Re: HA's 52 200 Grey Ghost

Posted by Hans Ahlness On 2015/8/1 0:45:41

I have seen the little weight clips on fans too, Howard. Not sure how I will check the balance but I guess that is an interesting project to try. I'm going to run the fan removed from the body and see if it's a harmonic thing or the fan/motor itself, that's step one.

I had to remove the right fender again because it is so much easier to get to the heater valve that way, and it isn't really that hard to do. I called my son to come out and help but then I got the fender off before he arrived, so I had him help me get those body bolts out where I am thinking of mounting the seatbelt reels since he was there. Sometimes it's nice to have a helper rather than try some new gyration to get something done.

Having read BigKev's tutorial and some others on the interwebs, I whipped my valve apart, cleaned up everything and replaced the seal, and reassembled it in record time. And it didn't seal, after a couple tries I found that you have to have the plunger all the way shut when you hook up the clips or it will be in a partially opened position. It looks like you have it right but it won't seal. Now it's all good and back in the car.

I had originally thought that because I could test the valve and it would seal, that it was fine. So I reinstalled it, even though why would it be good when every other rubber thing on this car is petrified or rotted. Blind optimism, very unlike me. Turns out that the seal that will go bad (and the only rubber seal in the valve) is really just a seal for the shaft, so if (when) it rots out it will leak fluid onto the floor even though the valve still works as advertised.

Kind of a pain to get all the little tabs unbent and rebent but overall not too tough. Certainly worth the time to save $130 or so to have someone else rebuild it for you. But I'm a tinkerer, your mileage may vary and that's why those guys are in business.