93 A/C question

[Chris Jella']

Hi again all. The A\C on my 93 isn't working, no juice! The guy who changed my radius arms said it had been converted to 134, and the seals were probably to blame for the gas leaking out. The seals have an oily goo around them. I would like to do the fix myself and have read the singleton site about it. I plan to replace the seals, check the screen and replace if necessary, maybe flush out the lines to clean them, add oil and 134. My question is, with an "empty" system, or one with air in it, I see it is recommended to pull vacuum on the system and leave it for a while to get the air out first. How do you do this, and what do you use? And where can I get/rent/borrow a vacuum pump?
Thanks all,
Chris

 

[DrewP]

Chris,

Welcome to the world of AC repair. AC repair here in Texas is one of the biggest rackets in the country. Why? All the licensing makes it hard for shade tree mechanics.

Anyway, at the bare minimum you should replace your seals. You will need some special tools for this. The tools are just larger sizes of the tool you use to replace your fuel filter. It's a ford host fitting thing. You should also replace your filter/drier...but not until you're ready to close up the system. After the system is closed you'll need to evacuate it with a vacuum pump. I bought mine at a pawn shop for $50. However, you can buy them from JC Whitney for ~$300 new or you just ask your local mechanic to evacuate it and he'll probably charge you $50 each time. Anyway, after you evacuate it to ~30in of Hg make sure it holds a vacuum for a couple of hours before charging it(you'll need gauges for this). An electronic leak detector is invaluable for finding small leaks, but it sounds like your fittings are gone due to the oily residue.

Anyway, good luck and fell free to ask more questions.

Drew

 

[Chris Jella']

Thanks Drew, I''l be buying the seals and dryer today. I guess I'll do the seal and dryer change myself and get the mechanic who changed my R/A's to evacuate the system and check it for leaks. I'll probably do the refill unless Shane cuts me a deal I can't refuse. If you think of anything else that might help, I'd sure appreciated the info.
CJ