Hi folks,

I have a 1992 E350 7.3 litre diesel van with a minibus back end. The AC system was working fine until Saturday when one of the connectors came apart when it was under pressure... there was a sizable pop and all the freon came out.

I evacuated the system and put it back together and refilled with freon... the compressor was turning, and freon was moving thru the viewing window, but it didn't blow cold at all... none of the pipes under the hood that typically get cold and covered in condensation were doing so.

I looked around for other pieces that may have fallen out around the van and found a plastic screen part that was beige and white... about 3 inches long by half an inch wide....that looked like it had a brass valve in the middle.. looks like a one way check valve or something, but I can't be sure.

I put that back from where the system had come apart and evac'd and recharged it.. still nothing.

So I don't know if I am missing other parts or not. Does anyone have a schematic and parts list of this system so I can make sure I am not missing anything.

Anyone have any idea why it still would not be working given the info above..?

Please help... I wanted to use the van to goto a festival this weekend and it would be *really* nice to have ice cold air!

Thanks in advance...

RH

 

The part that you found is the orifice tube. Was the tube covered with black crud? Your '92 should have been R12 or has a conversion been done? Did you use a gauge set and if so what were the pressures?

 

The small plastic thing was clean.. no black crud.

The system is a professional conversion to 134a.

Not sure what the pressures were prior... all i know is the air was running nice and cold before this happened.

Can you help with a diagram of the system and its parts?

Thanks again for your help...

RH

 

I can't help with a diagram. You need to check the pressures to make sure they are right, if the system is overcharged vent temps will be high and if to low the evap may freeze and you will have high vent temps because air will not folw thru a frozen evap. When you reinstalled the orifice tube did you put it in the correct way?

 

Did you add any oil to the system and if you did how many oz's and what type?

 

I put in 2 Cans of compressor oil.. the whole system holds 12 cans of R134a. I believe the orifice tube (if that is what it is) is installed properly.

I don't think it is overcharged as you can usually tell when the system is starting to work.
The tubes coming out of the evaporator usually get colder and colder as you add more R134. The coldest I got it was to the point where condensation formed on these tubes... I never got the system to actually form frost on the outside.
That said, it was still pretty cold and nicely comfortable.

Since the system popped.. it has showed no signs of getting cold at all.

Does anyone out there have any idea where I could get a parts diagram.... at this point i don't mind paying for it. I am sure it is just missing one little piece as the system was working fine before this joint came apart.

Thanks muchly

RH

 

You might try alldata.com it will cost $25 for one year per order

 

In order to determine where the system is at and to plot a course of repair, your next step is to take pressure readings, both suction and high side. Forget the joint that came apart provided it's properly repaired, as evidenced by a leak free conditon. You can check this with some dish soap mixed with water.

 

I am fine with the joint... it isn't leaking... I just wanted to make sure that the parts that blew out of there are not damaged or incomplete.