PS: Crimping the hose coming off of the heater valve didn't do **** .... Vents still blowing hot as hell, I'm at a loss for explaining that

 

I see that they charge $40 for the valve - I want to just use a water heater valve or bypass it, can I use such a valve without harming anything? Is the oem heater valve a hard shutoff too? (I don't really want to leave the core just sitting, I like to put some water/af through it from time to time so it won't just rot)

 

If both heater hoses are hot, then water is circulating through heater core and heater core control valve is stuck open.

Are you sure you're getting cooling? The large return hose should be sweating condensate water at the firewall and water should drip from evaporator drainage hose (beneath firewall AC hose connections).

Yes, you can simply splice one hose to the other w/ hose barb union and hose clamps to bypass heater core. Be very careful separating heater core hoses to avoid any possibility of damaging heater core ends. Removal of heater core is major headache.

good luck