1979bettywhite wrote:Welcome to the FSJ world!
I will say the first question I have is how far would you like to go down the A/C pigtrail?
I have been working on mine for about a month. So the questions (from an amateur turned pseudo pro) that need to be asked are:
1.) Has the system been converted to 134a? If not, that is probably the first thing you may want to consider. If it has been converted, you just
have to make some assumptions:
a.) Was the oil in the compressor changed over to PAG 100?
b.) Were the lines all changed to newer lines?
c.) Was the drier changed?
You can try just vacuuming and charging it to see if it will hold refrigerant/test for leaks, but more than likely one of the items mentioned above is going to cause the system to fail at some point.
2.) If it has not been converted, then all of the above questions need to be addressed if you want to do it the right way the first time.
a.) Change out all the old lines. The old lines are more porous than the newer ones and the smaller 134a molecule will seep out of them over
time. Also, if you have a york compressor (more likely you have a sanden), the seals will most likely get eaten up over time, and in general the
sanden will be a bit better with 134a. It will also be quieter and more efficient.
b.) Have the evaporator core and condenser tested to make sure they don't have any holes etc. This will save you much in the way of headaches
in the future. You are going to have to pull the radiator anyway to get to the hoses attached to the condenser, as well as swap the drier, so
why not go ahead and pull it all out and get it tested.
c.) Get a new drier, and maybe a new binary switch as well.
d.) Get a new expansion valve.
You can certainly go the cheap route and evacuate, vacuum and fill the old system with 134a. It might do ok for a while, but it's going to nickel and dime you to death over time and most likely leak out all your refrigerant within the first year.
I worked with a knowledgeable A/C guy when doing mine. His first advice was to just pull everything out and go through the process I described to convert it. It would be somewhat expensive upfront ($800+ if you need a new compressor) but cheaper in the long run. And you won't really worry about it after doing it.
I learned the hard way by blowing both the low pressure and high pressure hose in trying to use the old parts with 134a. So I would have wasted less time by just pulling everything out in the first place.
Fair warning, all your hose connections are most likely going to be just shy of welded together. Lots of PB blaster, waiting time, and patience should free them all. But make sure you use standard wrenches, or even better, line wrenches to hold both sides of each connection so you don't obliterate the brass and bend everything to pieces.
I know that's a lot to digest, but I am speaking from lots of experience now, lol. So trying to save a fellow FSJ'er some time and frustration! Good Luck!
And if you decide to go this route, since you have the A/C under dash box out, just go ahead and pull the heater box. Much easier to get to with the A/C all the way out. You can clean it out, have the core tested with your other items (if you want), and patch the hole from the inside. Just use some fiberglass to patch it. And be careful with wrenches and ratchets when working around it in the future. It breaks pretty easily. You can also replace the insulating material on the doors etc. while you have it out.
. You have to drop down the under dash A/C unit to get to the two internally nutted bolts on the firewall. The biggest issue you run into there is that you don't have a lot of slack in the A/C lines to work with to get it low enough. Unless you have children's hands and forearms. Or unless you disconnect the lines. Which will open the system to the air, which means you need to vacuum it out good to get rid of any moisture.
