Hi all
I've been reading various threads for 3 or 4 hrs now, and as many I presume, give up and post a new one to try and get their particular issue commented on (as I have zero knowledge of this subject and next to zero funds available-thus the reason for my post.

history-owned 85 camaro vin h since 1998, 2nd owner, 1st was a saint, I drove car as daily work driver (ungaraged) for a few years, A/c problem was taken to real experts who converted to 134a and A/C worked fine, then stored car for 10 years in garages and 5 years ago decided to "restore" ( renew eng comp, remove emissions, interior, and have body/paint done elsewhere) - now restored eng comp, body/paint, etc done.

Want to reinstall A/C stuff, now deciding to put back as original setup. All 7 brackets, bolts, accumulator, compressor, hoses, have been cleaned sanded or wire wheel cleaned and repainted.

Bought o-ring kit 26735, and needle/cap kit from adv auto, have 4 cans of 134a, SO

Q1. Been reading that should replace accumulator if system open for even a short time, mine 5 years but in the bsmt-and cleaned and clearcoated (is a new one required if nothing was wrong before assembly?

2. I'm sure I likely had the compressor turned over in cleaning/painting it (did this stuff 3 years ago) now after watching videos see that oil must have come out, and needs to be added-
Q2 is will a good general mechanic know to refill oil, and do all the necessary stuff to put the system back together after i get all the components in place?

Q3. Is it as easy as: install/lubing o-rings, assemble and tighten components, add right amount of oil to compressor, evac system, charge using specs and monitoring via manifold gauges?
thanks
tom
Note: I plan to take this car to < 10 cruise nights, car shows / summer and keep in garage rest of time, not a daily driver

 

Biggest thing with the receiver is the 'dryer' part. If it was left open for any appreciable length of time, then it needs to be replaced.

If you take it somewhere to have it recharged, be sure and TELL THEM the system is completely empty. No refrigerant, no oil, nothin'. They will take care of it.

You missed a step between assemble, and charge..... Need to leak check. Pull the vacuum, let it sit for 30 minutes or so, and make sure it holds vacuum. You *should* be able to do that with oil in the system, without sucking it all out.

 

RE: the "dryer" part - what constitutes it being "open" ? - all i did was disconnect the hose and unscrewed it from the box so i could clean it up.. It has been off for some years now
thanks for the reply
tom

 

Dryers are cheap, just around 25 - 30 dollars. They come with caps to seal them from the atmosphere. Replace the dryer, do a vacuum test to see if it holds a vacuum. I always leave it overnight to make sure there is not the tiniest of leaks.

Another must is to flush the system, each component separately. I use 96 percent alcohol. Any residual alcohol left in the system will be boiled away when you vacuum the system. Autozone will lend you a vacuum pump. Just have to put a deposit on it and you get it back when you return the "undamaged" pump.

Louis

 

A "new" drier would have had rubber caps on the ports. When these caps are removed, air is sucked into the system. This is because a "new" drier is vacuum sealed to prevent moisture from getting inside.

Your used one has been open to outside air for too long. Putting it on the car will probably work however the desiccant inside the drier is hygroscopic meaning it absorbs moisture. Since it hasn't been in a closed system for a long time, the desiccant is probably contaminated enough that the drier needs to be replaced.

As mentioned above, the biggest part about servicing an AC system is charging. You need a vacuum pump to remove all the air and contaminants from the system before putting freon into it. Before I pull a system into a vacuum, I pressurize it with nitrogen to check for leaks. A spray bottle full of soapy water is sprayed everywhere. All the fittings and rubber hoses are common locations but the condenser and evaporator can also leak.

The last AC job I did had a leaking condenser. Need to fix the obvious leaks first. Replaced the condenser and repressurized it with nitrogen and a suction line blew. It couldn't hold the pressure. After replacing that, the system held pressure and I went through the rest of the process to charge the system.

You should not be using compressed air to pressure test a system. It's full of contaminants and doesn't provide enough pressure. With nitrogen, I pressure test the systems with 300 PSI as most AC systems can handle 400-450 PSI but generally work under 300 PSI.

When doing your own AC repairs without proper AC equipment, the best you can do is change all the seals and worn out parts that you are aware of then take it to a shop to be completed. Maybe you can get them to pressurize the system to see if there are any more leaks that you can fix. If it passes a pressure test then let a shop pull it into a vacuum and charge it properly.

The worst thing you can do is repair an AC system that is still full of air then fill it with freon and expect it to work properly.

 

Thanks all
great advice-I know a great shop that's been there a long long time and all they do is radiators and A/C & years ago did the conversion to 134a- but do cost alot more than I'd like to spend.

I'll get a new accumulator,
1. Does the electrical connector screw off and get reused, it looks like it has a plastic nut on it and also a screw in between the terminals? and what does this do?

2. Also the compressor (looks like rubber o-rings inside the 2 ports) o-rings have old tape glue on them from when i painted it, can I clean these off with something I have at home/garage or do I need some special liquid to clean them off? I don't want to damage by trying to pick them out? or do these need to be removed and oiled? (the review for the o-ring set I bought says:
"o- ring kit 26735 - Has o-rings for peanut fitting at frame rail under deck lid, condenser connections, and evaporator connections. No seals for compressor or accumulator/drier.")

3. Do i need an "orfice tube? and where does this go?

I'm thinking I'll get all the components on loosely and let them oil and put on the o-rings and stuff, tighten and go thru the proper processes,

4. might as well let them install the accumulator as well so i don't open it up for the electrical or mounting?

5. should i try to get them to use the 4 cans of 134a i bought years ago?

If i have them do this, any guesses on what this SHOULD COST?
thanks again
tom

 

Hi all
I got a quote from a reputable radiator & /a/c shop to put together with o-rings, oil, dye, etc for about $200. He said he had no way to get my 4 cans into his "machine"
Is this a good price ?

 

Sounds close enough. You need to consider most of this is just shop time.

 

Unfortunately the R4 compressor is your biggest issue. They are not a great design from the start and R-134A​ higher operating pressure doesn't help the situation. They are a marginal compressor and expecting more than a few years is probably luck. You might want to consider a complete conversion to make it work like R-134A is supposed to.
https://originalair.com/88-92-camaro...t-deluxe-r134a
They have partial kit options too. I have read a lot about this lately and when I convert to R-134A this is what I will do. Not cheap but once and done.

 

Hi all
Gonna take this to a friend who said he's done alot of A/C work and has a "machine" (whatever that is-assume it can create a vacuum and evacuate the sys and add freon)

My ques though is: in laying out the alum tube that connect to the condenser and the evaporator, it didn't line up so I moved the evaporator tube and it move kinda freely which surprised me.
Is this tube supposed to be rigid (immovable)? so if it moves sideways and bends up or down pretty easily is this connection problem and a "leak" issue? I have not had the bottom cover on this evaporator off so I don't know what the tube connection looks like.
thanks
tom P.S. Chopski-Buying all new stuff does not ensure a perfect result-working old stuff can be just as good, if you clean the rust off and paint it, but thanks for the link. Also, after I had it converted many years ago it was working fine, then I bought a different car for my daily driver and this car sat.