Lindsey, The bourdon tube is a sealed tube about 1/8" thick and is installed in the air stream path. It is filled with a gas (probably air I'm not sure) that applies pressure to a bellows that opens and closes the heater control valve like a thermostat in your home. It is designed to maintain a constant temperature within the car's interior based on what the driver sets it at. The heater control valve without the tube just maintains a fixed amount of coolant flow through the heater core, it is not regulated automatically, only by the fixed setting via the temp control handle. Bob J _____ From: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Lindsey Fuller Sent: Monday, January 19, 2009 6:34 AM To: Bob Jasinski Cc: 'Bill Leahy'; 'Chrysler300 list' Subject: Re: [Chrysler300] 57 heater control valve Is the boudon tube necessary & what does it do? Bob Jasinski wrote: >Bill, > >There are kits available that include the rubber diaphragm that allow you to >rebuild the valve. The valve is disassembled by bending the little tabs >that hold it together, and basically you clean everything up, put in the new >diaphragm and reassemble. There are companies that will do this for you >also, and that may be a simpler way to go. > >New valves are also available, (check NAPA) there are some issues with the >new valves however. The issues are that they are steel, not brass, and they >do not include the temperature sensing bourdon tube the originals came with. >I would rebuild the original if it were my car, as I have had both and >prefer the original. Others may have a source for the kit and/or rebuilders >but you might try looking in Hemmings or Google search. My car is a 300G so >I can't say for sure the '57s had the bourdon tube, but I'll bet they did. > >Bob J > _____ > >From: Chrysler300@ <mailto:Chrysler300%40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com [mailto:Chrysler300@ <mailto:Chrysler300%40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com] On >Behalf Of Bill Leahy >Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2009 3:11 PM >To: Chrysler300 list >Subject: [Chrysler300] 57 heater control valve > > > >one of the many things to improve or still fix in the first place is my >heater control valve / it leaks badly. > >so, i finally have it out of the car and it looks like trouble trouble >trouble / rusty and carroded. > >are they fixable or do ya replace them suckers? > >or do ya block them off and close one eye? > >billllllllll in not so sunny kennewick washington > > > > > > >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > >------------------------------------ > >To send a message to this group, send an email to: >Chrysler300@ <mailto:Chrysler300%40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com > >For list server instructions, go to http://www.chrysler <http://www.chrysler300club.com/yahoolist/inst.htm> 300club.com/yahoolist/inst.htm > >For archives go to http://www.forwardl <http://www.forwardlook.net/300-archive/Yahoo> ook.net/300-archive/Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To send a message to this group, send an email to: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx For list server instructions, go to http://www.chrysler300club.com/yahoolist/inst.htm For archives go to http://www.forwardlook.net/300-archive/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chrysler300/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chrysler300/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:Chrysler300-digest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx mailto:Chrysler300-fullfeatured@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: Chrysler300-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/