A\C r3build

Awesome. Please take photos!

I need to fix mine soon, and can't decided whether it's worth attempting myself, or just paying to get it done.

Mainly I'd like to see how to get the drier out and replaced ...

 

I can do that. One note. My Tacoma is a 2004, but I rebuilt the front using 1998 parts. Pretty much everything is the same except the way the grill comes out. Pretty much everything under the grill is the same for all 1st gens.

 

ready when you are, cant believe she ok'ed it, you musta given her too much alcohol lol.

the most critical thing with the driers is to use line wrenches or high quality wrenches to break the fittings loose. they are aluminum and distort, round off, or strip very easily so sure fitting tools of the exact correct size is all you should use.

not sure why but these things get so stuck you would swear they were welded together sometimes. get two wrenches set so you squeeze them together like a scissors and that gives you the most leverage to break the seal.

 

I can't bitch, she just wants to keep an eye on me. Its a small price to pay for a rapid, complete recovery. In all honesty, I really could not be trusted in my shop unsupervised. I know I would be doing things that could set back the recovery if I had an accident.

The hard part will be being booze free for 4 weeks. I may need you alls support. Not allowed to mix booze with the coumadin: (

 

This is awesome. Thanks guys. Looking forward to it.

 

Update:

Got most of the parts that are easily flushed cleaned and blown out with compressed air. Did not find anything odd come out. I used a clean shop towel filter the air/solvent.

I had a broke bolt on the dryer bracket, had to drill that out, that took some time. It takes a while to walk 200feet with crutches. Shh, don't tell the Mrs.

Dryer is mounted, condenser is mounted. I have done no plumbing yet. I found several bad O rings. I have a kit, just ran out of energy last night. I decided to call it a night at 3 am.

I am missing a long 10 mm bolt, the one that connects the line block to the condenser. It looks like it needs to be 1.5 or so inches long to go thru the block connector. I'll have to hunt around on the parts truck later tonight.

I did take few pics, but honestly, changing out condensers and dryers is pretty straight forward. There is only one way they mount up. One note, when changing these parts, remove the hood latch and bracket, horn and of course the grill has to come off.

Maybe I'll post a few pics just for the fun of it.

Later

Kirk

 

sounds like your doing great so far but no shop towels should touch the insides of the tubing, even a tiny lint hair can gum up the works so just stick to using air after flushing.

 

No problem, only air and solvent blown onto towel.

 

Quick question on these connection.

I noticed when tightening up the union, both but. Faces seated against each other. The connection feels right, but I'm not sure if one half is supposed pull the male half completely into the female half. Hopefully the pic will explain better than I can.

Other than that, I THINK I'm ready to do the first test vacuum.

 

I have seen some that bottom out like that and some don't with a thread or two still showing so it varies depending on the brand, the leak test says it all because its the flare and or o-ring seal that matters and as long as it seals you are good

 

I'm an idiot.

I just looked at the wifes truck, which oddly enough is same truck and sitting right beside this one. Hers looks exactly like the pic I sent off. Hers is 1998 and A/C has never been touched.

I'm gonna take break and review the vacuum video then go after it.

 

Here is a pic of first, 15 minute vacuum. Wanted to record it with a pic so when I come back in 30, I can verify that test vacuum is holding. Cross your fingers.

 

Valves on manifold gauges are shut off and pump is off. Timer set to 30.

 

ok, now if it moves any add nitrogen to it and do a high pressure test with 150 lbs in it just to confirm, forgot to tell you this is best done first to save time since it quickly shows any leaks but you don't "need" to do it if it holds vacuum.

since the system was dry I recommend to add one can (usually 1oz) of refrigerant oil at the beginning when you first start adding Freon. I only recommend adding oil like this to dry systems because it replaces the film of oil that normally covers the tubing all throughout the system.

its important to note that sometimes you have slight leakage at the hose fitting connections or the connections to the gauges so if you think you might see a change retighten the connections and retest before you assume its a leak.

 

Just killing time. Since I had the grill out and had new lights, I went ahead and installed new lights. Holy shit, what a difference. I had even polished my old ones and thought they were decent, was I wrong.

 

this is what I was trying to tell people but its hard to get across until you set them side by side because people go from yellow to what you had and swear they are clear as new but you just cant ever get that clear by polishing them.

a 1/4" tiny ratchet and 4mm socket fits the adjuster to set them correctly, I assume you know how to do that but if not this explains it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDudMM4J-ZE

 

Well, I got plenty of time and no nitrogen. Can I use argon? Or should I just pic up a small can tomorrow?

I do about 1 vehicle A/C system every 3-4 years when I redo my next wreck. I would think a small nitrogen can would last me a lifetime.

I wasn't planning on charging the system tonight. If I get a good test vacuum, I can skip the N2. With as humid as it is, can I leave the vacuum pump running til morning?

Am liking this thread, actually taking the time and doing it right.

I just hope I never buy a wreck that has an intact A/C system. That means I would have to buy a reclaim unit.

 

just be careful not to go over 150 lbs or you can burst the tubing in the coils, about the most they can safely handle is 250-300 lbs so one slip with an unregulated 2000 lbs nitrogen bottle can be . as long as it is 100% dry gas, that's the key so your not putting moisture in it andwhy you cant use regular air.

last time I saw, reclaiming machines cost around $3k and I had one in my a/c truck for 30 years and I only ever used in inside plants where safety guys would have nothing to do but just stand around and watch you lol.

methane from cow farts hurts the ozone layer 100 times more then venting Freon but they make huge $$$ out of regulating the evil Freon gases lol so its a big money industry to make it out to be evil.

 

Gotcha, reclaim machine doesn't need to be on my shipping list.

Here is the after pic. I've looked at them very close. I can see no difference readings. I think I have a tight system. That's a lot of pressure off me.

 

long as you don't rush anything it usually goes very easy, you will need to jumper the low pressure switch to recharge it and I suggest you put the oil and half of the first can in or as much as it will take in, before you even start it up.

I think the cans are like 12oz (I forget) but you loose whats in the hose so maybe 10-11 oz per can is what you get in the system out of each can.

as its running it will be full when you feel "ice" cold holding your finger to the bottom of the large tubing coming out of the evaporator, that signals its filled with liquid and the system is full. it should read around 40 lbs low side at idle and about 35 lbs low side at 2k-2500k rpms