'85 Factory AC System -- How to Repair

[55trucker]

A point to keep in mind...R12 systems made use of flexible hoses that were designed for r12 use, a 134a system makes use of hoses that are designed for 134a. 134a hoses will have a plastic liner inside to prevent the refrigerant from escaping (seeping) thru the hose body, R12 hoses were not manufactured in that manner. R12 is denser than 134a, so if converting to 134a consider replacing all the flexible hosing.

 

[ford4wd08]

A point to keep in mind...R12 systems made use of flexible hoses that were designed for r12 use, a 134a system makes use of hoses that are designed for 134a. 134a hoses will have a plastic liner inside to prevent the refrigerant from escaping (seeping) thru the hose body, R12 hoses were not manufactured in that manner. R12 is denser than 134a, so if converting to 134a consider replacing all the flexible hosing.

I read that in my research, but I also saw where people used the r12 hoses with no problems....

 

[55trucker]

Well, it's not a case of right vs wrong, one spends their money where they will, the replacement hoses are dirt cheap at Rockauto, money well spent on peace of mind

 

[ford4wd08]

Well, it's not a case of right vs wrong, one spends their money where they will, the replacement hoses are dirt cheap at Rockauto, money well spent on peace of mind

I don't disagree on that point. I'll look it over when I get my B2 back.

 

[19Walt93]

It was originally said that the hoses needed to be replaced for 134A but that changed. BUT. Before I spent money to fix a 1985 system, I'd replace the hoses because of their age.

 

[ford4wd08]

It was originally said that the hoses needed to be replaced for 134A but that changed. BUT. Before I spent money to fix a 1985 system, I'd replace the hoses because of their age.

Are there 2 or 3 hoses total?

When I look on Rock Auto, I only see 2.

 

[19Walt93]

The LMC truck catalog has a picture. Rock may not have all the hoses.
The hose that's grayed out is metal on the 86 Ranger I'm working on right now, if it's not rusty just flush it and reinstall.

 

[ford4wd08]

The LMC truck catalog has a picture. Rock may not have all the hoses.
The hose that's grayed out is metal on the 86 Ranger I'm working on right now, if it's not rusty just flush it and reinstall.
View attachment 44106

I forget about LMC, they don't always the best prices, but they have hard to find items alot.

 

[19Walt93]

If the cheapest source doesn't have one their price doesn't matter.

 

[RobbieD]

The "greyed-out" hose, from the condenser to the accumulator, usually has a short rubber section in the middle.

When you get your B2 back from the trans shop, and you get to the point of looking over the AC system, get us some pics of what you have. The '85 is kind of a transition year, being the last year for the 2.8 and first year for the A4LD.

 

[ford4wd08]

The LMC truck catalog has a picture. Rock may not have all the hoses.
The hose that's grayed out is metal on the 86 Ranger I'm working on right now, if it's not rusty just flush it and reinstall.
View attachment 44106

So... looking at LMC, it states this is for 86 and up models with the 2.9... are there any difference between an '85 2.8 Factory installed AC and the '86 2.9 Factory installed AC?

 

[RobbieD]

The main differences lie in whether it's "factory air" or "dealer air". The former uses an orifice tube and the later uses an expansion valve for the refrigerant metering.

And I'm guessing that the compressor mount and drive may be different between the 2.8 and 2.9, even though the same compressor may be used. I'm looking at a Four Seasons catalog, and may be able to shed more light on all of this later.

And I also have two trucks with factory air, an '84 2.8 and a '90 2.9, that I can look at and we can compare to what you find on yours.

First pics I'd like to see are the hoses on the back of the compressor, and the accumulator/drier at the evaporator housing (heater box).

I hope that you get some good news from the trans shop; good luck!

 

[franklin2]

If your old r12 hoses are in good shape, there is no need to change them when converting to r134a. It is true that a new virgin r12 rated hose will leak r134a. But they found out after the r12 hose is exposed to the r12 refrigerant and oil, it seals the r12 hose and prevents the r134a from seeping through after the conversion to the new gas. One of those theory versus actually what happens in the real world scenarios.

 

[JerryC]

IMHO, replace everything. It will work for years and you'll only regret when you pay for it.
Reusing all the old stuff, especially when you don't know the history is taking a risk.
That's what I did a few years back, about $1100 for parts, tools (vacuum pump and gauges), etc. and about 11 hours of my time chasing parts and getting everything replaced and working. The only real pain was replacing the evaporator. Everything else was simple unbolt and bolt back together. I had no experience with auto AC before I started that job. Just watched a lot of youtube and read articles online.

 

[ford4wd08]

IMHO, replace everything. It will work for years and you'll only regret when you pay for it.
Reusing all the old stuff, especially when you don't know the history is taking a risk.
That's what I did a few years back, about $1100 for parts, tools (vacuum pump and gauges), etc. and about 11 hours of my time chasing parts and getting everything replaced and working. The only real pain was replacing the evaporator. Everything else was simple unbolt and bolt back together. I had no experience with auto AC before I started that job. Just watched a lot of youtube and read articles online.

If all OEM condenser, evap coils, compressor, and components were still available I might could see that.

In my opinion, I would rather trust a 35 year old OEM part that still worked/didn't leak vs some of inferior aftermarket stuff available today.