Sudden Heater Valve Failure (on an otherwise beautiful day)

[opus10583]

Hi,

I installed my new sun visors and took care of some piddling stereo wiring issues yesterday. I had the radio console out, got it all buttoned up and there was still a couple of warm sunny hours left so off we go: Jerry and the boys accompanied by Ing. Lampredi's orchestra featuring Mr. Abarth's "trumpet".

As the Sun began to drop and thinking about a highway segment to get home sooner, I opened the heater valve and immediately smelled that sickening odor: Coolant in the passenger compartment!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J-y2rFfny8

I could see a mist of green death in the air in the passenger foot well.

I shut the valve and it stopped, pulled over and made sure it had really stopped. Egg-footed home, and checked it out: With the valve open it leaks from the pivot. Closed it seems sealed but, yeah; watch it long enough and a drop appears.

I'm pretty thoughtful when when working, and don't remember ham-fisting anything, but could I really have struck the valve hard enough, reinstalling the console, to break it? When I looked this valve over before changing my carb there was no, zero, evidence that it could be problematic: No signs of weeping or leaking or binding...

I have a new valve*, the nippleless under exhaust heater pipe and firewall hoses; I didn't get to the heater pipe exchange when I replaced the carb. The old valve looks like the new valve, so I'm hoping someone else had already bent the short pipe, which would be a great stroke of luck as I think I have to take it in to be done; I just can't spare the time right now and don't have a comfortable window until next weekend at least, and if the short pipe needs to be bent I'd be totally bushwacking it, not having any desired equipment.

There are some bright facets: I was close to home, and the new interior is still in boxes as I've yet to pick a carpet**, so I haven't done anything in that regard that would have been ruined.

Advice and comments would be most welcomed.

Thanks,
Mark

*I bought it as a 'might as well', I was going to return it!

**A receptionist's stupidity, there's no other word for it, has save me several 100s of dollars (cost her company a $400 sale).

[124JOE]

you can do it !
well you have to do it.
well it has to be done,ya that works.