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Oh no, a highly pressurized, flammable liquid? In the engine compartment, near hot metal? Say it ain't so!
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Mar 27, 2014 16:44
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Your thread was very helpful last year. I still haven't fixed my A/C and probably won't. The tools I need plus another compressor clutch would put me near where the car is worth. Another sweaty summer  .
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Mar 27, 2014 17:18
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rcman50166 posted:Your thread was very helpful last year. I still haven't fixed my A/C and probably won't. The tools I need plus another compressor clutch would put me near where the car is worth. Another sweaty summer Hit a junkyard! Unless your car is plagued by "bad clutches", finding a good one will be easy enough.
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Mar 27, 2014 17:30
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BrokenKnucklez posted:Hit a junkyard! Unless your car is plagued by "bad clutches", finding a good one will be easy enough. The tools are significantly more expensive. Clutch puller, manifold, and vaccuum pump. Consumable stuff like the refrigerant, lubricant, etc. Plus whatever else I might need that I encounter along the way.
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Mar 27, 2014 17:40
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rcman50166 posted:The tools are significantly more expensive. Clutch puller, manifold, and vaccuum pump. Consumable stuff like the refrigerant, lubricant, etc. Plus whatever else I might need that I encounter along the way. What kind of car do you have? Clutch pullers are generally rented at a decent auto parts shop. The rest of the stuff, is relatively cheap. First thing I would do, see if you can pull a vacuum on your system. If it holds, then you can determine if its worth fixing.
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Mar 27, 2014 17:44
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BrokenKnucklez posted:What kind of car do you have? Clutch pullers are generally rented at a decent auto parts shop. The rest of the stuff, is relatively cheap. 2003 Saturn L200 with 152k on the clock. It's been in 2 accidents so there's no way it's worth more than a grand. What vacuum pump are you talking about? All the ones I've been looking at are pretty expensive.
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Mar 27, 2014 17:45
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Thanks for reposting this thread! I got my A/C working again, swapped in a compressor, replaced all the orings, flushed the system out, pulled vacuum for 1hr, let sit for 30min and it was leak free! Charged by weight with r134a (in case I sell it) as I still haven't found a HP fitting adapter. New compressor came with service ports but there is no room for the HP one as it fouls against the motor mount...
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Mar 27, 2014 17:50
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Fucknag posted:Oh no, a highly pressurized, flammable liquid? In the engine compartment, near hot metal? Say it ain't so!  
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Mar 27, 2014 18:14
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mafoose posted:Thanks for reposting this thread! GODDAMMIT. High pressure junction line just failed... It is literally a piece of tube 6 inches long with the over pressure valve on it that goes between the discharge hose and the condenser. So much for doing things right... R152 here we come! Guess how much this tiny tube is without the valve? $100. For 6 inches of aluminum.  (oh yea, the valve is $40)
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Mar 30, 2014 01:53
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I thought my car had a nasty case of piston slap, but I used a broomstick to find the real culprit; it went away when I cut the belt off the A/C compressor. Is it more likely that the clutch or the compressor itself is failing in this instance? The sound didn't change when I turned the A/C on and off, though that could be because both of them were failing. The sound could best be described as "a gnome inside the engine with a pair of hammers". The A/C seemed to work fine other than the noise. Fucknag posted:Oh no, a highly pressurized, flammable liquid? In the engine compartment, near hot metal? Say it ain't so! At least when gasoline burns it turns into exhaust and/or smoke, instead of hydrofluoric acid. atomicthumbs fucked around with this message at 08:00 on Mar 30, 2014 |
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Mar 30, 2014 07:53
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Was gonna say, CFCs and HCFCs produce REALLY NASTY poo poo when they burn. Stay the hell away, and preferably just avoid them burning at all. I need to put the AC system in my jeep back together again... it had a definite leak in the evap core and I didn't have one on hand when I did the heater core, so it looks like 3 hours to pull the dash/HEVAC box again some night after work. Oh well, should still be worth it. I guess I should find out where I can buy/borrow a vacuum pump - speaking of which, Motronic, the link in your post for the vacuum pump on amazon appears to be broken, it looks like you got hit by the URL ellipses. Copy/paste from a previous AC thread caused it, maybe? e: actually, ALL the tool links you posted are broken the same way. Is this the vacuum pump you have or is it another one? http://www.amazon.com/FJC-6912-Vacu...y+5+vacuum+pump kastein fucked around with this message at 14:13 on Mar 30, 2014 |
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Mar 30, 2014 14:08
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I picked up a 3, possibly 5 cfm robinair pump at the pawn shop for $60. Needs an oil change and a good cleaning by it's all there. The model plate is missing and the 3 and 5 cfm pumps weight the same.
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Mar 30, 2014 15:52
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Huh, funny. I work with chemicals that turn into hydroflouric acid when they touch atmosphere. It's extremely corrosive. It also has the fun property of not only burning your skin, but absorbing into it and de-calcifying your bones! Not that it is pertinent information, but the treatment for an HF burn is calcium gluconate. It might be a worthwhile thing to have in your first aid kit if there is any belief you are at risk of exposure. While we're at it. HF looks exactly like smoke and would be very difficult to identify if it was generated by burning a substance. rcman50166 fucked around with this message at 16:01 on Mar 30, 2014 |
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Mar 30, 2014 15:58
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atomicthumbs posted:I thought my car had a nasty case of piston slap, but I used a broomstick to find the real culprit; it went away when I cut the belt off the A/C compressor. My friends 244 made the same noise for years, it stopped when the compressor pulley failed. I don't think the compressor itself is bad, just the idler bearings, but since the A/C never worked anyway I couldn't confirm.
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Mar 30, 2014 16:16
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rcman50166 posted:Huh, funny. I work with chemicals that turn into hydroflouric acid when they touch atmosphere. It's extremely corrosive. It also has the fun property of not only burning your skin, but absorbing into it and de-calcifying your bones! Not that it is pertinent information, but the treatment for an HF burn is calcium gluconate. It might be a worthwhile thing to have in your first aid kit if there is any belief you are at risk of exposure.
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Mar 30, 2014 18:28
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kastein posted:Motronic, the link in your post for the vacuum pump on amazon appears to be broken, it looks like you got hit by the URL ellipses. Copy/paste from a previous AC thread caused it, maybe? Manifold Gauge Set Vacuum Pump Oil Syringe R134a Can Tap R12 Can Tap Robinair can tap O-Ring kit Quick connect disconnects To put in the OP: code:
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Mar 30, 2014 18:37
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kastein posted:e: actually, ALL the tool links you posted are broken the same way. Is this the vacuum pump you have or is it another one? http://www.amazon.com/FJC-6912-Vacu...y+5+vacuum+pump Crap, yeah, it was a copypasta problem. I'll fix that up. And that is the pump I have and it's still kicking rear end years later. Terrible Robot posted:My friends 244 made the same noise for years, it stopped when the compressor pulley failed. I don't think the compressor itself is bad, just the idler bearings, but since the A/C never worked anyway I couldn't confirm. That's pretty likely in atomicthumbs case. Not all compressors have a clutch that still has any bearings spinning when it's engaged, but a lot of them do. So if it's making the same racket engaged or not it's probably one of those and it's probably just a clutch (bearing). Galler posted:To put in the OP: Aw hell, thanks! Nothing like getting the work done for you.
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Mar 30, 2014 20:04
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Galler posted:Yeah, when I PMed the old posts it URL ellipsed the text of the links but kept the destination correct so I didn't notice it and then when he copied and pasted it the forums tried to make the text into the link. Thanks, both to you and our lord of frost Motronic! Just ordered an A/C service fun pak, got a pump, R-134a tap, syringe, o-rings and disconnect tool coming from Amazon (I can get manifold gauges locally). Gonna see where all my refrigerant leaked out over the last year on the Mazda. It's an expansion valve system so it's possible it was borderline already, but the gauge on the little Arctic Freeze recharge thing I have (someone else bought it, shut up) is reading 0 psi on the low side and the compressor doesn't engage, so something was lost. Is it legal to do A/C work for money with tools like these, or is it a buddys-only type deal since the refrigerant isn't recovered?
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Mar 30, 2014 22:11
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Fucknag posted:Is it legal to do A/C work for money with tools like these, or is it a buddys-only type deal since the refrigerant isn't recovered? Doing work means you need your EPA 609 cert (see the OP - it's cheap and an online test). Regardless of certs or work for yourself/others you are required to recover refrigerant. No one who would come to you knows either of those things. Winter is coming. Sincerely, King In the North
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Mar 30, 2014 22:26
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Motronic posted:Doing work means you need your EPA 609 cert (see the OP - it's cheap and an online test). Regardless of certs or work for yourself/others you are required to recover refrigerant. I do in fact have my 609, so I'm at least 50% legal.
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Mar 30, 2014 22:34
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Oh it just keeps getting better!  This is after I chipped away some of the epoxy. Pretty sure there is supposed to be another fitting + o-ring connection here (at least that's what it looks like on new condensers). Seems like someone went to a lovely a/c repair place. gently caress... $100 hose, and so far I can't even find a condenser except for a $400 unit through volvo. Supposedly there's a difference between turbo and non turbo models... Everyone online has the non turbo one only.
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Apr 1, 2014 20:08
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The funny thing is that that would have worked a lot better if he put the epoxy on the inside of the leak. Try cleaning it off with MEK/acetone/methylene chloride/aircraft remover yet? The problem with epoxy is that it's so awesomely chemical resistant (for most things) that you have to basically go straight for the big guns when you need to get it off.
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Apr 1, 2014 20:33
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Welp, found a huge-rear end leak on the compressor outlet line! Got a new line & receiver/drier coming from amazon ($65 shipped, :tenbux: cheaper than RockAuto for the same vendors); everything should be here by next Wednesday, so I should have A/C again by the end of the week.
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Apr 2, 2014 01:40
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Fucknag posted:Oh no, a highly pressurized, flammable liquid? In the engine compartment, near hot metal? Say it ain't so! I do find it hilarious that the new refrigerant is nice and flammable, after hydrocarbon refrigerants such as Propane and mixes thereof were declared illegal in motor vehicle AC systems because... they're dangerously flammable.  loving greedy hypocrites.
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Apr 4, 2014 18:50
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Gasoline tends to be under a decent amount of pressure too. 
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Apr 5, 2014 02:01
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some texas redneck posted:Gasoline tends to be under a decent amount of pressure too. This guy gets it. Anyway, I've got my new drier and most of the tools. The tracking info on the new hose and oil syringe shows they're both in Orlando at least, so I figure either tomorrow or Monday. Speaking of, about how much oil should I expect to add for this job? I'm replacing both the line and the accumulator. The initial leak wasn't rapid decompression that I'm aware of, but when I did the leak check last week there was a green puddle on the undertray about the size of a quarter, plus a good amount clinging to the hose itself; though I can't be sure how much of that was PAG and how much was the dye I added. Also, what sort of oil should I use? PAG obviously, but the manual specifies ATMOS GU10; Googling that gives me some people saying it's equivalent to PAG46, others PAG100.
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Apr 5, 2014 08:07
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Fucknag posted:Speaking of, about how much oil should I expect to add for this job? I'm replacing both the line and the accumulator. The initial leak wasn't rapid decompression that I'm aware of, but when I did the leak check last week there was a green puddle on the undertray about the size of a quarter, plus a good amount clinging to the hose itself; though I can't be sure how much of that was PAG and how much was the dye I added. Just replacing those parts typically calls for about 1/4 of the system volume. I'd probably go with a generous 1/4 up to 1/3. Fucknag posted:Also, what sort of oil should I use? PAG obviously, but the manual specifies ATMOS GU10; Googling that gives me some people saying it's equivalent to PAG46, others PAG100. Look up a datasheet for the compressor. Or some other car it's on. Chances are good it will be PAG46.
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Apr 5, 2014 18:39
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HAHAHA I must have offended a gypsy in a past life or something. Guess who sheared off the bolt for the outlet line in the condenser? I've managed to break an ex-out of in one side, and the drill bit snapped in the bolt when I tried going from the other side. I'm basically hosed. E: How dumb would it be to drill through the aluminum just around the bolt shaft? The flange is aligned by the fitting itself and a little peg above the bolt hole, the bolt just holds everything together; would using a tiny through bolt setup work, you think? Fender Anarchist fucked around with this message at 21:23 on Apr 5, 2014 |
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Apr 5, 2014 21:04
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Anyone know if the HF vacuum pumps are any good? There are two models. There is a 2.5CFM and a 3CFM. I went to check them out but there is no display model nor can I open the box without destroying it. http://www.harborfreight.com/25-cfm-vacuum-pump-98076.html http://www.harborfreight.com/3-cfm-two-stage-vacuum-pump-61176.html Having one of these not poo poo out on me might make fixing my car's AC a financially sound decision.
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Apr 5, 2014 22:04
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rcman50166 posted:Anyone know if the HF vacuum pumps are any good? There are two models. There is a 2.5CFM and a 3CFM. I went to check them out but there is no display model nor can I open the box without destroying it. Skip them. While they may all be from the same manufacturer, you can get an actual Robinair 3 CFM for the same price now: http://www.amazon.com/Robinair-15300-VacuMaster-Vacuum-Pump/dp/B000O1E5UQ/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1396732472&sr=8-10&keywords=vacuum+pump Those things were twice that just a couple years ago, so I'm sure something is sketchy and/or they're the same thing but with a better warranty.
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Apr 5, 2014 22:15
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Fucknag posted:HAHAHA Imo you will be fine.
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Apr 5, 2014 22:26
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SO ANYWAY (now that it's taken me 8 hours to change a single goddamn line) Finally got the system put back together, started the vacuum about 10 minutes ago. It's bobbling between 29-30 inches of vacuum, so I'm taking that as a good sign. Once it's got a verified seal, I still gotta change out the drier, which is right by the rad and freely accessible, so stay tuned to see how I gently caress that up! After that, I've got 2 cans of 134a (empty fill spec is 21oz) ready to go in. Man I did not wanna drop $100 to replace an otherwise good condenser over a stupid stroke of bad luck like that, I'm glad it worked out.
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Apr 6, 2014 01:06
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Thanks for this thread, it's inspired me to fix my A/C system for the coming summer. I purchased a manifold gauge set, a can of 134a with UV dye, and a vacuum pump for later. 2005 Hyundai Sonata 2.4l I4 144k mi. Initial symptoms: - Warm air from vents - Subtle hissing from the vents whenever the A/C was turned on - Whining from the compressor when A/C turned on I took a static reading:  I wasn't too sure what it meant, because if I was out totally of refrigerant the pressures would both be equal. At this point, I knew I needed to get some refrigerant into the system especially with the UV dye so I could find the leak/issue. Once I got the compressor to cycle on, gauges read this:  It didn't take long before I looked down and saw this:    I know I'll need at least a condenser, receiver/drier, and refrigerant/oil. The questions I have: 1. Is it necessary to have the system flushed when I replace the condenser? 2. Is it better to get 134a with oil already in it, or to add oil to the condenser after I vacuum the system? 3. Would a used condenser be ill-advised? 4. The Compressor has an audible whine when running which changes with the RPMs. Is this a bad bearing and worthwhile to replace the clutch, or should I replace the whole unit? 5. The yellow service line on the manifold gauge set has a little knob and a schrader valve under it, on the valve body. Am I missing a knob that will open/close the line? SeeYouEnTee fucked around with this message at 04:22 on Apr 11, 2014 |
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Apr 11, 2014 04:20
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You've got bigger problems if that static reading is accurate (ie engine off for at least an hour or so). Your static pressures are uneven side to side (they should equalize with the compressor off), and the high side reading is borderline; if the engine bay was hot, that's aboout the static pressure for 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but if it was cold (equal to ambient temp) then there's contamination and the system will need to be vacuumed and probably flushed. I know it's leaking, but while the compressor was running, did the vent air get cold? Could you see condensation on the low pressure line/feel it getting cold? Usually unequal reading like that mean that you've got a blockage somewhere in the system, so you'll need to figure out where that is first. It's also possible your compressor is going bad; would it be possible to get a recording so we can hear what it's doing? If it won't turn on, locate the pressure switch and jump the pins, the compressor should turn on; don't run it like that for long though, with little/no refrigerant it may not be getting enough oil, which will burn it out.
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Apr 11, 2014 05:05
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Heres a silly question, I drive a car with a V8 and in the summer I might only use the A/C once or twice because Id rather have the windows down and listen to the engine. Id like to keep it working well, though. Should I fire it up each week for a certain amount of time or is there some sort of preventative maintenance I can do to keep it working nicely? Sorry, 2004 mustang since Im sure it matters Cage fucked around with this message at 21:11 on Apr 11, 2014 |
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Apr 11, 2014 20:03
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Cage posted:Heres a silly question, I drive a car with a V8 and in the summer I might only use the A/C once or twice because Id rather have the windows down and listen to the engine. Id like to keep it working well, though. Should I fire it up each week for a certain amount of time or is there some sort of preventative maintenance I can do to keep it working nicely? Yes. I know there are some newer cars that try and cycle the A/C as much as possible, but as a general rule it's a good idea to run A/C on a regular basis.
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Apr 11, 2014 20:10
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Fucknag posted:You've got bigger problems if that static reading is accurate (ie engine off for at least an hour or so). Your static pressures are uneven side to side (they should equalize with the compressor off), and the high side reading is borderline; if the engine bay was hot, that's aboout the static pressure for 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but if it was cold (equal to ambient temp) then there's contamination and the system will need to be vacuumed and probably flushed. I took that reading about 5 minutes after I got back, I hadn't used the A/C. Would that account for the differential in pressure? I'll take another reading today and get back to you tonight. I'll have a video too of the compressor. It sounds a little like a supercharger whine, but lower (and obviously quieter). The vent air did get cold and dry. It was sooo nice. I'm really looking forward to a fixed system. It's been about a year since all the symptoms started, and I'll admit I just chucked in a can of 134a when the heat got too bad. That was all before I knew it was bad.
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Apr 11, 2014 21:51
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SeeYouEnTee posted:I took that reading about 5 minutes after I got back, I hadn't used the A/C. Would that account for the differential in pressure? It's probably leaking because it was clogged and over pressured on the output side of the compressor (exactly where your picture showed the dye). Does that think have an accumulator or a receiver/dryer? If it's got an accumulator it's a capillary tube which is probably what's clogged and a replacement part will come with a new one. The problem here is what's clogging it. Hmmmm...what could possibly be throwing chunks of itself into the system........ SeeYouEnTee posted:- Whining from the compressor when A/C turned on If I were you, I'd flush it while it's open.
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Apr 11, 2014 22:15
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Motronic posted:It's probably leaking because it was clogged and over pressured on the output side of the compressor (exactly where your picture showed the dye). FWIW, rockauto lists an expansion valve for that car, and it's just a generic listing for accumulator/receiver/drier, but the picture looks pretty much identical to the drier I just put in my Protege. Hopefully the TXV isn't clogged, those seem to be a bit more of a pain to change out than capillary tubes most of the time. Speaking of, I did get my parts in. Had a bit of a detour when the bolt holding the compressor outlet line to the condenser sheared off in the condenser while I was removing it, turning a roughly 1-hour line swap into an all day thing, as I got to half-disassemble the front of the car to unhook the condenser outlet and have enough room to slide it out. After an EZ-out failed from both ends (the bolt threaded all the way through a block of aluminum, which the fitting was molded into), I got to spend about 4 hours carefully drilling around the bolt to remove it, then drilling it from 5mm internal thread to 8mm in order to use a through bolt and nut to clamp the whole deal back together. Had to go slow to prevent damaging the fins, as well as keeping a rag stuffed in the fitting to keep any metal shavings from falling in. I did finally get it all together, though, replacing every exposed o-ring as I went. Held vacuum for a solid 25 minutes after shutting the pump off. The receiver/drier itself was a cinch (literally, it's held in place by a 2-piece metal strap that tightens like a worm clamp), and all was perfect after. Injected about an ounce of dye, couldn't get any more because the drat syringe broke as I was filling it a second time.  After that I charged it, and it's true what you say in the video, expansion valve systems seem to take forever to charge; I was there for a good hour and a half with only 22oz capacity, and apparently that was too quick because the evaporator iced over at some point. I was flipping out feeling the low-pressure line get hot and watching low side pressure rise while the high did nothing, but then I realized what must have happened and turned it off.Started it back up an hour later; static pressures were perfect, and when the compressor kicked on the pressures shot to good running readings (albeit a bit low for both) and I was seeing 50 degrees from the vent in under a minute. Put the remainder in the next morning, and I'm seeing a rock steady 50/245 while running now, with 40 degrees once it's fully cooled off. tl;dr: my poo poo blows cold, and use penetrating oil, even in mild climates like mine; galvanic corrosion's a bitch.
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Apr 11, 2014 22:35
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Motronic posted:It's probably leaking because it was clogged and over pressured on the output side of the compressor (exactly where your picture showed the dye). It's got a receiver drier as far as I can tell from online ordering websites. So at this point I know the condenser is kaput, and possibly likely the compressor as well? I took this reading static. It went full retard:  Car off for 1+ hours, no a/c use since 2 days ago. When I ran it to capture the noises on video, it read more normal. Low side was 20-30 in/hg, high side was 225-260 in/hg which from what I've seen is where the numbers should be when the system is running, correct? More clues! - The high side line going to compressor was hot to touch, low side line was air temperature. - Expansion valve mounted on firewall is very cold, no frost on any lines. Compressor whining: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1WQDJ8NbaM Numbers while running (compressor running at start of video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vTOb1G6Eq4 So what do I need to order? Is there enough evidence that the compressor is on it's last legs given the contamination to block the condenser and the whining? Edit: Order list so far: Condenser http://www.discountbodyparts.com/ca...a/c%20condenser Gasket Kit http://www.partsgeek.com/ss/?i=1&ssq=18380-05254135&x=23&y=11 Pag 46 oil http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/2005/hyundai/sonata/fluids-fs-manuals-fs-misc/r134a_refrigerant_oil.html?brand=four_seasons SeeYouEnTee fucked around with this message at 03:12 on Apr 13, 2014 |
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Apr 13, 2014 03:06
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