Heater valve bypass to fix "heated dashboard vents"?

[Viva]

Originally Posted by carringb

The V10 does not sit further back. It actually hangs forward a little more. This way the transmission mounting and drivelines don't need to be different for the various engines (since at one point, all engines in the E350s had the same transmission, gas or diesel).

Well I have wondered about that - thanks for letting me know. It was the only reason I could think of for my 5.4 being fine and this V-10 being a roaster, but it must be something(s) else.

Originally Posted by carringb

I have gotten hot air blowing once, only because the doghouse wasn't seated properly. I found that latching the sides before the bottom is the best way to get a good seal.

I take it you mean just in general, not through the vents. I will check the seat of the doghouse and try your technique. At least if I can get the problem down to "just" the vents, I'll have fewer things to solve.

[carringb]

Yeah, I meant hot air blowing on my legs, not from the floor heat.

[JWA]

Hey again Viva---seems we both sidetracked ourselves on your hot vent issue---my apologies for being too slow on the uptake.

To suit your desires the Cold Rush and Max Air system thing might do the trick just fine. IMHO those kits are a bit of over-kill and basically redundant, that one needs to add both in order to achieve the single goal of significantly reducing air temps when in "vent" seems unnecessary. Their configuration ends up costing at least $100 more than this same thing could be done with DIY parts, all of top quality and same function

I'm about to install something similar in that I'll have full control over the coolant flow to the heater core, able to shut it off completely independently of Ford's standard control scheme. My homemade system will consist of one vacuum-actuated valve, an electric vacuum on/off control and dash-mounted switch, all incorporated into the existing system with only those parts, nothing else required (miscellaneous wiring, tubing, hose and clamps notwithstanding. )

One link include here earlier on lead me to a search results page, hoping this takes you to the same page: http://www.thedieselstop.com/forums/...031j7148753j19. There are several helpful and informative threads there, might give you more insight into your potential cure Viva.

At any rate your situation can be remedied by stopping the hot coolant flow to the heater core---easy enough in theory. How you achieve it, weather DIY or hiring it out or enlisting the help of a trusted friend will dictate the end cost and how soon its put into action.

[Viva]

Thanks, JWA! I can tell you are knowledgeable about the system, so it threw me for a bit of a loop when I thought you were saying you would not recommend the products or the problem shouldn't be bothersome.

I do hear you on "it's too bad to have to buy two products when you really only want the function of the one," and your system sounds very elegant (want to make two? ), but I'd be happy just to get the commercial ones on, even for a price (yours does sound better though). In fact, I don't think I'll be trying it alone since I don't want to get stranded. I'll probably try to either find a good shop who is willing to thoughtfully tackle it, or at least see if I can get together with someone else who wants to do the same fix and we could do one at a time (moral support plus at least one functioning vehicle!)

Viva

[JWA]

Viva if I can help in anyway with the home made version of this please let me know---be glad to add what I know. PM me and we'll take it from there.

[Viva]

Thanks, JWA

[JWA]

Thanks in part to Viva's questions & needs I've reopened my search for an easy, cheap and effective way to
accomplish a heater core shut off valve arrangement. Using just three parts; switch, relay and 12 VDC solenoid
valve it would almost completely shut the front heat core off and reduce its effect on Vent air flow, making it cooler
than if the valve wasn't installed.

It's a simple approach and oddly enough just a step back to the 50's through the early 90's when a
"heater control valve" was part of most vehicle heating systems. It could be cable, vacuum or electrically driven but
the idea is to stop or control the amount of hot coolant to the heater core.

The only decisions necessary is a) what actuates the valve? b) where to mount the cab control for said valve?. Variations
come into play if electrically actuated since the required switch for manual control or selection would/could come in
any number of vastly different appearance choices. With a relay even a small unobtrusive switch would be fine but the switch's
current handling ability would dictate this choice.

So that's my input so far...................

[Viva]

My brain is straining to remember why (or if) there was a reason that a "simple' bypass wasn't supposed to work, but I can't remember. So maybe there wasn't any reason Or was there something about transmission cooling flow or...? Or why it is that one can't just install, say, "The Cold Rush" without doing the other part also?

JWA, I bet you have already accounted for whatever it is I'm vaguely remembering, or else I'm remembering something that doesn't exist (?). I just thought I had read some reason why there wasn't a simple fix (maybe in one of the numerous linked threads). It had to do with the overall design from Ford (natch). Of course if there is, I'll be very happy

[Scalf77]

The Cold Rush is just an electric vacuum on/off control and dash-mounted switch, hook it to a always on Vacuum source and you now have control with a switch. The Mac AC Assist is the vacuum controlled heater core shutoff valve, you can use the Max AC assist by itself, to turn off the flow to the heater core by hooking to Port 1 (White, Recirculating air duct door) , this has vacuum when the switch is in the MAX A/C and Off positions. Adding the Cold Rush lets you instead control it with a switch.

Looking at diagrams for the Van Function Selector Switch (2004, V10) is appears to me that I could hook the MAX AC to Port 4 (Blue, Floor Panel) This has Vacuum in the Max AC, Norm AC, and Vent positions. The heater core would still be active when the switch was Off, Floor, Mix and Defrost .

I believe trucks use Port 6 and not Port 4, this has vacuum when in the extra switch setting Floor/Panel, that the van does not have. It would be very probable that you would want the heater core working in this position so that does not give you an option other then Max A/C position, or by adding the vacuum control switch "Cold Rush"

-greg

[Viva]

Sorry to sound dense, but could you possibly explain that another way? I'm trying to grasp it.

The Dieselsite products were designed for the trucks (vs. vans) it seems; so are you saying that their "requirement" to first fit the Max AC, and then The Cold Rush (i.e. The Cold Rush does what I want, but they say it is not a stand-alone product) is more a truck thing but we can do it differently in our vans?

I'm actually not stupid, normally (although I'm starting to feel that way But this is a bit confusing to me for some reason and I DO want to get my mind around it before proceeding, even if it's not me who does the work, and even if I don't end up using the Dieselsite products.

Thanks!

Viva