Ok, here's the deal. I have the 3.1 engine, and while doing some painting in the engine bay, I busted my rusty orifice tube, and all my R134a leaked out. I just had the system converted at my uncle's Pontiac dealership 2 summers ago, and now I have no a/c again. I've asked a few questions and basically I understand that I'll need a vaccuum pump, an a/c manifold gauge set, a new line, and a new accumulator, along with all the new o-rings, fittings, etc. and lastly a recharge kit from advanced auto. Well I went and got all that, I'm just waiting to pick up my parts today. Here's where I run into problems....

I'm probably gonna be setting up everything on Friday, but I have no idea how the vaccum pump or a/c manifold gauge set works. The vaccuum pump was the harbor freight model and didn't come with instructions, and I haven't had a chance to look into the a/c manifold instructions. Can someone explain to me what I need to do to successfully pull the moisture out of the system, and then charge it? The vaccum pump appears to have fittings for an air compressor? I don't understand where the moisture goes....

Thanks for any and all help,

Mathius

 

which vaccum pump did you get?

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=3952

 

well to start you off, your a/c manifold should have 2 gauges and 3 hoses (blue is low pressure, red is high pressure, and the yellow is where you hook up your vac. pump and freon jug) to vac. the system just put the low pressure hose on the low pressure port, and high pressure hose on high pressure port, then put your yellow hose on your vac. pump. turn on the pump and open the a/c manifold valves, wait till the low pressure gauge is as low it will go or stops droping, close the a/c manifold valves and then turn off the pump (make sure valves are closed before turning off pump, other wise you just wasted your time..), take yellow hose off pump and put it on your freon jug.

your going to need a scale, try to find the most accurate you can. look on the jug to see witch way it has to be to get liquid out, if its not noted open the valve on the freon jug (with the yellow hose on) and losen the the end of the hose thats on the manifold, (liquid freon can give you something like a freezer burn, so be careful when purging the line) when you see white fog (will make frost on your gauges) thats the liquid. tighten the hose and then you can fill the system. put the jug on the scale and then open the low pressure side valve on the a/c manifold and let in how ever much liquid freon the system needs (should say in the car manual or on one of the a/c components under the hood) after you've let in X number pounds of liquid to fill the system, close your valves and start the car (to make sure its all working well) assuming everything went well, you can take off and the hoses and put caps on the pressure ports.

hope this help you out

 

I bought a brand new accumulator because I was told it isn't good to mix oils and that they basically should be replaced anytime the lines are exposed. At what point do I add the oil?

Also, I bought the R134a recharge kit from Wal~Mart. It says it won't allow overcharging. Do I still need to mess with a scale and check the gauges and such, or do I just need to operate the vaccum pump? Lastly, I don't see an "on" switch on my vaccum pump. That's why I'm so confused. I could swear it's meant to be hooked up to an air compressor. It has those types of fittings. Did I get the wrong thing or what? I still don't see where the moisture is released on this pump.

Mathius

 

Yes that type of vacum pump is designed to be used with an air compressor. Thats why its so cheap. Its a venturi type pump.