A/C Problems Please Help, 110* Tomorrow!

[DragRag]

Thank you all for all the input. Im gonna keep this an open thread because Im sure Im going to have more questions as we work this thing out.
The truck is a R134 system originally so no worries there. It has always been pressurized and sealed. It does have a leak that I found at the low pressure valve by the drier. Other than that I have not seen any leaks. Leaks are normally easily visible by dirt collecting on them, cant see any of that. I can just see it bubble out of the valve a little.
We have to add a can to this truck about every month.

Another question though for ya'll.
What do I need to pull my own vacuum from an opened system.

To vacumm out the system I suppose you could try and rig one up, but I own a vacumm pump, and I personally think it is a neccesary to to have being in the commercial HVAC business. I would consider buying one if I were you. Once you own it, and a set of gauges you can service your friends for a small fee to get your money back on the tools. There is also another way to charge a system, and get all the air out. This other way is called purging. You drop the charge in while have the furthest part of the sytem open a bit. Once you figure you have added enough to have completly pushed out all air you tighten that end of the system back up. You can't weigh in a charge doing this, but you can easily push out all non condensibles.

 

[6 Nebraska IDIs]

Russ, as in this motor?
http://www.oreillyauto.com/EW3/Prod...id=1245807387248&cycleCount=959&currentPage=0

That one should push more air and bolt right in?

 

[redneckaggie]

i am also wondering if that is the correct blower moter mine is starting to get weak

 

[OLDBULL8]

Before you go to the expense of a new blower motor. Try this. Drill a very small hole in the bearing end caps, use a hypo needle oiler to shoot some oil in there, OK to flood it, the cotton wrap on the bearing will soak up til saturated, just make sure the hole is at the top when motor is mounted. Auto parts stores carry those needle oilers. Most fan motors have bronze bushing bearings in them.

 

[redneckaggie]

i havent got the blower off yet but that is a good idea i will try when i get a chance

 

[6 Nebraska IDIs]

IT WORKS!
Spent all day yesterday on it, a project that should have only taken a couple hours. It was drawn out mainly due to nitwhit parts counter guys that had no idea what i was talking about when referring to products I needed.

Vacuumed down perfectly and charged great after we got it going.
My brother was kinda hoping for it to be a bit cooler. And I know its not doing anything more when on Max AC than Normal AC, so what would be the problem there? Isn't the fan supposed to blow harder and stuff on Max? Its cool, comfortable cool, but you have to keep it on full speed as cold as it will go to keep it there.
What do you think the problem is?

Also, BIG THANKS to Robert, RLDSL for all his help!

 

[RLDSL]

You're quite welcome. All the max setting does is set the blend door to recirculating air . It supposedly blocks out al the heat, but all the old seals usually let some heat from the heater core through because the design has constant hot water flow through the heater core. If you haven't done it already, do the heater core bypass this will help a bunch. you could just put a gate valve on the line, but that might get you in trouble if you have a humid night and you try to defrost the windows. there are times in the dead of summer that you still need to put a little heat to things.

 

[6 Nebraska IDIs]

What would cause that door to not shut? That explains allot, because in my eclipse if I push the button for recirculate it blows 2x as hard, plus its cooler air that comes out. I'd like to figure out the cause for the door not shutting before I do the heater core bypass.

 

[RLDSL]

What would cause that door to not shut? That explains allot, because in my eclipse if I push the button for recirculate it blows 2x as hard, plus its cooler air that comes out. I'd like to figure out the cause for the door not shutting before I do the heater core bypass.

It's most likely shutting, it's just that the seal is old around the edges and leaks like crazy, that's why the need for the bypass on older trucks and not on new trucks.

 

[funnyman06]

Just a question, not to steal but my truck has a dealer installed AC i believe, and i was wondering where the orifice valve should be located?

 

[RLDSL]

Just a question, not to steal but my truck has a dealer installed AC i believe, and i was wondering where the orifice valve should be located?

Assuming it is a clutch cycling orifice valve system, it would be somewhere inline between the condenser and the evaporator, but if it is a dealer installed system , being older like that, it may not have one, It may have the older expansion valve setup. If there is a drier right off the condenser then there won't be an orifice valve, but if it has an accumulator after the evaporator, then it does have one.

 

[funnyman06]

Ok, so from what i can tell all it has is the compressor, the evaporator, condensor, and dryer. If there is anything else it must be inside the dash. Would that make anysense?

Today i have rented a vacuum pump, ordered a new dryer, flushed all the lines, stuff came out brown. Dryer will be here in 2 days...

Edit:

Photobucket is down right now, there are no vacuum lines on my AC or heater system at all. The door for the heater/AC is controlled by cable. No where under the hood of my truck is any kind of valve for the AC, all there is is 2 hoses going toward the heater area on the passenger side with 1 blue cable coming out for the AC compressor. The compressor has always run all the time, even when the AC worked. Im not sure what this means then...

 

[RLDSL]

Ok, so from what i can tell all it has is the compressor, the evaporator, condensor, and dryer. If there is anything else it must be inside the dash. Would that make anysense?

Today i have rented a vacuum pump, ordered a new dryer, flushed all the lines, stuff came out brown. Dryer will be here in 2 days...

If it has a drier directly after the condenser then there won't be an orifice valve. there will be an expansion valve hidden inside the evaporator box, but if the pipe going from the condenser goes directly to the evaporator box without going through a drier first( and has a drier looking thing after the evaportor, which would actually be called an accumulator on this system ) then the little funny joint right before the evaporator is where the orifice valve is hiding

If you could post a picture I could tell you in a heartbeat.

 

[cm1hedge]

What would cause that door to not shut? That explains allot, because in my eclipse if I push the button for recirculate it blows 2x as hard, plus its cooler air that comes out. I'd like to figure out the cause for the door not shutting before I do the heater core bypass.

On the passenger's side of the firewall by the fender, is a vacuum actuator that opens and closes the door. I have seen the vacuum line going to that break and I have seen the actuator arm on the door break there, too.

I would take the vacuum line off, apply vacuum to the actuator, and see if it moves. Even better, first see if the actuator moves when the selector is moved from normal to max(engine running, of course).

 

[cm1hedge]

Ok, so from what i can tell all it has is the compressor, the evaporator, condensor, and dryer. If there is anything else it must be inside the dash. Would that make anysense?

Today i have rented a vacuum pump, ordered a new dryer, flushed all the lines, stuff came out brown. Dryer will be here in 2 days...

If you flushed the system with the expansion valve still in(if it has one), it is no longer any good. To flush the system; the expansion valve or orifice tube, dryer, compressor must first be removed out of the system. These items can not be flushed.