Heater control valve crumbled into pieces

[Dune Runner]

So driving to work the other day I had just pulled into my parking space and killed the engine. I noticed a little steam come out from under the hood. I popped the hood and saw where the heater control valve had been spraying coolant all over the place. Just a pin hole but under pressure was like a squirt gun. At lunch I drove a block to the auto parts store to pickup a new one. Just as I pulled back into my space my belt started squealing and I could see a puddle forming. After work as I was swapping the valve out it crumbled into little tiny pieces. I had to dig the tubes out of my hoses as they just broke off as the whole thing fell apart.
So if you have an old original control valve on your ride you might want to consider changing it out. Or carry a bypass pipe or something. I would have been stranded if I had been out in the sticks.

 

[--weezl--]

glad you didn't get stranded, that's nuts that it would just disintegrate like that!

 

[Dune Runner]

Yeah I have been working on cars for 35 years and have never seen something just disintegrate like that. I started to wonder if I had anything else made of the same material. I have already replaced the radiator.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[--weezl--]

i've seen a few parts disintergrate before, i can't for the life of me remember WHAT though!

I am going to assume it's the same issue as with poly b piping, where after the BPA has evaporated to a certain point it just becomes so brittle it disolves

 

[JoshT]

I would have been stranded if I had been out in the sticks.

BTDT! The one on my 99 got old and brittle but it didn't give me any warning. One of the barbs going to the heater core just snapped off like it was nothing. I noticed steam and gauge needle at the same time. In the middle of no where with no cell phone service and the middle of summer (100+ degree weather), but I wasn't going to risk the brand new heads on the truck. Lucky where I pulled off the road at was right at the end of the road to the sand pit, to I hiked up to the main office and was able to borrow a phone.