as a C4 item.
I think both of you guy's are right.
Instructor
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From: San Antonio TX
ok i know im bringing this old thread to life but heres what happened to me..
i own a 97 a4...
decided to go out to the track with some buddies since I hadnt ran the car in like 4 years and since have added a stall converter and some light mods...
well at about the 300 ft marker I ended up blowing this thing apart... leaked coolant all over the track and they had to close the track for the night since it was going to take too long to clean up...
I didnt realize it til I made my way around to collect my timeslip
my question would be if we even need this thing!?! i guess it couldnt handle the pressure/heat and it seperated at a point where it looks like the valve is glued together.... to me this just seems like another thing to go wrong... like in my case
i own a 97 a4...
decided to go out to the track with some buddies since I hadnt ran the car in like 4 years and since have added a stall converter and some light mods...
well at about the 300 ft marker I ended up blowing this thing apart... leaked coolant all over the track and they had to close the track for the night since it was going to take too long to clean up...
I didnt realize it til I made my way around to collect my timeslip
my question would be if we even need this thing!?! i guess it couldnt handle the pressure/heat and it seperated at a point where it looks like the valve is glued together.... to me this just seems like another thing to go wrong... like in my case