AC going back in, need input on flush

figgie

Supramania Contributor
Mar 30, 2005
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Well you cuold always do a complete retrofit of lines etc.

Will take some welding to AN fittings but then you could source all the dryers, condensors for whatever size you need.

That is just an IDEA!!
 

CyFi6

Aliens.
Oct 11, 2007
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My recommendation would be to stay away from R134A with all stock components. I did my AC system recently and used R134A as well and im not pleased with the results. Im not coming here to tell you R134A wont work well, but just sharing my experience, and for whatever reason, it didn't. I suspect the condenser, it is very small and too inefficient to run R134A, i think.
I did all my conversions properly. I removed every component of the AC system from the car and flushed all of them thoroughly. I put all new seals, new receiver dryer, new TXV and new oil in the system (used ester) and put the right amount of it based on the TSRM, and compensated for the change from R12 to R134A. I evacuated it and charged it with the proper fill of 134a and went on my way.

Ive found the AC works great in average weather, but as soon as it starts to get hot out the system struggles to blow cold air around town. As soon as i get on the freeway and drive a steady 65MPH i start seeing a decrease in vent temps and it actually gets as cold as it should. Take note my car is an NA with a Turbo 10 blade fan, brand new OEM Turbo fan clutch, good fan shroud, good engine undercover etc. All systems are how they should be, and i still see high vent temps around town in hot weather.

My theory is that with the amount of airflow our fans can provide at lower speeds, its just not enough for what our condenser needs (with R134A). Whether or not this is correct, im just stating my opinion (just something to think about).

I also recommend you take your parts to a professional AC shop to have them flushed. Many off the shelf AC flush things are no good, they have way too much oil, don't evaporate properly and are designed to be safe for your system when some dumbass comes along and doesn't get it all out and puts his system back together. Pro's have specialty tools that blast flushing solvents at high pressures through all your components (don't forget you CANNOT flush an evaporator with the TXV installed, this means if the evaporator is in your car it needs to come out.) They also have the means to properly and 100% dry all your components. Compressed air through a standard blow nozzle supposedly doesn't flow nearly enough air, and they recommend you dump a lot of air all at once to get the amount of flow you want. I found it a PITA to flush out my condenser without any good tools.

I also highly recommend you replace the TXV with a new OEM!! one. I bought an aftermarket TXV and its orientation was different, the temp sensing bulb was merely a coil at the end (not a bulb like stock) and the diaphragm was facing a different direction than stock, and my lines had to be slightly bent to get it to fit. I was told this was normal, but i wouldn't do it again.

Anyways sorry my post is so long i just want to inform you of my experience. I would go with R12, its a better refrigerant and its what our systems are DESIGNED to work with. Its expensive but its not outrageous. Go pay 20 bucks, get your 609 license and prance around with your r12 all day long.
 

grimreaper

New Member
Jul 2, 2008
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If i had the time and resources i would rebuild the whole car from the ground up figgie! ;)


poodles you ever invest in an ac start up kit you talked about 9 months back or so?
 

Poodles

I play with fire
Jul 22, 2006
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Fort Worth, TX
Nope, life kinda fell apart.

Thankfully with my new job I'm making MUCH more money and I can get parts dirt cheap (and I mean DIRT cheap). Thankfully the weather is staying pretty cold (record lows tonight, global warming my ass) so I have time to save money up to do it all right.

Our condenser is quite large compared to other cars (shit, my mom's geo has a condenser half the size) so I'd say it's the expansion valve (that I have a new one sitting on my shelf that's the updated revision as there was a recall of sorts on em) part number is 88515-33010-83

figgie: my bro's MKII was retrofitted at the dealer. Everything is new, condenser, pusher fan, electrical controls with relays and pressure sensors, ect... Previous owner didn't cheap out and the quality of his A/C shows (black car and in the summer it's COLD).
 

grimreaper

New Member
Jul 2, 2008
2,180
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Dallas
CyFi6;1290332 said:
My recommendation would be to stay away from R134A with all stock components. I did my AC system recently and used R134A as well and im not pleased with the results. Im not coming here to tell you R134A wont work well, but just sharing my experience, and for whatever reason, it didn't. I suspect the condenser, it is very small and too inefficient to run R134A, i think.
I did all my conversions properly. I removed every component of the AC system from the car and flushed all of them thoroughly. I put all new seals, new receiver dryer, new TXV and new oil in the system (used ester) and put the right amount of it based on the TSRM, and compensated for the change from R12 to R134A. I evacuated it and charged it with the proper fill of 134a and went on my way.

Ive found the AC works great in average weather, but as soon as it starts to get hot out the system struggles to blow cold air around town. As soon as i get on the freeway and drive a steady 65MPH i start seeing a decrease in vent temps and it actually gets as cold as it should. Take note my car is an NA with a Turbo 10 blade fan, brand new OEM Turbo fan clutch, good fan shroud, good engine undercover etc. All systems are how they should be, and i still see high vent temps around town in hot weather.

My theory is that with the amount of airflow our fans can provide at lower speeds, its just not enough for what our condenser needs (with R134A). Whether or not this is correct, im just stating my opinion (just something to think about).

I also recommend you take your parts to a professional AC shop to have them flushed. Many off the shelf AC flush things are no good, they have way too much oil, don't evaporate properly and are designed to be safe for your system when some dumbass comes along and doesn't get it all out and puts his system back together. Pro's have specialty tools that blast flushing solvents at high pressures through all your components (don't forget you CANNOT flush an evaporator with the TXV installed, this means if the evaporator is in your car it needs to come out.) They also have the means to properly and 100% dry all your components. Compressed air through a standard blow nozzle supposedly doesn't flow nearly enough air, and they recommend you dump a lot of air all at once to get the amount of flow you want. I found it a PITA to flush out my condenser without any good tools.

I also highly recommend you replace the TXV with a new OEM!! one. I bought an aftermarket TXV and its orientation was different, the temp sensing bulb was merely a coil at the end (not a bulb like stock) and the diaphragm was facing a different direction than stock, and my lines had to be slightly bent to get it to fit. I was told this was normal, but i wouldn't do it again.

Anyways sorry my post is so long i just want to inform you of my experience. I would go with R12, its a better refrigerant and its what our systems are DESIGNED to work with. Its expensive but its not outrageous. Go pay 20 bucks, get your 609 license and prance around with your r12 all day long.


i missed this,

ill post a pic of the new TXV i have and you can tell me if it looks like the odd ball one you got. Do you have the two small puller fans on the side of the radiator?
 

CyFi6

Aliens.
Oct 11, 2007
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I am NA, so i only have the single electric fan, and it would only turn on when high pressure side pressure exceeded about 250PSI i believe it was.
Heres a picture i took when i had it apart. OEM is on the left and aftermarket is on the right and installed. Take note that the new aftermarket TXV had no flow direction indicator anywhere, and the fittings were such sizes that it could not be installed the other way.
p1291163_1.jpg


This is what its supposed to look like
p1291163_2.jpg
 

Poodles

I play with fire
Jul 22, 2006
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Fort Worth, TX
weeeeeeeird

Also, the electric fans are year specific, not NA/Turbo. If you have a single one that means you're pre-89 and that probably explains why your expansion valve is so different than mine:
p1291173_1.jpg
 

grimreaper

New Member
Jul 2, 2008
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Dallas
Might explain his ice cold air although we'll see how the stocker handles the tx heat this summer. The cost is more then i can afford to replace with a parrelell flow condenser and re do the lines.

Here are a few pics, which ac compressor plate do i use? Both are identical in every way except the one with the extra adapter or what ever that is.

My expansion valve looks like poodles... but the new one has a bit different spring and center piece (dont know the terms).

Also heres a pic of the evaporator core if someone wants to see it apart...
 

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Who

Supramania Contributor
grimreaper;1291204 said:
Might explain his ice cold air although we'll see how the stocker handles the tx heat this summer. The cost is more then i can afford to replace with a parallel flow condenser and re do the lines.

Ok I have to chime in. Think twice about cutting corners on the condenser. Personally every time I cut corners I tell myself later " I should have or I could have" and it ends up costing me double. I just want to second what CyF16 has to say about the condenser. I was running low on R12 and I asked about converting to 134A. The ac shop said it could be done but he warned me that I might not be pleased or satisfied with the cooling performance in stop and go traffic. The condenser being the reason. I have the 89 turbo / auto and even with the three e-fans the shop wouldn't put his full faith in the conversion. I don't think they were giving me a load of bull either because it cost me less to recover and top off the r12 vs the conversion.
 

grimreaper

New Member
Jul 2, 2008
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they could use HC 134a ;)

Agreed jj, just signed a promise to resell it to a certified person (me in a few days) on ebay...
just got to make sure i get a GOOD vac and no leaks...
 

CyFi6

Aliens.
Oct 11, 2007
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If you're having a shop pull a vac for you, make sure you purge the lines on your gauge set before you hook them up otherwise all the air in those lines will go into your system.
 

Zumtizzle

Can't Wait to Be King.
Oct 21, 2006
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Sac-Town, NorCal
CyFi6;1290332 said:
compensated for the change from R12 to R134A. I evacuated it and charged it with the proper fill of 134a and went on my way.

How much did you fill to?

Check out the Toyota Technical Service Bulletin. Attached.

I'm sure ester is fine for AC lubrication. Stock calls for ND8 aka PAG 46.
 

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