Lotsa Cadillac wrenching today

[SuperSix]

First thing I did was repair a stripped bolt in the water pump. I replaced the water pump a few years ago, and noticed the idiot that had replaced it previously had stripped one of the bolts holding it in. It held for a few years, and then about 2 years ago, on the way back from Costco, the gasket blew out, and I had to pull the water pump off again to replace the gasket (A huge PITA - FWD V8) I never got the bolt in right, and it wept coolant from there since then, I just kept topping it off. After removing everything I could to get better access, I got out the tap and die set and rethreaded the hole. Put a new bolt in, and for good measure I slathered it with JB Weld.

A/C went out in the Eldorado late last year, the front shaft seal leaked out all of the coolant, verified with my UV light. Since I work from home, and barely drive it, I put it off until today. I had ordered the compressor, accumulator, and orifice tube from Rock Auto about 6 months ago. Checked the accumulator a moth or so ago - Rock had shipped me a used part some jackhole had returned. Way too late to bitch and get another from them, so today I went to NAPA to get another accumulator. While I was there, I got a qt of A/C flush. I figured it wouldn't hurt, since I was converting it from R12 to R134. I have a pressure flusher can, but not all the right adapters - so i rigged some shit up to get the evaporator and condenser flushed. I flushed both twice,each way, then blew a hella ton of air through to get rid of the flush.

The system needs 8oz of oil, so I put 4oz in the new accumulator, 4oz in the new compressor. I made sure to rotate the compressor on the bench 20 times to get the oil circulated, etc. Replaced the orifice tube, and all accessible o-rings. Put the compressor in (Fuck me, there's NO room to work in there!) Luckily, I have the Cadillac shop manual - makes things much easier.
Finally got everything in, hooked up the vacuum pump, and it wouldn't hold a vacuum for more than 10 seconds, and I could tell by the sound of the vacuum pump that it wasn't sealed. Fuck me.  Then I rigged up a line to my air compressor, pressurized the system, and saw oil burbling out of the manifold in the back of the really fucking inaccessible A/C compressor. I found a compressor seal on my bench that was thicker than the others - and thought that maybe one of the ports in the back of the compressor was less shallow" than the other. i looked at the old compressor - the depths were the same.

I was going to throw in the towel for the evening - but then I told myself to harden the fuck up, and just get it done.

i got back underneath the car, and wrangled the manifold bolt off. Sure enough, one side is deeper than the other, different than the old compressor I had taken off. I put the thicker gasket in, tightened it all up, pressurized the system again, no leaks. then I put the vacuum pump back on - boom, -30hg.

I left it on the vacuum pump for ~40 minutes while I cleaned up, put in the freon, I now have 49 degree A/C (80 degrees ambient, 75% humidity) and the water leak is GONE.

Yay me!

[Steve Wood]

yay You!!!!

[Pyro6]

Mark 1. Caddy 0. You win.

[daveismissing]

Kudos
Vivid description. Y'all makin' me feel bad about how relatively little I'm getting done

[SuperSix]

Kudos
Vivid description. Y'all makin' me feel bad about how relatively little I'm getting done

I needed to get it done so I can get back on the GN..

Sore as hell today - but I might dig into the GN Monday.

I am waiting for Charlie to read this thread and tell me what I did wrong...

[ULYCYC]

I would have left it on the vacuum pump longer than 40 min.  An opened system in humid weather sucks up alot of moisture. That may be why your only getting it down to 49 deg.  With the new parts you should drop to at least 40 deg. unless your radiator is clogged and running over 220 deg.  Also I like to put a few oz's of oil in the condenser after a flush is done.

[SuperSix]

I would have left it on the vacuum pump longer than 40 min.  An opened system in humid weather sucks up alot of moisture. That may be why your only getting it down to 49 deg.  With the new parts you should drop to at least 40 deg. unless your radiator is clogged and running over 220 deg.  Also I like to put a few oz's of oil in the condenser after a flush is done.

i thought about that - I was impatient, and really tired - this was an 8+ hour affair overall.

I will keep the condenser idea in mind. Since it's R134 - I won't mind releasing the charge, and vacuuming down again if need be.

*Of course, i will have the freon recycled in a legal manner..

[ULYCYC]

Just so I don't confuse you the oil in the condenser is not extra. It is part of the total oil needed for your model car.

[SuperSix]

Just so I don't confuse you the oil in the condenser is not extra. It is part of the total oil needed for your model car.

I understand that. The service manual called for 8, I put about 8.5 or so..

[Top Speed]

Good job Mark.   You gotta have AC down here in the South!

[SuperSix]

I would have left it on the vacuum pump longer than 40 min.  An opened system in humid weather sucks up alot of moisture. That may be why your only getting it down to 49 deg.  With the new parts you should drop to at least 40 deg. unless your radiator is clogged and running over 220 deg.  Also I like to put a few oz's of oil in the condenser after a flush is done.

I didn't mention that the temps  got were with only about 24oz of R134. It has about 30 in it now, and gets down to 44 degrees. Not sure if I can get it much lower, and I don't want to overcharge it.

Where the hell has Charlie been?

[Steve Wood]

Aren't you using gauges?

[SuperSix]

Aren't you using gauges?

Yes

[Pyro6]

44 degrees isn't bad. What were your gauge readings? 134 refrig is a toss of the dice on a conversion. Usually the size of the condensor and the air flow across it is most important. In most cases 134 doesn't cool as well as R12. You should have left it on the pump for at least 2 hours, the more the merrier. If you're getting 44 out of it though I'd let it go. Run it for awhile and see how it does on those extreme Fla. days.

[Steve Wood]

then whats the problem?  Fill to what the gauges show to be correct for 134A at your current temperature, fan on high, windows down.   Normally, it will be a bit over 40 psi on the low side and under 200 psi on the high side.....usual ly takes about 80-85% of what it would be with 12. (about 3.5 12 oz cans will be close as I recall)

If the switch on the accumulator is adjustable or was for r12, back it off a little ccw to lower the pressure at what it cycles the compressor. around 25-28 psi will keep it from cycling as often at idle.