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Air conditioning leak



 
 
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  #1  
Old August 27th 06, 05:33 AM posted to rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang
Mr. Bones
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Posts: 2
Default Air conditioning leak

'86 LX Hatchback, 3.8

My air conditioning went almost overnight from cooling adequately to blowing
hot air. The clutch was cycling on and off at about two second intervals.
I found that the high side schrader valve was leaking so I took it in to get
a new valve and have it evacuated and recharged. The shop put dye in so
they could look for leaks in a few days. It was cooling good, and I took it
back four days later. The mechanic said there was a small leak at the
compressor front seal, but I might be good for the rest of the summer.
About a week later, after not having run the AC for a couple of days, it
started to blow hot again. (I don't mean heater hot, just outside air hot.)
I took it back to the shop and they said the compressor was leaking at the
seams and needed to be replaced.

If the compressor was leaking that bad why didn't the guy say so when he
first checked it? Maybe the evaporator is leaking. They said they sprayed
soapy water on the evaporator and observed the runoff under a black light,
but when I bring it to have the compressor replaced they will check the
evaporator with pressure. Having replaced the heater core I know that it's
a huge job to replace the evaporator. I also know that there's no way they
could have gotten to the evaporator with water.

I looked at the system with a black light and I do see a small amount of dye
on the seams of the compressor. As fast as it depressurized I would think
that there would be a lot of dye. I pressed the schrader valve for a second
and could see a lot of dye there.

My questions: Could the compressor be leaky enough to lose enough freon to
make it blow hot in a few days and still not show much dye on the seal or
seams? Could it still have enough freon but something else is causing the
symptoms (hot air and clutch cycling)?

Thanks,

Mr. Bones


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  #2  
Old August 27th 06, 07:39 AM posted to rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang
Jim Warman
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 630
Default Air conditioning leak

AC repair can, at times, be a fickle wench.... I have an ambulance amongst
my "charges" that will hold a vacuum all day, but wont hold a refrigerant
charge for longer than a month....
" Mr. Bones" > wrote in message
news:8b9Ig.8336$WK4.6945@fed1read06...
> '86 LX Hatchback, 3.8
>
> My air conditioning went almost overnight from cooling adequately to
> blowing
> hot air. The clutch was cycling on and off at about two second intervals.
> I found that the high side schrader valve was leaking so I took it in to
> get
> a new valve and have it evacuated and recharged. The shop put dye in so
> they could look for leaks in a few days. It was cooling good, and I took
> it
> back four days later. The mechanic said there was a small leak at the
> compressor front seal, but I might be good for the rest of the summer.
> About a week later, after not having run the AC for a couple of days, it
> started to blow hot again. (I don't mean heater hot, just outside air
> hot.)
> I took it back to the shop and they said the compressor was leaking at the
> seams and needed to be replaced.
>
> If the compressor was leaking that bad why didn't the guy say so when he
> first checked it? Maybe the evaporator is leaking. They said they
> sprayed
> soapy water on the evaporator and observed the runoff under a black light,
> but when I bring it to have the compressor replaced they will check the
> evaporator with pressure. Having replaced the heater core I know that
> it's
> a huge job to replace the evaporator. I also know that there's no way
> they
> could have gotten to the evaporator with water.
>
> I looked at the system with a black light and I do see a small amount of
> dye
> on the seams of the compressor. As fast as it depressurized I would think
> that there would be a lot of dye. I pressed the schrader valve for a
> second
> and could see a lot of dye there.
>
> My questions: Could the compressor be leaky enough to lose enough freon
> to
> make it blow hot in a few days and still not show much dye on the seal or
> seams? Could it still have enough freon but something else is causing the
> symptoms (hot air and clutch cycling)?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mr. Bones
>
>



  #3  
Old August 27th 06, 03:33 PM posted to rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang
Jim Warman
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 630
Default Air conditioning leak

Whayever did I manage there???

Anyway, this ambulance has a hard time holding a charge.... I don't know how
much dye I've got in the system (read that as lots) and I've about torn the
bus apart looking for tattletales... nada.... replaced every O-ring...
charged the thing with nitrogen and used soapy water all over the place....

In your case, I would address the leaks you can see and work from there....
If the car jas been converted to use R-134a, we must remember that these
molecules (I am told) are very small molecules - even to the point of being
capable of leeching through some rubber compounds....






  #4  
Old August 27th 06, 04:29 PM posted to rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang
Mr. Bones
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2
Default Air conditioning leak


> > In your case, I would address the leaks you can see and work from

there....
> If the car jas been converted to use R-134a, we must remember that these
> molecules (I am told) are very small molecules - even to the point of

being
> capable of leeching through some rubber compounds....
>


I'm still using R-12, which is why I have to have a shop do the work. I'm
not going to convert to R134 at this time, but I'll leave that discussion
for another thread.


  #5  
Old August 27th 06, 04:58 PM posted to rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang
Jim Warman
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 630
Default Air conditioning leak

Not sure what the current price of R12 is in your area.... I can imagine it
is "painful"...

Last I saw in our area, it was a bout $700 COST for a 30# keg... we are not
permitted to use it in automotive applications but for logging and
construction applications, it is still legal... And I really have no idea
what that is all about (other than, possibly, political contributions...).

" Mr. Bones" > wrote in message
news:4PiIg.14245$WK4.9999@fed1read06...
>
>> > In your case, I would address the leaks you can see and work from

> there....
>> If the car jas been converted to use R-134a, we must remember that these
>> molecules (I am told) are very small molecules - even to the point of

> being
>> capable of leeching through some rubber compounds....
>>

>
> I'm still using R-12, which is why I have to have a shop do the work. I'm
> not going to convert to R134 at this time, but I'll leave that discussion
> for another thread.
>
>



  #6  
Old August 27th 06, 08:32 PM posted to rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang
WindsorFox[SS]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 88
Default Air conditioning leak

Jim Warman wrote:
> Not sure what the current price of R12 is in your area.... I can imagine it
> is "painful"...
>
> Last I saw in our area, it was a bout $700 COST for a 30# keg... we are not
> permitted to use it in automotive applications but for logging and
> construction applications, it is still legal... And I really have no idea
> what that is all about (other than, possibly, political contributions...).
>



Hmmmm, I wonder if Algore knows that the evil logging industry has
that loop hole??


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