1954 Cadillac thermostatically controlled heat valve

[yellow_cad]

I wanted to know if anyone has any experience with this valve. I really only use my car in warm to hot weather. I would love to stop that flow of exhaust gases through the manifold if it would keep the engine cooler. For one, I'm not real sure if mine is working as intended or if I really do want to get rid of it. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Jim<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

[D Yaros]

If you only use the car in warm weather, the valve (heat riser) is NOT essential, or even needed. You have 2 options: a) remove it or simply keep it in the open position. Removal would require a spacer of some sort to fill the gap. The easiest route is to devise a method to keep it in the open position. This may be accomplished by either removing the butterfly mechanism inside the valve, or welding it tight in the open position.

The real problem comes when the valve is stuck in the closed position, which happens quite often.

Does the valve move freely at present? If it does, it should work as intended. If it does not, in what position is valve; open or closed?

[yellow_cad]

I believe that I already have the spacer in there. Can't find any riser, sort of remember putting the spacer in, and have full exhaust on both sides right at start up. But still, my two center passages of the intake manifold are exhaust hot all the time (I checked it with a temperature point and read tool). Is there a way to stop the exhaust from going through the intake manifold. If not, should I just wrap these or would this hold too much heat in the intake manifold?