Description
The Vanistan heater valve is THE bomb-proof answer to cheap, short-lived replacement heater valves. This heavy-duty high-temp ball valve is mounted on a stiff frame with a heavy gauge control cable. As a full-port valve it can provide a high heater flow volume for maximum heat when needed, and will close completely and reliably with no internal leakage, while the auxiliary bleed tube continuously purges the radiator so air can never accumulate and disrupt coolant flow.
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Materials are top quality: The valve is brass and stainless steel with solid teflon packing. Frame is 14ga. stainless steel. The bleeder tube is high-temp PVC with working temp rating over 60ºF higher than needed, and a working pressure rating 8 times higher than the maximum cooling system pressure. A tough flame-resistant PVC guide sleeve is provided to assist bleed tube routing and protect the bleed tube from kinking or abrasion.
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This heater control valve and cable install as direct replacements for the stock parts. The auto-bleed tube connects to the top radiator bleeder port (see warning below) with a low-profile banjo fitting. It quickly purges the radiator after a coolant refill, and continually removes any air or gases. Air is drawn out and flows back to the engine by the heater return hose, which has continuous flow. Bubbles separate in the coolant pressure tank and are purged out of the system. No extra steps are required, it will work with whatever coolant filling procedure you use. The minute bleeder flow rate has no effect on cooling efficiency.
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WARNING, READ BEFORE ORDERING!: The bleeder tube banjo fitting will only fit stock radiators and replacement radiators that are exact copies of the stock unit, which have an M8 x 1.25 threaded hex-head screw (usually brass) in the bleed port. Some aftermarket replacements, such as Nissens, have a different shaped end tank, with a larger size bleed port threading, and a knurled plastic bleeder screw. (pictured below). Some other units sourced from South Africa have the bleed port recessed in the top of the end tank. The bleeder feature of this heater valve will not fit those replacement radiators. Please examine your radiator to be sure the end tank with the bleeder port looks like the one pictured above in the product gallery. If you have a different replacement radiator, you can possibly use the heater valve but the bleeder tube will have to be plugged. There are many variants on the market, we will not be able to help with every one. There may be other design differences in non-OEM replacement radiators, so for those reasons as well we can not provide support for these installations.
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The kit includes:
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Valve assembly with frame, lever, control cable and bleeder tube attached.
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Banjo end fitting, banjo bolt, copper sealing washers, tubing crimp clamp and protective sleeve.
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Marie Bussard (verified owner) –
This is a great upgrade. I have struggled with a valve that would fully close and operate correctly. This is the bomb well made works like it is suppose to and appears to be something that will last a long time! Thanks for the great product!
bhambarkers (verified owner) –
This worked great and was super easy to install—thanks for sharing your inventive mind and hard work.
Chris –
That’s music to my ears, April, thank you!
ztruss (verified owner) –
I bought one of these in Dec’ 2021 and it’s still one of my favorite Vanagon parts! It just works great and as it should. It got rid of my vans “hot foot” issue AND even better it actively bleeds off air from the radiator. With this valve installed you just keep the system topped off and not have to worry about bubbles in the system.