I did find that coolant was NOT flowing through the valve causing the problem. I appreciate the assistance offered on this forum. Thanks very much for the help guys!
DMK
theres only a couple of things i know of that can cause the vaporizer to freeze up
- poor or no coolant circulation through the vaporizer
- an internal problem with the vaporizer, ruptured diaphragm
I would do as suggested previously, check the coolant circulation, including making sure the waterpump is circulating through the radiator. Also make sure the thermostat is working.
if circulation is poor then flush the system or replace any clogged hoses
if circulation good then i would suggest replacing the vaporizer (you can try rebuilding it but by the time you do that you could just replace it for about the same cost).
I have to blow it apart and assess the situation.
First I have to see if the coolant hoses are caked with crap or if they are open to flow, then I have to see if there is a thermostat in the engine. After that, I am going to replace the coolant hoses as necessary and replace the thermostat just for good measure.
I certainly appreciate the help you guys are providing me, especially since I am a newbie!
Thank you gentlemen very much, I will keep you posted on what the results of my investigation show.
make sure someone hasn't removed the thermostat from the system. you should get good flow through the regulator from start up , corrosion in the pipework can be an issue if the coolant hasn't been maintained correctly
mwjski, thanks a bunch for your reply. I have been looking at this thing and found it does indeed have a coolant hose into and coming out of the LP Valve. I will get in there and find what's wrong. I do appreciate your time and your insight.
Yes it needs coolant running through it. Check your radiator level and also your water pump. You might also have an air lock in the hoses that supply the coolant to it. I had one that I had to install a low pressure electric fuel pump to the lines to help circulate the coolant because the regulator sat to high on the frame and the water pump couldn't push it up there.