Don't you just hate it.....

[TC]

When you order something, they send you an email saying the order is in the process of being shipped and they'll send you a tracking number as soon as it's shipped. But then you wait a week wondering why they didn't send you a tracking number. Then Email them to find out what's going on, only to have them send you an email with the tracking number showing that they just shipping it that day. >

I ordered a condenser for my '99 Camaro, since I've been having a little trouble keeping an A/C compressor alive in the thing. It all started last June when I notice the front seal on the A/C compressor leaking, I found a great deal on a new compressor on Ebay, it took a crap right away, which was kind of my fault, the compressor said it was prefilled, ya right, that thing didn't even last a day. I then go to a local A/C parts store here and get one from them which lasts a couple of weeks then takes a crap. The guy at the place told me it was my condenser, said mine is very hard to flush out because of it's design. So he said he's warranty the compressor if I bought a new condenser. Well I flushed everything good, installed a new accumulator, compressor, condenser, and orifice tube. Flushed all the lines and the evaporator, filled the system with the right amount of oil, and bam the A/C worked up until about a week ago. Notice it's not cooling, so I hook up my gauges and right away I know that I have the black orifice tube from hell the low side was sitting at about 120psi, when it should have been around 50psi. So I drain the system, pop out the orifice tube and just like I thought is was black and had metal shavings on it. Yap, fun fun.

Anyway both the Ebay compressor and the two I got locally were from the same manufacturer, so this time I'm going with a different manufacturer and I'm also going back to a OEM condenser which is all aluminum, compared to the one that place sold me that was all steel. God I hope I don't go through 10 A/C compressors like I did with alternators before I get one that works. >

[SpiderGearsMan]

Re: Don't you just hate it.....

did you put the 2 oz of pag oil in it ?

[TC]

Re: Don't you just hate it.....

did you put the 2 oz of pag oil in it ?

Put more than that in it, in every case the compressor said it was prefilled, it was BS, they didn't have a drop in them. So 7 ounces in the compressor, two ounces in the evaporator(I flushed it), 1 ounce in the condenser, and 4 ounces in the accumulator, as stated in my GM manuals.

[dieselgeek]

Re: Don't you just hate it.....

INteresteing thread.

I *just* learned how to do A/C on my beater Honda, which came with no AC (compressor seized)... so i bought the Harbor Freight manifold gauge set, and a vacuum pump (bought the3 year warranty too, lol), and started reading books about it.


TC, as I understand it, the newer condensers are worthless to try to flush because their orifices are so small that even a tiny particle clogs them up?

On mine, I "flushed" using a flush kit from Napa, replaced the TXV valve (a little different form an orifice tube), replaced the seals in a junk $75 compressor I got from the junkyard, and put it all back together.

My system only called for 5 ounces of PAG oil...

Anyways, knock on wood, it worked all the way to Bonneville and back, and is still working. If you guys that have done more of this have any kind of advice, I like reading about it because there is NO advice on the internet about it.

Oh and I bilt my own "reclamation system" using an old HVAC compressor out of my heat pump that was semi-broken and an old propane bottle I had a fitting welded onto, but I did use fresh R134 when I refilled the system.

let us know how that new condenser works. a month ago I was wishing there was a "HVAC forum" on here! I should have posted up and asked for help...

[TC]

Re: Don't you just hate it.....

TC, as I understand it, the newer condensers are worthless to try to flush because their orifices are so small that even a tiny particle clogs them up?

I think with mine it as a double pass setup and your right about the small orifices in them. The guy at the A/C place, said on Fords they won't do a compressor with out changing the condenser.

And I know the amount of oil I stated seems like a lot, but that is what my factory GM manual states. And funny thing is it's a small system only 24 ounces(two cans) of refrigerant.

Also DG remember I was a mechanic for 10 years both MAC and ASE certified in A/C repair. I can pretty much answer any question you have.

[Scott Liggett]

Re: Don't you just hate it.....

I ordered a pan hard bar for my Impala on Ebay from UMI Performance in like January. The ebay ad said they had more than a dozen in stock. They said I should pick a color, they would powder coat it and then ship it. Two weeks go by and email with an inquiry where the tracking #. It takes a few days to get back to me to tell me they were back ordered. This went on for a couple months until I demanded my money back. That's when they fessed up that they were really behind in manufacturing their products, telling me they always get really busy in winter with orders. I suggested they should hire more help and then take down the ebay ad saying they had these parts in stock. In the end, I got a lot of apologies and the Fedexed it overnight and refunded my shipping costs altogether.

[Junk Whisperer]

Re: Don't you just hate it.....

Scott scared 'em :D ;). ~J/W.