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Don';t understand that Rich...... Surely if you pull the cable you pull it and the arm TOWARDS the staked ally bit. Or am I missing something? Not that I'm losing sleep over it I hasten to add!

rich@minispares.com wrote:

STG95F wrote:tempted to try ones of these , Has anyone tried one of these or are all this type crap ??

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CLASSIC-MINI ... 1438.l2649

they are the mega dog shit ones that pull the entire front out when you pull the cable, you can tell by the way the metal disc front is 'crimped' on by the four alloy posts.

Ok Thanks Rich , Another one to stay away from

shame Mini Spares sell this type / style of heater valve

Peter Laidler wrote:Don';t understand that Rich...... Surely if you pull the cable you pull it and the arm TOWARDS the staked ally bit. Or am I missing something? Not that I'm losing sleep over it I hasten to add!

As you pull the cable the front of the valve is simply levered out of the four alloy prongs by the arm. With a bit of water pressure behind it as well it can get exciting!

shame Mini Spares sell this type / style of heater valve


Err.... we don't any more.

Haven't sold them for a good few years.

When we did sell them I went through a box of maybe a 100 and 75% of them it was possible to either yank the entire front and guts clean out or pull it off two of the staked joints just with hand pressure. The supplier wasn't bothered so we stopped selling them

The ones we did sell after didn't have the obvious four staked prongs (different supplier) and where ok but still failed too often so they where quarantined and returned.

All we now sell is the MSC branded ones which are a lot better but are the later round fronted type so don't look right on mk1's


I don't know of any decent supply of the early square type

OK thanks Rich

keep looking for a NOS one

Some photos of the problem that Rich described, regarding the way that the prongs/tabs/tangs are crimped.

On the original valve the tangs are a solid piece of the casting, pushed through the holes in the front plate and then mushroomed in the center using a press tool, so that the head of the tang is now physically wider than the hole and can’t easily pull through.

On the “dog shit reproductions” the tang has a slot pre cut into it, and the two ends of the tang are just splayed out slightly. That doesn’t provide enough leverage to prevent the tang easily pulling through the hole in the front plate.

Here’s a photo of the repro vs a NOS to compare.

Thanks for the Info Iain

Don't suppose your NOS one is for sale ?

STG95F wrote:Thanks for the Info Iain

Don't suppose your NOS one is for sale ?

Sorry, no. But they are still available - at a price... https://www.sportsandclassics.com/parts ... or-herald/

Third style of tang. This one is the original valve on my car. Same general idea - looks like a press was used to mushroom the tang so it can't slip through the front plate. But this one shows the pressing done on the outside edges rather than the center.

iain1967s wrote:

STG95F wrote:Thanks for the Info Iain

Don't suppose your NOS one is for sale ?

Sorry, no. But they are still available - at a price... https://www.sportsandclassics.com/parts ... or-herald/

great thank you

iain1967s wrote:

STG95F wrote:Thanks for the Info Iain

Don't suppose your NOS one is for sale ?

Sorry, no. But they are still available - at a price... https://www.sportsandclassics.com/parts ... or-herald/

Better hurry! Only one left in stock.

D

rich@minispares.com wrote:shame Mini Spares sell this type / style of heater valve


Err.... we don't any more.

Haven't sold them for a good few years.

When we did sell them I went through a box of maybe a 100 and 75% of them it was possible to either yank the entire front and guts clean out or pull it off two of the staked joints just with hand pressure. The supplier wasn't bothered so we stopped selling them

The ones we did sell after didn't have the obvious four staked prongs (different supplier) and where ok but still failed too often so they where quarantined and returned.

All we now sell is the MSC branded ones which are a lot better but are the later round fronted type so don't look right on mk1's


I don't know of any decent supply of the early square type

What are the "warranty " terms on the likes of the valves?. In other words how long after purchase can it be returned if it starts leaking ?. I'm not fussed about looks so would be happy with one of these if it's a safer bet.

STG95F wrote:tempted to try ones of these , Has anyone tried one of these or are all this type crap ??

Https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CLASSIC-MINI ... 1438.l2649

DON'T BOTHER!

The end will blow off or the diaphragm will burst.

Thanks , point taken

Tap fitted and not leaking, result. I might try an MS one at some point but this will do for now (until it leaks, I have little faith)

Has anyone used one of these recently? Before I order one of the round style MS ones?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284229974062 ... media=COPY

That looks suspiciously like one of the ones that end blows off. They "may" be better now, but I wouldn't bank on it.

Thanks Mark,

I think I'll grab a Mini Spares one for now, and keep my eye out like everyone else for an earlier OEM one!