heater control help needed!

Hi guys, thanks for the advice on my "no spark" problem, the $52 dizzy from eBay has it back on the road.

Can anyone give me advice on the heater control? The heat adjust knob was broken off when I got the car, but the shaft could be turned with pliers. Now it just turns freely and has no effect. This is December in Michigan and I could use some HEAT!! I went to the heater valve under the hood and I think I have it in the fully open position, but the air coming out is barely warm. When the heat control knob could be turned it had great heat. Anybody know if the knob controls just the heater valve in the engine compartment, or does it also make some flaps open and close in the heater box? Any advice welcomed, especially if you have messed with the internals of this thing. and if you have a complete heat-A/C control panel for sale let me know.

Thanks!!

Richard in Detroit

OK, I fingered it out for myself. The heater knob on this car does two things, it opens and closes the heater valve under the hood, AND it moves a flap that routes air through the heater core and A/C evaporator OR through the A/C only. You need the heater core and A/C for the defrost to work best, and if it is set to blow at your feet or face the A/C doesn't run, only on defrost does the A/C run. it is operated by a cable and is accessible under the heater near the firewall. My cable wasn't moving because the knob is broke, but if you move the lever like the cable is pulling on it (same as the heater valve, the cable pulls for heat), you get some good heat!!

yeah, these cars will fry you in the dead of winter even.

oh my god... thanks so much. i replaced my thermostat flushed my heater core flushed my coolant and went out to buy a belt for my ac pump and my heater still didnt work. took my dash appart and found out that the clip that holds the black sheath for the wire broke off and it was just pushing it around not moving the valve. your a life saver.

i had this exact problem, my control now has about 8 zipties attached to it, and it works like brand new, and you cant even see the zipties.

i had this exact problem, my control now has about 8 zipties attached to it, and it works like brand new, and you cant even see the zipties.
^^haha, me too