If you are going to have to replace the valve assy, now would be the time to replace the hoses as well. I would suggest that you order the tension (spring) clamps from Acura as using them makes the job much easier. The valve itself has an arrow embossed into the case indicating flow direction. You need to also either set the heater full on or off prior to install and also set the valve at either full on or off position prior to install in order to correctly reinstall the cable. When I replaced mine, I found that the new bracket on the new valve needed to be removed and the old bracket installed in its place.