Temp Control Valve Problem

[troutstreamnm]

I have a 70 Charger 500, 383 originally with A/C.  The A/C is no longer in the car.  It appears that the Temperature Control Valve (TCV) that is mounted to the firewall has started to leak    I'm getting moisture on both sides of the firewall.  I pulled the plate with the TCV and water valve shut-off actuator and found this unit does not readily come off with the control cable and copper sensing tube that is connected to it.  Can this unit be replaced or am I hosed?  If I bypass the unit and fix the coolant hose directly to the heater core I will loose all my temp controls (although, to be honest, I'm not sure the temp control level at the dash worked before).  Should I just by-pass this unit or can a replacement be obtained?  Anyone dealt with this mess before? Thanks. 

[tan top]

yep , napa sells just the rubber seals   , & someone rebuilds them  , i forget now ,  but (mopar stuart) bought one outright from this company  if i remember correctly  

[troutstreamnm]

Anybody know where to get this unit?  BTW, does the copper sensing tube disconnect from the unit or is it not removable?  Thanks.

[GreenMachine]

  I will be tackling that same issue before too long. I have a '70 as well and at the time (8 years ago) I couldn't find the parts I needed for it. So I hooked up the heater hoses to the A/C evaporator fittings (get the threaded fittings from the junkyard, cut them and slide the hoses over them). I had a hardware store ball valve in line with a cheap choke cable hooked to it controlling the flow which in turn controlled the temperature. I know it's hillbilly ingenuity and looks like crap but it got heat in my car at a time when that was my most reliable daily driver.

[troutstreamnm]

Stephens Performance claims to have a NOS unit for a measley $500    I'm going to keep looking, but something tells me this one ain't going to be easy  

[John_Kunkel]

This site claims to have them or can rebuild:

http://www.vapinc.com/mopar/Heater%20Valves/main.html

[troutstreamnm]

Thanks John  I sent them an inquiry so we'll see what comes back.  Thanks again.

[Chatt69chgr]

This topic has been discussed extensively on here and a fellow in California rebuilds these.  A search will turn up the thread.  The gasket between the copper tube assembly and the steel plate can be purchased from NAPA.  The tube assembly was never meant to be removed from the plate but can be, if done very gently, once.  The little rubber piece inside the tube that blocks the water flow is not available from anyone.  The guy in California replaces that when he rebuilds the units.  He has a small supply of them or, leastways, he did when he rebuilt mine.  He charged me $125 to rebuild my water valve on my 69.  I don't think the capillary tube disconnects.  I really doubt that Stephens Performance rebuilds these completely.  He probably just has someone replace the gasket and pretty it up---of course, he may just send them to the guy in California like I did.  You can replace the gasket yourself.  That's what causes the leaks inside and outside the firewall. 

[troutstreamnm]

Found the thread with the info you provided back in 07...Jim Tucker in Valley Center CA.  I'll contact him and see if he still does rebuilds.  Thanks for the info. 

[Hemidog]

Not that hard to rebuild it yourself, you can only do it once though (bend the tabs more than once and they will break).
You can buy a plunger and gasket to the Ranco unit from Australia.

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,52190.0.html

[y3chargerrt]

Watch Ebay to. I have seen NOS go for under 200 more then a few times.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

NAPA sells the rebuilding kits....

http://napaonline.com/Search/Detail.aspx?A=BK_6601000_0060741709&An=599001+101969+50020+2020008

Part # BK 6601000
$9.99

[troutstreamnm]

Folks,
Just an infomation update on this topic.  Jim Tucker can still supply the Ranco temperature control valves and is asking $229 + $9 shipping. He is at: jthcv@juno.com  I checked with Vintage Auto Parts and they no longer carry this item.  I did find a Ranco TCV in good shape on eBay and won it for $90.  FYI.