Fixing my AC

[JerryC]

I'm considering trying to replace the evaporator. At that point everything will be new.
I can't find good info on what it takes to remove it. My Ford shop manual basically says remove a bunch of screws

I guess I'll figure that out when I get the dryer out of the way.

 

[wildbill23c]

I thought about removing the evaporator and replacing as well, but like you can't find any information on removal so I decided I'd skip that headache LOL.

 

[IIBRONCOS]

I removed and replaced the evaporator on my 1988 B2. I was able to do it by removing the few screws from the engine compartment side. The evaporator comes out by just removing the evaporator case housing portion that faces the engine. It came off and went on pretty easy. It is also a good time to clean the inside of the compartment out. I got a new compressor off of Ebay from Pit Stop Auto in Texas. So far it works great.

 

[JerryC]

I removed and replaced the evaporator on my 1988 B2. I was able to do it by removing the few screws from the engine compartment side. The evaporator comes out by just removing the evaporator case housing portion that faces the engine. It came off and went on pretty easy. It is also a good time to clean the inside of the compartment out. I got a new compressor off of Ebay from Pit Stop Auto in Texas. So far it works great.

Thanks for the info !
I'm going start on the job tonight. I plan on taking it slow, I think it's going to take me a few days.

 

[wildbill23c]

Take your time, if you try and rush though this job you'll have issues.

I got the new compressor this afternoon and luckily I got off work early so I spent the afternoon replacing the compressor, and hooking everything back up. Vacuumed the system down again and checked for leaks, finding none I proceeded to recharge the system and I now have working AC. I do need to get a new fan clutch though, mine doesn't engage at all leaving the vehicle getting hot pretty fast when sitting at idle. Not sure at this point whether to do a fan clutch, or electric fans. Fan clutch is certainly a lot cheaper so that's most likely what I'll do for the time being. I just hope this AC holds up, not holding up hope since the AC conversion in my 84 ranger that cost over $1200 for a shop to do didn't even last a month.

 

[JerryC]

I didn't get any work done yesterday but I did get most of the parts, evaporator comes tomorrow.
An electric fan would free up some horsepower but it will cost more and I read you need an alternator upgrade to go with it. I think LMC sells a electric fan kit, I saw it somewhere. IMHO, it's hot now so I'd do the fan clutch now to keep cool and think about going electric later.

 

[JerryC]

For future reference:
AC nut wrench sizes
Lines at Compressor 27mm
Dryer to Evaporator 7/8 & 27mm
Evaporator - Condenser (orifice tube is here) 3/4 & 7/8

 

[wildbill23c]

For future reference:
AC nut wrench sizes
Lines at Compressor 27mm
Dryer to Evaporator 7/8 & 27mm
Evaporator - Condenser (orifice tube is here) 3/4 & 7/8

That's great information, I didn't bother hunting for wrenches just grabbed a couple crescent wrenches LOL.

I got my AC working, but the lack of a working fan clutch makes it feel as though its not working properly. Once you are moving for a while it works but you can tell its not as cool as it should be if the fan clutch worked properly...rather worked at all, I can stick a newspaper in it and stop the fan completely.

I just hope this AC repair holds up. I feel comfortable with it, and don't see any reason why it would fail, no leaks, properly charged, new compressor, orifice tube, receiver/drier, new o-rings throughout, flushed the evaporator, condensor, high and low pressure lines, etc.

I started this project with the assumption it would take several days, or weeks to get things done properly, it took a few weeks just waiting on parts, and paydays. I spent a lot of the wait time reading and watching videos. This was a project that I went into with no previous hands on experience, and after buying tools to do the job properly, spending time learning about what the process is, and what needed done, I feel pretty comfortable doing it again if I get another vehicle with AC problems.

Would I do this as a career? Probably not, just due to the fact that some of these systems are just a PITA to work on due to component locations.

 

[JerryC]

Today i spent about 2.5 hours working on the AC for BII. I spent close to that chasing parts, more specifically the evaporator. I made three trips, short story, new part was f'd up, replacement didn't make it to the store today. I wasn't going to replace the evap today, but it would have been to have it on hand for tomorrow.

i started by pulling the battery and airbox to make room.

I got the lines off, the cheap plastic disc looking Harbor Freight Disconnect set worked fine on the quick disconnects. The ends with nuts were on super tight. There was mix of black and green o-rings, seems that some of the lines had been off before.

The accumulator came out easily. The suction line was wedged under the TFI module on the distributor, I got it out but I don't know how hard it will be to get the new one installed.

After I get the trans line loose the radiator will be ready to come out next.

Orifice tubes... Mine was nearly clogged with black gunk with just a shimmer of metal. The orifice tube that was in there is brown, the most restrictive. The comp kit came with a red tube, one step more restrictive than the least restrictive blue that came with the evap.

The new condenser (Spectra) has the tubes closer together, which means more of them. That should mean better cooling.

If I'm lucky I'll get the wrench work done in three hours or less. Then it is fill the rad and burp the cooling system, vacuum down the AC system, and finally fill it with r134. Somehow I don't think it will be that simple and I expect to spread it out over a few days.

 

[JerryC]

That's great information, I didn't bother hunting for wrenches just grabbed a couple crescent wrenches LOL.

The nuts were too tight on mine for that, it would have rounded them off. I'd say one of the lines at the comp need about 70ft/lbs of breakaway torque to get it loose. The 27mm wrench isn't little and I was really pulling on it.

I got my AC working, but the lack of a working fan clutch makes it feel as though its not working properly. Once you are moving for a while it works but you can tell its not as cool as it should be if the fan clutch worked properly...rather worked at all, I can stick a newspaper in it and stop the fan completely.

The fan clutch should be an easy fix. The fan shroud is just two bolts to take it off the rad and there's enough room to push it back and get to the fan clutch bolts.

I just hope this AC repair holds up. I feel comfortable with it, and don't see any reason why it would fail, no leaks, properly charged, new compressor, orifice tube, receiver/drier, new o-rings throughout, flushed the evaporator, condensor, high and low pressure lines, etc.

I started this project with the assumption it would take several days, or weeks to get things done properly, it took a few weeks just waiting on parts, and paydays. I spent a lot of the wait time reading and watching videos. This was a project that I went into with no previous hands on experience, and after buying tools to do the job properly, spending time learning about what the process is, and what needed done, I feel pretty comfortable doing it again if I get another vehicle with AC problems.

Would I do this as a career? Probably not, just due to the fact that some of these systems are just a PITA to work on due to component locations.

Good job. Well... the mechanics around here get paid pretty well. The labor rate at the local Ford dealer is about $120 an hour. A few years back one of the techs was bragging to me how he made over 100 grand the year before.

 

[JerryC]

Condenser in, technically easy but messy (antifreeze and trans fluid from the radiator). I had to clearance a part of the core support where the new condenser lines come a little lower. Tin snips made that a one minute job.

Fan shroud, 2 bolts up top. 10mm
Radiator, 2 bolts up top. 10mm

Condenser, 2 bolts up top and two nuts at the bottom on the front side of the core support. 10mm

I'm not sure if my trans lines are original, the nuts were 5/8.

Old condenser 30 tubes, new 46.

 

[JerryC]

Evaporator is out, second new evaporator was bad, a manufacturing defect this time. The high side tube flare was split.

Like IIBRoncos said, all the screws and nuts are on the engine compartment side. A bunch of 8mm headed screws and two 10mm nuts on studs at about 2 and 5 o'clock. Not that much crap in the there, a handful of pine needles some assorted junk. Not bad considering it's 30 yrs old.

At the rate my luck with new evaporators is going I may be cleaning up the old one and reusing it.

 

[wildbill23c]

Sounds like you are moving along JerryC. Due to having a larger radiator in my Bronco 2 I may have to make the fan shroud into a 2 piece shroud as there isn't enough room to work in there even if I take the shroud off the radiator, and I'd rather not have that fan shroud be banging around in there potentially damaging the new radiator, so I think the Dremel may be brought out and turn that shroud into an upper and lower unit LOL.

I changed a fan clutch on my 84 Bronco 2 but it had much more room to work in it as it had a much thinner radiator since it had the manual transmission so it didn't have the dual row radiator with tranny cooler.

I really like this Bronco 2 which is the only reason I'm sinking money into it. I did the AC myself because its a great learning experience and...gave me a great reason to buy more tools . Although now that I have those tools I don't have to buy them again if I get another vehicle with AC issues.

 

[JerryC]

Hey, fabrication is fun, right ?

 

[wildbill23c]

Hey, fabrication is fun, right ?

I don't think it will be too bad, just have to do it after it has set overnight most likely, with it being so hot outside, it takes forever for things to cool down enough to work on LOL.

 

[JerryC]

I don't think it will be too bad, just have to do it after it has set overnight most likely, with it being so hot outside, it takes forever for things to cool down enough to work on LOL.

Hot here too, don't think I'll getting much done after work. It's really slowing me down, or it would be if I could get a good evaporator core. Went to pick up #3, inlet tube was bent badly. Maybe #4 will be the one...

 

[wildbill23c]

Dang, I think you should put the original evaporator back in LOL.

A bit cooler here today (96*). Once it hits the mid 80's I'm done, the 70's is perfect for me LOL.

Anyhow, the AC has been working for the past couple days now. When its really hot it don't work so well due to the lack of fan clutch operation...that'll be taken care of very soon. Have a friend coming over to help do some modifications to the fan shroud...mainly there to hold onto it while I cut it in half and make sure nothing hits the radiator in the process...better safe than sorry LOL. I don't see anything else that would cause the AC to not be functioning properly as it works great now since its cooler, but when its 100*+ and its been sitting in the sun all day at work it doesn't work hardly at all, by the time I get home its starting to cool the cab down to a reasonable temperature. So I know for a fact the AC works great, the rest is getting that dang fan clutch taken care of. Maybe later on I'll do an electric fan.

I also just realized since the tranny cooler is mounted in front of the condenser, that kind of blocks a little airflow through the condenser as well, but not exactly sure where I'd put the tranny cooler if I moved it LOL. I think a working fan clutch will certainly solve my issue.

 

[JerryC]

As a test you could put a big box fan in front the BII and see if that helps.

Have you cleaned the condenser? The blue can of spray AC cleaner at HD works really well. If you can get the stuff the home AC guys use it will clean anything out of there. It's pretty nasty stuff though.

I've got the trans cooler in front of the condenser too. I think I'll leave it as the trans needs it more than I need the AC a couple degrees cooler.

I was looking the heater core lines and thinking about taking the heater core out of the loop, even with dampers in the airbox having that heater core in there can't be helping.

 

[wildbill23c]

When I was working on the AC and doing the initial recharge, I put a box fan in front of the condensor to keep things a bit cooler. When I replaced the radiator I cleaned the condensor front/back as there was some debris between the 2. Then when I repaired the AC, I used the AC flush gun and the AC flush solution to flush out the condensor, evaporator, and lines. With the AC flush gun it didn't take much time at all do to.

Yesterday and today its been a little cooler, and drove farther distances and the AC is working great, however it will work much better once the fan clutch is replaced LOL. When stopped there's no airflow through the condensor so it doesn't cool well. Once you are moving it does great.

 

[IIBRONCOS]

When I was working on the AC and doing the initial recharge, I put a box fan in front of the condensor to keep things a bit cooler. When I replaced the radiator I cleaned the condensor front/back as there was some debris between the 2. Then when I repaired the AC, I used the AC flush gun and the AC flush solution to flush out the condensor, evaporator, and lines. With the AC flush gun it didn't take much time at all do to.

Yesterday and today its been a little cooler, and drove farther distances and the AC is working great, however it will work much better once the fan clutch is replaced LOL. When stopped there's no airflow through the condensor so it doesn't cool well. Once you are moving it does great.

I run a full size Flex Fan and like it much better than the viscous clutch fan drive. It is always pulling air at idle and flattens out at higher rpm's when you don't need it. What color orifice tube did you use. The red one is apparently the factory color and is supposed to cool better at idle in hotter climates.