jhowell
Member
- Joined
- April 30, 2008
- Messages
- 16
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- City, State
- Indian Head, MD
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- '96 Eddie Bauer 5.0 AWD
Although bits and pieces of this topic have been covered by other members, I figured I'd do a complete a/c replacement write-up that goes from start to finish.
Like many others my '96 suffered from what is called "black death." This is one of the best descriptions of black death that I could find.
http://www.aircondition.com/tech/questions/15/What-is-Black-Death?
When it happened compressor was replaced by a mechanic but I'm not sure what else he serviced/replaced at that time. What I know is that my a/c has never felt like it should and now that the vehicle is 12 years old and has 250K miles, I'm not going to pay someone else to fix it. So the other week after reading about "black death" I went and removed the orifice tube and sure enough, it had the telltale signs of the condition. It looked like it had been dipped in tar and then rolled in metal shavings. I replaced it and recharged the system not hoping for a permanent fix, but just something to hold me over for a bit. That charge lasted about 3 days and my compressor had been making some strange noises for a little while so I know that was bad as well. I pulled the new orifice tube and it was about half blocked with more tar and metal after less then an hour of use. At that point I decided I had no choice but to do a complete overhaul on the a/c because I'm tired of dealing with it.
As I said, my '96 has 250K HARD miles on it. I have used it for towing things well beyond its capacity. The body still has all of the damage from the F3/F4 tornado that passed over it in 2002. It has its oil changed about once a year whether it needs it or not. So you get the picture. This thing lives a hard life. But it also raises a dilemma.
With the mileage and overall condition, it's not really worth a lot of money. But around here, the summer months can get very hot, and in the winter, you need the a/c for its defrosting ability. I didn't check the prices for the parts at the dealer. I know some people get good deals from their local dealer, but that's hit or miss. Since I could do all of this work, and the engine could die next week, I figured it's best for this vehicle to source the parts as cheap as possible. Unfortunately, that means buying Chinese. I don't like to do that, but:
1. I've bought a few "genuine Ford" parts from the dealer that are made in China. So they're playing the outsourcing game. And chances are, you won't find out until after the money is spent.
2. If I'm buying Chinese, I can be as cheap as possible without feeling any more guilt.
So the items for replacement are:
1. Compressor. Brand new, made in China. Sourced from e-bay from a local distributor. $130+shipping and tax=$160.
2. Condenser. Brand new, made in China. Sourced through same distributor mentioned. $100+shipping and tax=$122
3. Big hose assembly that bolts to the compressor. I'm not sure of the origin since it will arrive tomorrow. I ordered it from Advance Auto Parts. It was one of the only sources I could find, and also the cheapest by about $40. It would have taken the same amount of time for them to order it for me, as it would for me to order it myself. I saved money by letting them do it since I don't have to pay for the shipping. I just have to drive to the store and pick it up. $120+tax=$127.
4. Liquid hose that goes from the condenser to the evaporator. The dealer lists this part as NLA (no longer available.) No listings on ebay. Advance Auto would take 7-10 days to get it, or I could pay additional money to have faster shipping. The cost would have been over $60. I was contemplating having a shop make me a new hose, but we don't have too many places around here that do that. On a whim, I called Car Quest and they will have this hose tomorrow for $57+6% tax. I'll know the origin when it arrives.
5. High and low side switches, accumulator, orifice tube. All from a company called Factory Air which is a subsidiary of another company called 4 Seasons. All four parts I just found out are made in China. I bought them from Advance Auto. Advance Auto normally stocks the accumulator, orifice tube, and the low side switch. The high side switch was available next day.
Accumulator=$46+tax
Orifice tube=$3+tax
Low side switch=$14+tax
High side switch=$22+tax
Ford designed the low side switch to be a service item to bump up profits in the service department. I say this because the threaded portion of the switch is plastic that screws onto the metal accumulator. When installed the plastic threads are stressed and after one or two installs one must be careful as those plastic threads will strip out VERY easily. It's sized to be installed with a 17mm wrench but personally, I tighten it by hand to prevent putting excess stress on it.
6. Evaporator. I consider this to be an optional replacement. Since I found one on e-bay for $85 (shipping included in that price) I decided to go ahead and get it. I'm not sure where it was made, but China is the likely suspect. My current evaporator is the original one. When I changed my blower fan the other week, I noticed that the evaporator was heavily caked in dirt and trash which restricts the airflow. It is possible to clean it but they are delicate and if I were to damage it, I'd have to replace it anyway which would delay the project while I waited for it to arrive. It also had some corrosion at the inlet and outlet which could affect its ability to seal properly. And finally, I'm already spending a fair amount of money on this and I'm replacing everything else. Although I don't want to simply throw money and parts at it, I think it would be foolish to not just replace it and hopefully be done with it.
So my total parts bill is around $650 which includes shipping and tax when applicable. In some ways, it seems like a lot of money, but if you subtract the shipping alone, the bill for the parts is less then $600. Still pricey, but at the same time, just a few years ago, a rebuilt compressor would cost over $300 and a brand new one would easily go over $600.
In addition to the parts, I'll need to pick up a few cans of r-134a. I know it uses less then 2 cans, but I'd prefer to have one or two extras. I'll also need a container of PAG46 oil and roughly two gallons of pre-mix antifreeze to refill the radiator. I'll need a few of those plastic ties that attach the condenser to the radiator and an assortment of o-rings would be handy. I figure about $60-$75 for everything here.
As far as special tools go, the only ones needed for this job are a set of manifold gauges, ac/fuel quick connect tools, and a vacuum pump. I have manifold gauges, and you can get them for as little as $40-$50 at Harbor Freight. I got mine from Advance Auto for $80. The quick connect tool(s) are available almost anywhere (Sears, HF, parts store) and only cost a few dollars. HF carries an electric vacuum pump for $90. I picked up a Robinair vacuum pump from e-bay this week for $170. This is a "break even" tool. If you only plan to do one job with this tool, you're not really coming out ahead because the cost offsets the savings by doing it yourself. However, I've got a 23 year old Porsche that seems to require an annual recharge, so it will get more then one use from me. If you buy one for a single use, you would be wise to keep the box/packing material and literature so you can turn around and sell it when you're finished.
That's about it for now. I'll post again tomorrow after I get the last few parts and tools I need to finish this job. I'll also try to take pics of the process from start to finish.
Like many others my '96 suffered from what is called "black death." This is one of the best descriptions of black death that I could find.
http://www.aircondition.com/tech/questions/15/What-is-Black-Death?
When it happened compressor was replaced by a mechanic but I'm not sure what else he serviced/replaced at that time. What I know is that my a/c has never felt like it should and now that the vehicle is 12 years old and has 250K miles, I'm not going to pay someone else to fix it. So the other week after reading about "black death" I went and removed the orifice tube and sure enough, it had the telltale signs of the condition. It looked like it had been dipped in tar and then rolled in metal shavings. I replaced it and recharged the system not hoping for a permanent fix, but just something to hold me over for a bit. That charge lasted about 3 days and my compressor had been making some strange noises for a little while so I know that was bad as well. I pulled the new orifice tube and it was about half blocked with more tar and metal after less then an hour of use. At that point I decided I had no choice but to do a complete overhaul on the a/c because I'm tired of dealing with it.
As I said, my '96 has 250K HARD miles on it. I have used it for towing things well beyond its capacity. The body still has all of the damage from the F3/F4 tornado that passed over it in 2002. It has its oil changed about once a year whether it needs it or not. So you get the picture. This thing lives a hard life. But it also raises a dilemma.
With the mileage and overall condition, it's not really worth a lot of money. But around here, the summer months can get very hot, and in the winter, you need the a/c for its defrosting ability. I didn't check the prices for the parts at the dealer. I know some people get good deals from their local dealer, but that's hit or miss. Since I could do all of this work, and the engine could die next week, I figured it's best for this vehicle to source the parts as cheap as possible. Unfortunately, that means buying Chinese. I don't like to do that, but:
1. I've bought a few "genuine Ford" parts from the dealer that are made in China. So they're playing the outsourcing game. And chances are, you won't find out until after the money is spent.
2. If I'm buying Chinese, I can be as cheap as possible without feeling any more guilt.
So the items for replacement are:
1. Compressor. Brand new, made in China. Sourced from e-bay from a local distributor. $130+shipping and tax=$160.
2. Condenser. Brand new, made in China. Sourced through same distributor mentioned. $100+shipping and tax=$122
3. Big hose assembly that bolts to the compressor. I'm not sure of the origin since it will arrive tomorrow. I ordered it from Advance Auto Parts. It was one of the only sources I could find, and also the cheapest by about $40. It would have taken the same amount of time for them to order it for me, as it would for me to order it myself. I saved money by letting them do it since I don't have to pay for the shipping. I just have to drive to the store and pick it up. $120+tax=$127.
4. Liquid hose that goes from the condenser to the evaporator. The dealer lists this part as NLA (no longer available.) No listings on ebay. Advance Auto would take 7-10 days to get it, or I could pay additional money to have faster shipping. The cost would have been over $60. I was contemplating having a shop make me a new hose, but we don't have too many places around here that do that. On a whim, I called Car Quest and they will have this hose tomorrow for $57+6% tax. I'll know the origin when it arrives.
5. High and low side switches, accumulator, orifice tube. All from a company called Factory Air which is a subsidiary of another company called 4 Seasons. All four parts I just found out are made in China. I bought them from Advance Auto. Advance Auto normally stocks the accumulator, orifice tube, and the low side switch. The high side switch was available next day.
Accumulator=$46+tax
Orifice tube=$3+tax
Low side switch=$14+tax
High side switch=$22+tax
Ford designed the low side switch to be a service item to bump up profits in the service department. I say this because the threaded portion of the switch is plastic that screws onto the metal accumulator. When installed the plastic threads are stressed and after one or two installs one must be careful as those plastic threads will strip out VERY easily. It's sized to be installed with a 17mm wrench but personally, I tighten it by hand to prevent putting excess stress on it.
6. Evaporator. I consider this to be an optional replacement. Since I found one on e-bay for $85 (shipping included in that price) I decided to go ahead and get it. I'm not sure where it was made, but China is the likely suspect. My current evaporator is the original one. When I changed my blower fan the other week, I noticed that the evaporator was heavily caked in dirt and trash which restricts the airflow. It is possible to clean it but they are delicate and if I were to damage it, I'd have to replace it anyway which would delay the project while I waited for it to arrive. It also had some corrosion at the inlet and outlet which could affect its ability to seal properly. And finally, I'm already spending a fair amount of money on this and I'm replacing everything else. Although I don't want to simply throw money and parts at it, I think it would be foolish to not just replace it and hopefully be done with it.
So my total parts bill is around $650 which includes shipping and tax when applicable. In some ways, it seems like a lot of money, but if you subtract the shipping alone, the bill for the parts is less then $600. Still pricey, but at the same time, just a few years ago, a rebuilt compressor would cost over $300 and a brand new one would easily go over $600.
In addition to the parts, I'll need to pick up a few cans of r-134a. I know it uses less then 2 cans, but I'd prefer to have one or two extras. I'll also need a container of PAG46 oil and roughly two gallons of pre-mix antifreeze to refill the radiator. I'll need a few of those plastic ties that attach the condenser to the radiator and an assortment of o-rings would be handy. I figure about $60-$75 for everything here.
As far as special tools go, the only ones needed for this job are a set of manifold gauges, ac/fuel quick connect tools, and a vacuum pump. I have manifold gauges, and you can get them for as little as $40-$50 at Harbor Freight. I got mine from Advance Auto for $80. The quick connect tool(s) are available almost anywhere (Sears, HF, parts store) and only cost a few dollars. HF carries an electric vacuum pump for $90. I picked up a Robinair vacuum pump from e-bay this week for $170. This is a "break even" tool. If you only plan to do one job with this tool, you're not really coming out ahead because the cost offsets the savings by doing it yourself. However, I've got a 23 year old Porsche that seems to require an annual recharge, so it will get more then one use from me. If you buy one for a single use, you would be wise to keep the box/packing material and literature so you can turn around and sell it when you're finished.
That's about it for now. I'll post again tomorrow after I get the last few parts and tools I need to finish this job. I'll also try to take pics of the process from start to finish.
