5.0 Idle issues

[monotonorobo]

Another thing too I found out… PO possibly put r134a in the system and it hasn’t been converted either. I found a van in the trunk along with gauge for the AC. I wanna try to get my AC working pretty soon since it’s already hitting 80s-90s. No shop would want to evacuate this so what is my next plan of action?

[Tiggie]

I would vent whatever's is there and flush the system to try to remove whatever oils are in it. Replace all the o rings, and try to vacuum it down to see if it holds. If it holds, throw a new accumulator, oil, revacuum, and charge.

[gadget73]

yeah, evac, flush, new O rings, probably new orifice tube. Most AC problems are leaks, and you want to verify there is no trash in the system or its never going to work.

[friskyfrankie]

If you can afford the parts and can do the work I would be tempted to swap out the ENTIRE system that way you are starting from a level playing field. I know that IS extreme but it had to be done on a friend's car and now you can keep meat in there! I did hoses, compressor, condenser, evap along with the orifice tube and of course, the receiver dryer.

[monotonorobo]

If you can afford the parts and can do the work I would be tempted to swap out the ENTIRE system that way you are starting from a level playing field. I know that IS extreme but it had to be done on a friend's car and now you can keep meat in there! I did hoses, compressor, condenser, evap along with the orifice tube and of course, the receiver dryer.

I was considering this as well. I was gonna go to the junkyard and pull one or either buy all the parts online since most parts for this car are relatively cheap.

[friskyfrankie]

I would be most careful doing this with JY parts. If possible, go new and save future grief.

[monotonorobo]

Alright, I did the maths and it’ll run me about 400-450 to get all the stuff. A/C compressor is the bulk of it though. I suppose it’s about time I learn the entire A/C system in preparation.

[Arquemann]

Alright, I did the maths and it’ll run me about 400-450 to get all the stuff. A/C compressor is the bulk of it though. I suppose it’s about time I learn the entire A/C system in preparation.

The factory AC system in these is quite simple IMO, one pressure sensor on the drier canister and the clutch connector by the compressor, rest is pretty straightforward lines and hoses. Just be somewhat mindful on hose routing on final assembly. Unless the interior side hvac system has been molested with, renovation should be pretty easy.

Did you check the AC component kits on Rockauto?

[friskyfrankie]

The evap is a little more work but can be done without pulling the dash - just some work in the wheel well and a few screws inside. If you choose to leave the evap in, of course, the job is somewhat easier. I would not, however, leave out the condenser - first place to get funk with a weak/bad compressor. If you don't do the evap, make sure you put a new orifice tube in for sure!

[monotonorobo]

The factory AC system in these is quite simple IMO, one pressure sensor on the drier canister and the clutch connector by the compressor, rest is pretty straightforward lines and hoses. Just be somewhat mindful on hose routing on final assembly. Unless the interior side hvac system has been molested with, renovation should be pretty easy.

Did you check the AC component kits on Rockauto?

I did, that’s where I got the price from

[monotonorobo]

I did, that’s where I got the price from

Fixed my overheating issue also, just took it for a long drive and I ended up finding a small leak from the hose going to the thermostat housing. Coolant temp is 188 and thermostat housing temp is like 220, is that fine?

[sly]

Sounds normal with a 195 thermostat.

[gadget73]

maybe one thing at a thread here, this gets confusing

If the compressor is not bad and not leaking, there is no real reason to replace it. Same with the evaporator in the dash, they rarely go bad. The condenser in front of the radiator might go leaky, but the newer ones are more efficient and work better with R134a. The hoses are your call but don't tend to be stupid money and the old ones can get leaky at the crimps. The dryer must be changed any time the system is opened. Orifice tubes are a dollar and if you don't change it you're being silly.

My own cars have a mix of new, used, and original parts but they all work OK. I also have a vac pump and a set of gauges so I'm not overly concerned if one decides it needs to be topped up. I'm also not unwilling to put a bit in from time to time to get me through a hot spell until I can fix it, but its going to depend how much it leaks. Up to one can per year is in my "this is not a problem" range.

also just a tip, if you're patient and shop closeouts and NOS / surplus parts on Rockauto and Ebay you can often piece this stuff together for a lot less than "buy all new parts now" pricing. I've got a couple of spare compressors on the shelf that I got for under 100 each. One is a Ford NOS, the other is an official Ford reman. The third is a good used one that I re-sealed myself. The seal kits are not expensive, and if the compressor is fine other than being leaky its not a big job to do at all. Couple of O rings, a half dozen copper washers, two gaskets, and the shaft seal that you can push in and out with a thumb. O-ring assortments are cheap too, just replace every one you come across if its not on a new piece of hardware. Those green O rings sub for black nitrile ones too, I've got them on all sorts of random stuff.

[monotonorobo]

maybe one thing at a thread here, this gets confusing

If the compressor is not bad and not leaking, there is no real reason to replace it. Same with the evaporator in the dash, they rarely go bad. The condenser in front of the radiator might go leaky, but the newer ones are more efficient and work better with R134a. The hoses are your call but don't tend to be stupid money and the old ones can get leaky at the crimps. The dryer must be changed any time the system is opened. Orifice tubes are a dollar and if you don't change it you're being silly.

My own cars have a mix of new, used, and original parts but they all work OK. I also have a vac pump and a set of gauges so I'm not overly concerned if one decides it needs to be topped up. I'm also not unwilling to put a bit in from time to time to get me through a hot spell until I can fix it, but its going to depend how much it leaks. Up to one can per year is in my "this is not a problem" range.

also just a tip, if you're patient and shop closeouts and NOS / surplus parts on Rockauto and Ebay you can often piece this stuff together for a lot less than "buy all new parts now" pricing. I've got a couple of spare compressors on the shelf that I got for under 100 each. One is a Ford NOS, the other is an official Ford reman. The third is a good used one that I re-sealed myself. The seal kits are not expensive, and if the compressor is fine other than being leaky it’s not a big job to do at all. Couple of O rings, a half dozen copper washers, two gaskets, and the shaft seal that you can push in and out with a thumb. O-ring assortments are cheap too, just replace every one you come across if it’s not on a new piece of hardware. Those green O rings sub for black nitrile ones too, I've got them on all sorts of random stuff.

Got it. Didn’t know if system was contaminated or not so I included the compressor. It’s not leaking or anything. Evaporator is fine too. I’ll just do everything else that was listed. I’ll also need to get a vacuum pump and I wouldn’t know which one to get so if you or anyone else knows could you lead me to one?

[friskyfrankie]

As far as pumps go, I have a RobinAir but they are not cheap (probably just north of $200 now at Amazon) but if you don't intend to use it much, you can get a decent one at Harbor Freight for under $100. Just don't expect miracles or wonderful performance in the long term. Do try, however, try to get a 2-stage pump.