AC System questions
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Elder User
Joined: Apr 2006
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From: South Dakota
AC System questions
Alright, I have finally had enough of 100* weather up here and 65 mph AC isn't cutting it anymore. At first I managed to get my hands on a can of R12...but $65 for a 12oz can was a little more than I wanted to pay.
Ended up getting a retrofit kit for $50. Now that I have it home and I'm looking under the hood, I want to make sure I am hooking up the right fittings.
Can anyone tell me which one is the low pressure port? Which one is the high pressure port? Usually these are color coated, but Ford keeps it a mystery with flat black.
There is a fitting on top of the AC compressor...but I can't find a second one similar to it.
Here is a pic to show what I'm talking about. If you look close, you can see the arrows I drew to the ports. Note that the port next to the radiator and the one next to the drier are smaller than the one on the compressor.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks guys.
-Dave
Ended up getting a retrofit kit for $50. Now that I have it home and I'm looking under the hood, I want to make sure I am hooking up the right fittings.
Can anyone tell me which one is the low pressure port? Which one is the high pressure port? Usually these are color coated, but Ford keeps it a mystery with flat black.
There is a fitting on top of the AC compressor...but I can't find a second one similar to it.
Here is a pic to show what I'm talking about. If you look close, you can see the arrows I drew to the ports. Note that the port next to the radiator and the one next to the drier are smaller than the one on the compressor.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks guys.
-Dave
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Elder User
Joined: Apr 2006
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From: South Dakota
Thanks for the tips guys, sorry it took so long to get back to ya. Seems my email alerts were disabled for some reason.
Now, to add more to the interesting AC work, I pulled the needle valves (no coolant left) and discovered that the needle valves were color coded. Oddly though, the one on the dryer was red and the one closest to the radiator was blue. Could someone have switched these?
-Dave
Now, to add more to the interesting AC work, I pulled the needle valves (no coolant left) and discovered that the needle valves were color coded. Oddly though, the one on the dryer was red and the one closest to the radiator was blue. Could someone have switched these?
-Dave
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Joined: Dec 2007
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From: woodville, tx
make sure you change out the orifice tube, just below and to the right of, when looking at, the drier canister. need, i think a 5/8 fuel line type disconnect tool, its either a red or a blue filter in there. its not a bad idea to take a compressor and blow all the lines out as well while it is depressurised. i did that to mine as well as put a new compressor and drier on. was amazed at the amount of dust that came out of those lines. now if my fan would just blow a little but harder... we were out in the van last night, and at 830 it was still 100 outside and at 10 when we got home, 95. aint it lovely...
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replace the drier you will regret it if you don't and while you have it off ond the orfice out . pull lines off compressor and poor rubbing alcohol in them and blow them out with air compressor. then replace all o-rings vacume down for an hour close off gauges see if it holds a vacume. if it does add compressor oil and freon till cold as you want it
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Elder User
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From: South Dakota
As much as I appreciate the advice concerning the dryer, orifice tube, and o-rings, I simply cannot justify such an investment.
The price for those replacement parts alone is about 1/3 of what the truck is worth. Not only that, but the truck is over 15 years old and I would never break even on something that is only a minor convenience.
There is good news though, today I replaced the fittings after letting the system sit overnight. I kicked on the AC and started charging.
It took two cans of R134 before I started seeing results. By the time I finished the third can, the system was blowing ice cubes and holding 40PSI at the low pressure fitting. Went for a drive to town and it held perfectly with excellent cooling all the way.
I couldn't be happier and with a mere $50 investment to get it going again, I am very pleased. Next up is to tackle the cruise control and I am golden.
-Dave
The price for those replacement parts alone is about 1/3 of what the truck is worth. Not only that, but the truck is over 15 years old and I would never break even on something that is only a minor convenience.
There is good news though, today I replaced the fittings after letting the system sit overnight. I kicked on the AC and started charging.
It took two cans of R134 before I started seeing results. By the time I finished the third can, the system was blowing ice cubes and holding 40PSI at the low pressure fitting. Went for a drive to town and it held perfectly with excellent cooling all the way.
I couldn't be happier and with a mere $50 investment to get it going again, I am very pleased. Next up is to tackle the cruise control and I am golden.
-Dave
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Elder User
Joined: Apr 2006
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From: South Dakota
Adding the parts that I already purchased that you didn't include in your calculation, the grand total would be $93. But that is far from my calculation.
I would like to know where you shop.
Ford Dryer - $135
Orifice tube - $42
AC O-rings - $18
Rubbing Alcohol - $1
Those are the parts as I priced them. If I wanted to do this "to spec" then you would have to add the following:
AC compressor - $430
AC condenser - $340
All of the listed parts come to $1016 including the retrofit kit and some change when tax is added. That is pretty close to 1/3 the price of my truck when I bought it.
-Dave
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Joined: Feb 2009
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that must be a price from a shop because those look like list prices not whole sale
these are list prices
Ford Dryer - $135
Orifice tube - $42
AC O-rings - $18
Rubbing Alcohol - $1
AC compressor - $430
AC condenser - $340
All of the listed parts come to $1016 including the retrofit kit and some change when tax is added. That is pretty close to 1/3 the price of my truck when I bought it.
these are list prices
Ford Dryer - $135
Orifice tube - $42
AC O-rings - $18
Rubbing Alcohol - $1
AC compressor - $430
AC condenser - $340
All of the listed parts come to $1016 including the retrofit kit and some change when tax is added. That is pretty close to 1/3 the price of my truck when I bought it.
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Apr 2006
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From: South Dakota
Those prices I listed were the ones I got when I called my local NAPA.
Also try using some proper grammar in your posts so that you can be better understood please
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Apr 2006
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From: South Dakota
that must be a price from a shop because those look like list prices not whole sale
these are list prices
Ford Dryer - $135
Orifice tube - $42
AC O-rings - $18
Rubbing Alcohol - $1
AC compressor - $430
AC condenser - $340
All of the listed parts come to $1016 including the retrofit kit and some change when tax is added. That is pretty close to 1/3 the price of my truck when I bought it.
these are list prices
Ford Dryer - $135
Orifice tube - $42
AC O-rings - $18
Rubbing Alcohol - $1
AC compressor - $430
AC condenser - $340
All of the listed parts come to $1016 including the retrofit kit and some change when tax is added. That is pretty close to 1/3 the price of my truck when I bought it.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2009
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i know shop prices i have my own! "as for grammer sorry you don't like mine but you still understood it" i was quoting you prices from reciept i had in my hand. At my shop i don't mark up parts make my $ of labor. most all parts are made at same factory just put in different boxes