My daily driver has been sitting for almost a month now, waiting for the right parts to get here.

Now I'm one tool away from being able to drive it again,Compressor, Dryer, Orifice Tube, PAG oil, R-134a regfridgerant, I know I have the sockets for everything, the wrenches, and know just about everything I can find on the internet about swapping out A/C parts.

Except for one

Where in the blazes will my orifice tube be? As far as I have read, I suspect it's where I've circled in the picture below.

(If the picture didn't load, try clicking it. Imgur and thirdgen don't get along somtimes.)

That being said, I don't want to open my system up to air and spend 20 minutes looking for it, only to find out "Oh it's in tube blah that you can only open with tool blah that Chevy only sells on Tuesdays when it's a full moon. Every mechanic knows this and therefore assumes everyone else knew."

So I ask you extremely helpful people: Where is it, and is there a funky tool needed to access that particular area?

 

You are correct on the location. No special tools needed, just two wrenches to fit the nuts on the line. Once it is open use needle nose pliers to pull it out. If there is ANY Freon in the system please have it properly evacuated by a licensed technician. Besides the point it is highly illegal, carries stiff fines and damages the environment, I have children to leave this planet to.

 

Duly noted.

Also thanks for the help!

 

The orifice tube is in the high pressure hard line that runs between the condenser and the evaporator. I think this line is just to the left of the accumulator (earlier AC systems with the compressor mounted on the driver's side and v-belts have this line running underneath the accumulator). The orifice tube is probably right at the connection just past the Schrader valve.

The line you have boxed in your photo is the low pressure line that runs between the accumulator and the compressor.

 

Right: it is NOT what you have circled.

THIMK!!! It has to be where the high pressure side makes the transition to low pressure. The high pressure line is the small one, since in order for the orifice tube to do its job of making the refrigerant EVAPORATE, it has to be located in the LIQUID line (the smallest one... liquid takes up less space than gas) right before the EVAPORATOR.

It's to the left and below the thing you have circled in th epic. Undo that joint, and you'll see it down in the evaporator inlet line.

Don't use the "right" orifice tube for your car. The orange/red Frod one has a better orifice size for R-134A in a GM R-12 system. The "right" one for your car is a major mismatch. Get the one for about a 96 Crown Vic, that application should get you what you need.

You'll need a vacuum pump.

 

I might add that a handy tool for removing them is a medical device, called a "hemostadt". its long, thin and strong enough to get at them . even if they have been inserted in too far.

 

Good point. I keep a couple of pairs of these, medical tweezers, dental picks, etc. all in a special drawer. They do come in handy.