AC Followup

As mentioned earlier, parts guy at the local Branson dealership took the initiative to find a part number for an expansion valve when the parts list only showed the evaporator assy. $43 TTL. Put it all back together with the new hose from the compressor to the condenser that I initially thought/maybe was leaking and pulled the vacuum. Couldn't get a hard vacuum and in short, the O rings in my 134a test equipment (fairly new) adapters needed changing.

Reason I am posting this is this surprise surprise (Gomer Pyle). Here you are scratching your head, trying to find the leak in your system, when your instrumentation that's telling you that you have a leak is the thing leaking. Other thing is that I found that finger tight isn't good enough to keep the hose connectors tight when you are doing a lot of moving around of the gauge set....pliers needed. HF has a kit of the HXXX type green washers for about 8 bucks and had a size to fit all my connections, including the O rings in my test equipment (gauge set) connectors.

AC back up and running.

I have never had to crank down on the service valves... Cranking them down is not gonna seal them off :SHOCK:

I have had to replace the o-rings in them I keep these part numbers handy...

Mastercool

Hi side # 80034 are a generic (-113)
Lo side # 80134 Are a generic (-111)

If the expansion valve had a sensing bulb I hope you made sure it was clean bright and tight PLUS insulated it to the evaporator line...

Yeah. I burnished the copper line nice and bright, positioned the bulb at 4 O'clock, to keep it out of the ref oil on the bottom, or vapor on the top, wrapped
it and the return line in copper tape, then wrapped several sheets of 5ish mil copper stock around that, then took some wire and and wrapped around that
with a couple of wire twists to keep it all tight, then took some thermal sealing tape and covered the whole shebang with several layers of
that.....considering the OEM came with a steel, not copper S clip and nothing else but insulation, I think I am doing a better job of sensing. Additionally this
valve has an equalizing line that attaches to the line to aid in proper sensing and reacting.


On loosening connections, yeah I never did either, and never realized that I could have had leaks there, but in looking for leaks on this system with a new
designed for the purpose vacuum pump (not my old freezer compressor, or old GM AC compressor rigged up for a vacuum pump) from not getting a hard
vacuum I realized that the hose to manifold connections would back off in my twisting and turning the manifold in searching for leaks and all that. So I
bought a new set of gauges and the new "sealed top" 134a can access valve so I will be up to date with new equipment the next time I have a problem.
Now that I have the new type it's easy to see why the original 134 piercing adapter workings were really strange.

Sounds Good : )