AC Advise

[BrianX128]

So the AC in "ernest" in my sig (1990 crew cab) didn't work well when I got it years ago, I vacuumed the entire system and it held, so I made sure the fins in the condenser were good as well as in the evaporator and it's always worked really good ever since I did it.

I've never really drove the truck in above 90* heat, and the other day it was 97 outside and it was if my AC lost half it's ability to cool. The air is still "cold" but it doesn't feel cold enough to make it anything better than "kinda comfortable" when it's that hot out, and my F150 same year just a single cab can really out work it in the same day.

I got a new red orifice tube and I'm thinking about dumping the system again and changing to a red tube, I have no idea what is in it because that's about the only thing I didn't check when I did everything years ago. If it's say.. 87 or lower you can freeze to death in the truck but there's just something about above 90* heat it can't do, I have a helper electric fan I can push and the fan clutch is a new oem and works well as well, I don't think it's anything with cooling the condenser though because the truck works just as good at idle as it does going down the road.

I got the "tool" to remove the orifice tube, and I think I have the quick connect tool still to separate those two lines where the orifice tube is, I'm just curious if anyone has any pointers before I try this, and if I should switch to the red or use a blue (I have one of both) depending on what I find when I open it up.

 

[92treefiddy]

Do you have a set of a/c gauges to hook up to it? Could be overcharged and the pressures are getting too high at higher temps.

 

[BrianX128]

Eh it seemed good, 38 on the low side and 230 on the high once it's hot. I already took the disconnect off and I see an orange orifice tube shoved in pretty far..

Post up a picture in a minute, not sure how I'm getting that out.

 

[BrianX128]

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[Booyah45828]

Your pressures look fine. If anything, I'd say it looks a little undercharged for what I typically see with R134a and 90+ ambient.

If you have an orange installed, try a red. With the pusher fan you might not need the help the orange tube will provide at idle.

 

[BrianX128]

Yeah I think that's an orange? Can't tell yet. My removal kit thing that's supposed to grab onto the nubs doesn't come until Thursday and I don't see myself doing anything but making that worse with random tools I create.

 

[92treefiddy]

I can usually grab them out with a pair of needle nose pliers but yours may be a little bit too deep. Be worth a try though.

 

[BrianX128]

Good call!

So this is junk lol.. a bit dirty and a massive hole in the end..

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It's the same size as a red. I might try red again instead of blue and hope that a clean orifice helps the system.

 

[franklin2]

On a hot day your clutch is staying on constantly correct? If it cycles once in awhile you can tweak the low pressure switch with a small screwdriver to make it stay on.

 

[BrianX128]

Yeah it's always staying on. I pulled a vacuum and put in the new red tube, its definitely better. I'd say its 90% as effective as my vw system which is one of the coldest ac systems I've ever had, before I'd say it was 75% ish.

It's a lot better maybe 95% until I'm at idle now and that's why I gave it a 90.. going 55mph in the 85 muggy weather tonight it was so close to being oem new car quality but then I slowed down to idle and was a little annoyed it doesn't stay that good. I wonder if I should have used the blue tube instead.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

This may or may not help. Try installing a manual shut off valve in your heater hose(s). This way, you'll know for sure that there's no hot coolant going in through the heater core and bleeding heat through to your A/C system.

 

[aggiediesel01]

The mechanical heater shutoff is helpful and cleaning the evaporator core will get you back lost air exchange volume in your large crew cab which will help everything be more efficient and keep up with the sun load better. About the only other thing to do is the larger condenser which will give you the cool temps at idle you’re missing right now. On a properly filled system there’s no substitute for getting as much of the heat out of the liquid as possible before it hits the orifice tube and has to do its work.

 

[BrianX128]

So I do already have the heater hose shutoff by way of the ranger vacuum valve, funny thing is though I noticed last night my blend door actuator thing that uses the vacuum to close the re-circulation door doesn't work. Moves by hand, but can't build enough vacuum to shut. The "thing" itself feels super crusty and rusted as the hose to it builds good vacuum and the door moves freely itself. Guessing a new one of those would help, whatever that is.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

So I do already have the heater hose shutoff by way of the ranger vacuum valve,

Yes but that could fail and you may not realize it. Kind of like your blend door. That's why I suggested the manual shut off.

 

[cozinsky]

That much trash stuck to your orifice tube is usually a sign the compressor is failing. While it may still work fine for the time being, don't be surprised if it gives up soon.