Removal of ac evaporator orifice tube ?

[bamx2]

I am trying to remove the AC evaporator orifice tube on a 1996 Ford F250 . I have tried to use one of the special tools (loaner from the auto parts store) but it does not reach it. That may not matter anyway as from my looking down the evaporator tubing, it appears that it may have been installed upside down (white part up ) . Any suggestions on how to remove it ?- Thanks

 

[Pacfanweb]

There are a couple of different lengths of that tool, they're not all at the same depth. You apparently need the longer one.

 

[phucheneh]

Heat up a coat hanger and stick it into the plastic. Give it time to cool a little bit, then simply pull the hanger out and the orifice tube will come with it.

 

[bamx2]

After sleeping on it , I thought that I might try compressed air "backflushing" via the low side hose connection to the ac compressor to blow it out . However, maybe I am better off using that hot coat hanger method so that I don't add contamination to the system from my unfiltered/undried air compresser .

- Thanks

Heat up a coat hanger and stick it into the plastic. Give it time to cool a little bit, then simply pull the hanger out and the orifice tube will come with it.

 

[boomerang]

add contamination to the system from my unfiltered/undried air compresser

Use the coat hanger but you're going to have to evacuate the system regardless. You've already introduced moisture into the system.

 

[bamx2]

Yes, I realize that I have to evacuate the system , but backflushing with that potentially "bad" air might add contamination to the system.

Use the coat hanger but you're going to have to evacuate the system regardless. You've already introduced moisture into the system.

 

[Pacfanweb]

You also need to replace the accumulator. (also called drier, or receiver/dryier) You may be already, but anytime you break open the system and expose it to air, it has to be replaced.

 

[phucheneh]

Lots of errant 'has to' gets thrown around with A/C. You don't have to replace the drier or pull a vacuum on the system. It's recommended.

I've thrown condensers, lines, and whatnot on beaters without doing anything else except adding a little oil (and recharging, obviously). Went years without issues. Do I recommend it? No, but I'm a firm support of knowing how something works if you're trying to repair it.

By some people's reasoning, the dessicant in a drier/accumulator is all used up before it even goes on the car. Between you taking the caps off and actually installing it, it's kinda, you know, exposed to air.

Evac is arguably more important, especially since you've [hopefully] already otherwise limited the system's exposure to moisture during your parts replacement. What stays in the lines and continues to circulate is what you should probably be worrying about. Emphasis on 'probably,' because there is a general lack of science in A/C repair. Not a lot of empirical evidence to nail down exactly how harmful certain things are. You could have issues because a drier wasn't replaced. You could also have issues because someone installed a drier, went home for the day after leaving the system open, and finished the job the next morning (seen stuff like this a lot; unfortunately mechanics tend to disregard potential long-term issues that can't be nailed to them).

One of the biggest causes of premature issues like compressor failure, IMO, is lack of oil. Cars can get the refrigerant pulled from them many times over the life of a car, taking oil with it every time, and also be subject to excessive evac times that continue to pull oil out of the system (evacuating is not some gypsy magic that somehow removes moisture only). And no one ever adds oil because 'the manual only says to add when you replace a part!'

Anyway, that's my little mini-rant. Common sense = good.

 

[Pacfanweb]

^I've seen many, many dessicant bag ruptures that fouled the system after the accumulator was not replaced and the A/C system was opened.

It's not the same after the accumulator has been used.

And with most manufacturers, it's REQUIRED, not recommended. I know pretty much every compressor requires Accumulator replacement.

 

[boomerang]

To add to the above post, there are a ton of reasons to do the job right. There are two for doing it wrong.

1) Trying to save money initially which too frequently ends up costing you more.

2) Laziness

 

[bamx2]

Update on getting the tube out. A friend very experienced in this stuff offered give me some help a preferred to to it his way. He wrapped a very long drywall screw with several layers of duct tape (to keep it centered in the evaporator tube "bore") with about 3/4" from at the tip exposed. He turned in the screw a few turns then pulled it straight up with vise grips. It took a hard pull and the orifice tube popped out. And yes it had been installed upside down by the PO or tech.

Next flush everything, install new accumulator, orifice tube,lube, evacuate, and charge.

 

[phucheneh]

REQUIRED

I don't think this word means what you think it means.

'Dessicant bag ruptures'? LOL. Dessicant doesn't blow up when it has become saturated. It just ceases to absorb moisture.

'BUT I SEEN IT WITH MY OWN TWO EARBALLS!'

While searching the dictionary for 'required,' perhaps look up those 'correlation' and 'causation' words, too.

Again, I'm not recommending that anyone not replace the drier, especially during compressor replacement. Just defending the English language and pointing out how stupid people are. Doing a job well and following instructions like a good little sheep are not one and the same. Turn your brain on before you start trying to fix stuff; it'll save you money.

 

[Pacfanweb]

I don't think this word means what you think it means.

'Dessicant bag ruptures'? LOL. Dessicant doesn't blow up when it has become saturated. It just ceases to absorb moisture.

'BUT I SEEN IT WITH MY OWN TWO EARBALLS!'

While searching the dictionary for 'required,' perhaps look up those 'correlation' and 'causation' words, too.

Again, I'm not recommending that anyone not replace the drier, especially during compressor replacement. Just defending the English language and pointing out how stupid people are. Doing a job well and following instructions like a good little sheep are not one and the same. Turn your brain on before you start trying to fix stuff; it'll save you money.

Yes, dessicant bag ruptures, and spreads black crap through the system on some cars.

Some call it the Black Plague, but that also can refer to a blown compressor, too. I had it happen to me early in my career. Did an A/C job, didn't replace the accumulator. Came back a week later, dessicant all through the system, orifice plugged with the crap. Flushed it, replaced the orifice and accumulator.

Just did a job for a friend's Honda about a month ago. Different kind of dessicant bag, I guess. It had pellets of the dessicant that were falling out of the accumulator and plugging up the condenser.

If you are claiming a dessicant bag cannot rupture and spread the dessicant through the system, I can only conclude that you have never worked as a mechanic and certainly have never worked on many, if any, A/C jobs. It is VERY common.

And yes, the Honda I did recently....REQUIRED the accumulator be replaced and system be flushed for the compressor warranty to be valid. "Recommended", as it relates to an A/C accumulator's replacement when the system is opened for repair means the same thing as "it's recommended you change your oil filter along with the oil".

 

[phucheneh]

You ignored the bit about correlation. The bag did not rupture because of the amount of moisture in it. It ruptured from age, heat, ect. Or was struck by other debris. Most likely.

I use phrases like that ('most likely') to indicate that I have no way of being sure, but knowledge, logic, and experience can form a pretty good guess.

'Some guy worked on the A/C a few years ago and replaced a line without doing the drying' does not strongly correlate to 'the AC failed again after said years.' There are any number of things that he may have done wrong; or it may have involved a random part failure that was pretty much out of his hands.

Once more, I am not telling people to not replace the recommended parts. Just that when servicing A/C, particularly on older and/or cheaper cars, that having your wits about you and knowing the theory behind what you're doing is much better than just shotgunning parts at it and hoping for the best.

Personally, I would never do a drier for a line. Most shops wouldn't. Condenser or evaporator, hopefully would get one...but I see those get ignored, too. I see [manufacturer] warranty repairs completed without driers all the time, in fact. Luckily people do seem to do them with compressors, and yes, most specify that it must be new to honor the warranty...although they will also say expansion valve, and if it is such, and not a more simple orifice tube, I will buy the cheapest one and throw it in a box in my garage (if you have to warranty compressor, they just want to see it on the parts invoice). I don't pull dashes to replace Tx valves that I know are functioning properly.