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newhue



Member Since: 28 Apr 2014
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 351

Australia 
TDCi heater control valve options
Hi all, this is my second heater control valve that has leaked in 7 years. It appears to leak from behind the unit at the pivot point for changing cold to hot. It does't leak on cold, but about 1 drip per 2 sends on warm, and 1 to 1 on hot. Of course its a non serviceable chuck away part. Just wondering if anyone has come up with a longer lasting or serviceable tap.



 My Defender and travels
Post #628970 4th Jun 2017 8:22pm
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Merlin



Member Since: 30 Oct 2010
Location: Newmarket
Posts: 980

United Kingdom 
You're right, it's not the best. I'm on my second, third soon. Must be a better unit somewhere.
Post #629060 5th Jun 2017 10:04am
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newhue



Member Since: 28 Apr 2014
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 351

Australia 
Been looking at all sorts of manufacturers control taps on the net. This generic one seems to have what is required with the addition of a plastic elbow to capture the pipe coming in from the side. I thin it will fit around in through the OE mount. Will have to remove the vacuum control and attach OE cable to the new control link, and probably firm it up with zip ties. Certainly the price is fairer than than the OE part for what it is.

https://www.onlineautoparts.com.au/product...KgodfmQGzA My Defender and travels
Post #629253 5th Jun 2017 7:39pm
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dippyhull



Member Since: 20 Jun 2012
Location: East Yorks, UK
Posts: 36

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Orkney Grey
I keep wondering if I can rig up some sort of automatic thing which maintains the same temperature of outbound water - as not only does one want to avoid leak but it would be nice not to have the adjust the heater when one changes speed ... MY12 110 XS Ute, silver & grey now...
'75 109 fire engine (nearly ready to roll)...
Post #629426 6th Jun 2017 10:51am
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16812

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
I looked into this when mine last failed.

There is available in the US a valve which supports thermal feedback from a sensor, but after consideration I am not sure how well it would work in the Defender application where there is such massive coolant temperature fluctuation.

There are many electric or vacuum operated equivalent valves, but it is hard to see how to make them work easily.

What bugs me most, if that if you take a very similar valve, such as that fro a TDCi Focus, it is vacuum operated (IIRC), much more complex, and costs about £15. The totally simple, cable operated equivaled valved used exclusively on the Defender, is about £100. Ridiculous!

There are some metal-bodied, cable-operated vales available from aftermarket suppliers whcih would probably be adaptable to do the job and are cheaper than LR genuine parts, however they seem to originate in the Far East and may well therefore be rubbish. I didn't pursue this line of enquiry since at the time I needed a new valve I spotted two recent take-offs from a reputable dismantler on eBay. My policy now is to keep at least one spare in stock, and buy a replacement spare from a breaker each time I need to use my current spare. Usually thay can be picked up for about £15, which I feel is a sensible price.

They are undoubtebly one of the poorer designed and poorer qulaity parts on the Defender, and let the vehicle down. As far as I can tell, the Defender is the only Ford application for this rubbish valve, every other model uses a better one. Big Cry
Post #629464 6th Jun 2017 12:38pm
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newhue



Member Since: 28 Apr 2014
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 351

Australia 
Blackwolf, sadly I once raved about Defender, loved it. Even accepted keeping a second set of spares for all those parts that failed way to pre maturely compared to other makes. I spent 1/3 of the new cars cost accessorising it. Even had dream of it being the last car I ever bought, so looked after it like the first born. My little fight against consumerism.
Now days, I struggle to do anything but take the Censored out of it. A very expansive car made on cheap parts or antiquated part design I feel, and I will never buy another LR regardless.

Its not all bad though, we have had some good times in the Defender, but what it does better than other 4x4's, for the grief it gives its not way out in front. We have one more long desert run in it I think, than its time to sell off the accessories, and the end of the Defender error is over for me too.

The tap doesn't leak coolant if I leave the valve on cold. Maybe that is the cheap fix the car perhaps deserves. But I have ordered the alternative heater tap so will post up how the change over goes. My Defender and travels


Last edited by newhue on 8th Jun 2017 7:22am. Edited 1 time in total
Post #629564 6th Jun 2017 9:15pm
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newhue



Member Since: 28 Apr 2014
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 351

Australia 
Started with a fail. The new heater taps valving of ports all run in different directions to the OE one. There is too much redirection to warrant the use of it. Into the recycling bin and start again. My Defender and travels
Post #629827 8th Jun 2017 7:20am
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zsd-puma



Member Since: 09 Aug 2016
Location: Kent
Posts: 2720

United Kingdom 2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Santorini Black
Isn't it basically just an on off valve for the heater with a built in bypass hose? If you fitted a bypass hose between the two pipes that come from engine you can just fit an on/off valve in the feed to the heater and join the returns together.
Post #629876 8th Jun 2017 9:32am
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Pickles



Member Since: 26 May 2013
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 3748

Australia 2013 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 CSW Keswick Green
Where is this part, and how does one access it?
Pickles.
Post #629878 8th Jun 2017 9:39am
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zsd-puma



Member Since: 09 Aug 2016
Location: Kent
Posts: 2720

United Kingdom 2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Santorini Black
Open the bonnet, and as you stand at the front of the car looking at the engine it's in the far right hand corner below the bonnet hinge. Dead easy to get to.
Post #629884 8th Jun 2017 10:01am
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16812

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
zsd-puma wrote:
Isn't it basically just an on off valve for the heater with a built in bypass hose? If you fitted a bypass hose between the two pipes that come from engine you can just fit an on/off valve in the feed to the heater and join the returns together.


It's not that simple. With the valve in the cold position, the two engine-side pipes are connected together and the inlet to the heater from the valve (but not the outlet) is shut. In the hot position the internal bypass is shut off and the feed from the engine is conneced to the heater inlet, and the heater outlet is connected to the return to the engine. In effect, the feed from the engine is diverted between the heater inlet and the internal bypass.

Whatever you do with the crappy valve, you still have a poorly designed heater matrix which gets much hotter on the LHS than the RHS.

LR could so easily have got it right with the TDCi heater, but managed again to accomplish a magnificent level of mediocrit, but it does at lest continue the 60-year tradition of unstaisfactory cab heaters!
Post #629937 8th Jun 2017 1:07pm
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16812

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
newhue wrote:
Blackwolf, sadly I once raved about Defender, loved it. Even accepted keeping a second set of spares for all those parts that failed way to pre maturely compared to other makes. I spent 1/3 of the new cars cost accessorising it. Even had dream of it being the last car I ever bought, so looked after it like the first born. My little fight against consumerism.
Now days, I struggle to do anything but take the Censored out of it. A very expansive car made on cheap parts or antiquated part design I feel ....


One of the Defender's appeals (to me, at any rate) is that it is a nostalgic throwback to the days when motoring was an adventure.

it is so bland and easy in a modern vehicle, there is no sense of achievement any more.

At least the Defender is still simple enough to fix, by yourself, at the roadside, on the whole. That is a quality that very few modern vehicles share.
Post #629938 8th Jun 2017 1:11pm
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zsd-puma



Member Since: 09 Aug 2016
Location: Kent
Posts: 2720

United Kingdom 2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Santorini Black
blackwolf wrote:
zsd-puma wrote:
Isn't it basically just an on off valve for the heater with a built in bypass hose? If you fitted a bypass hose between the two pipes that come from engine you can just fit an on/off valve in the feed to the heater and join the returns together.


It's not that simple. With the valve in the cold position, the two engine-side pipes are connected together and the inlet to the heater from the valve (but not the outlet) is shut. In the hot position the internal bypass is shut off and the feed from the engine is conneced to the heater inlet, and the heater outlet is connected to the return to the engine. In effect, the feed from the engine is diverted between the heater inlet and the internal bypass.

Whatever you do with the crappy valve, you still have a poorly designed heater matrix which gets much hotter on the LHS than the RHS.

LR could so easily have got it right with the TDCi heater, but managed again to accomplish a magnificent level of mediocrit, but it does at lest continue the 60-year tradition of unstaisfactory cab heaters!


A lot of other cars simply have a permanently connected bypass, when the heater valve is shut it forces the coolant through the bypass because it can't go anywhere else, when the valve is open it flows through both the bypass and the heater matrix. Given then the heater gets roasting hot the small amount that will go through the bypass when the heater is on shouldn't make much difference.

Just put Tees on the pipes to and from the engine, with a bypass hose joining them together permanently, then joint the flow from the engine to the heater via a valve, and simply plumb the return in permanently to the other remaining pipe.

Here is the flow diagram for a late rover mini for example, i've used it as it's not overly complicated by AC systems. as you can see the bypass is permanently open, it's just the flow to the heater that's switched on and off with the valve. The same principle is used on domestic central heating systems.
The heater wont get quite as hot, but given that it generally gets too hot on a Puma i don't see that being an issue.


Click image to enlarge
Post #629943 8th Jun 2017 1:33pm
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newhue



Member Since: 28 Apr 2014
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 351

Australia 
Sorry lads I'm pretty dim...



 My Defender and travels
Post #630037 8th Jun 2017 7:51pm
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16812

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
Spot on, newhue. Thumbs Up
Post #630058 8th Jun 2017 9:58pm
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