Black Death...Complete Rebuild on A/C?

[BlackMoses]

Hey guys,

Like the title says, when I bought my truck the mechanics that inspected it said I had a case of the Black Death in my A/C system. Unfortunately my understanding is that I need to replace my entire A/C system in order to get it up and running again. So my question is...

If I do this myself, how much is it going to cost me and can most of this stuff be bought off of RockAuto?

If someone has a list of all the components I need to buy that would be awesome. FYI I've got a 2001 XL with the 3.0 V6.

I appreciate the help in advance.

 

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

compressor, orifice tube, condenser, accumulator(drier), evaporator if you really want to

you'll need to backflush all the lines several times until the solvent comes back clean, then blow low pressure (30psi) through the lines to dry the solvent out.

then you'll probably going to want to have a shop charge it with oil and refrigerant.. be sure to let them know all the work and flushing you've done or they won't recharge it with enough oil.

the general rule is 1oz of oil per component so thats 3oz from accumulator, condenser, and evaporator. new compressors usually come pre filled. then add 1-2oz for oil being flushed from the lines.

you'll also need to replace all o-rings with the exact same size, and dip them in clean PAG oil to lube them

 

[BlackMoses]

Awesome! I found this website as well that seems to have quite a bit of information and parts for sale on there.

http://www.ackits.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=01&Category_Code=Ford01Ranger3-0

What do you think between that and Rock Auto I can get everything for a pretty good deal? Where's a good place to get the PAG oil and what time of solvent are we talking?

Thanks!

 

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

Awesome! I found this website as well that seems to have quite a bit of information and parts for sale on there.

http://www.ackits.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=01&Category_Code=Ford01Ranger3-0

What do you think between that and Rock Auto I can get everything for a pretty good deal? Where's a good place to get the PAG oil and what time of solvent are we talking?

Thanks!

you can get PAG oil and A/C flush from most parts stores. viscosity doesn't matter to lube o-rings, but DOES matter for system lube.

however you probably won't have the equipment to vacuum and charge the a/c system so the oiling and charging is best left to a shop

you'll need lots of flush solvent and a way to safely blow it into the lines, they might come in aerosol cans i don't know. WEAR EYE PROTECTION AND GLOVES, i've gotten this stuff sprayed on my face and all over my hands and it burns like hell. its strong enough to dissolve neoprene gloves.

and when you blow it out with compressed air you need to be sure it won't blow back out at you or onto any ignition source cause its highly flammable, as a warning it will come spraying out under force.

one more thing, some compressors come with flush solvent cause they assume you are replacing a grenaded compressor

 

[BlackMoses]

Ah! That's handy because my compressor is damn sure grenaded! I appreciate all of the help Brutus, I probably won't get started on this immediately, but in a couple of weeks when the funds become available I should get a chance to tackle this project.

I'll keep this thread updated when I do.

 

[exbass94]

Evaporator and hoses can be flushed out. Replace condenser, accumulator, and orifice tube. Get either a brand new (NOT remanufactured) compressor, or a used one from a junkyard. I've heard nothing but bad things about reman'd compressors, and if/when one goes, you're right back at square one, having to flush everything out and replacing the parts I listed above again.

You've got quite a selection for a used compressor. Ford used the same one in a LOT of vehicles, including all V6 Rangers (both 3.0 and 4.0) from 1991-2010, all V6 (not v8) Explorers 91-01, and a bunch of other vehicles that I'm not 100% sure of.

 

[BlackMoses]

Well if used parts from a newer Ranger is an option...did Ford get their act together and fix the issues with the compressor that led to my grenaded compressor?

Is their a specific year I should look for? I might just keep my eye out for a whole system next time I head out to the junk yard and see if I can't find a set.

 

[Robert_1967]

I bought a used compressor from Pull-a-part in Knoxville, and I haven't had no problems with it, I did look for a system that was still charged, and was a 134a system, so it's OK to use a used compressor. I was installing this into my Father-in-laws 94 Explorer, I took his compressor apart, and it looked like it was running with no oil.

Good luck on your quest.



Robert