Practical Tips

[Witsend]

Are you hot yet ? AC not cooling properly ? Was close to triple digits last week with an 06 F150 with not much AC. Evacuate the system and was not over charged but the high side was running at 450 psi at idle Engine wasn't over heating but the fan didn't seem to be moving much air. When it's this hot a weak viscous fan clutch will show it's self. Replaced the clutch and repaired the air deflectors around the condenser. Now we got some air moving through the condenser. Pressures better and cold air now

I've also seen debris build up between the radiators and condensers on quite a few.
Shops using recycling equipment to recover R134, or customers seeking relief often put r134 into a leaking empty system. Systems unable to obtain and hold vacuum. Techs listen for leaks or check with soapy water and sniffers , but often when recovering the refrigerant they added to find the leaks forget to manually turn off machine just before reaching the 0 psi mark and the machines don't actually turn off automatically until a vacuum of about 7in hg is obtained , so some air is being pulled into the machines before they actually turn off and contaminate the recycled refrigerant and the pressures go higher than normal using reclaimed refrigerant that still has air in it.

[BRIAN617]

I've also seen debris build up between the radiators and condensers on quite a few.
Shops using recycling equipment to recover R134, or customers seeking relief often put r134 into a leaking empty system. Systems unable to obtain and hold vacuum. Techs listen for leaks or check with soapy water and sniffers , but often when recovering the refrigerant they added to find the leaks forget to manually turn off machine just before reaching the 0 psi mark and the machines don't actually turn off automatically until a vacuum of about 7in hg is obtained , so some air is being pulled into the machines before they actually turn off and contaminate the recycled refrigerant and the pressures go higher than normal using reclaimed refrigerant that still has air in it.

That sounds pretty far fetched to me. If the leak is big enough to introduce a large amount of atmospheric air I doubt there is any refrigerant left in the system.

[Glide]

Any AC recovery/recycling machines that I have used recycle while vacuuming the system,and all air is expelled during this process

[sbreland73]

Any AC recovery/recycling machines that I have used recycle while vacuuming the system,and all air is expelled during this process

Yes! Be wary of dis-information. An algorithm is programmed in to account for ambient temperature, tank weight and pressure to determine how much AIR to purge from the tank before a charge.

[Witsend]

I don't care what type of Al Gore Rythym the recyling machines have a beat to , but sooner or later you get a tank of BullSh@t that pressures throws you for a loop until you recover the recycled Sh@t and use virgin refrigerant. Can anybody tell me how to responsibly dispose of tank of contaminated recycled refrigerant? Do you pay Juan or Jimenez $100 to take it away and dispose of it responsibly, Do you call Ghost Busters

[Glide]

I don't care what type of Al Gore Rythym the recyling machines have a beat to , but sooner or later you get a tank of BullSh@t that pressures throws you for a loop until you recover the recycled Sh@t and use virgin refrigerant. Can anybody tell me how to responsibly dispose of tank of contaminated recycled refrigerant? Do you pay Juan or Jimenez $100 to take it away and dispose of it responsibly, Do you call Ghost Busters

I've been using various recover/recycling machines since they were invented,and so far haven't had any issues at all.My machine has a sniffer on it that samples the refrigerant in the vehicle and shuts it down if the refrigerant is contaminated.In that case I won't repair that vehicles AC.They can take it back to whoever put parts store garbage in the system.

[Glide]

Interesting warning in 2016 Acura service info with 1234yf.

Compressed air mixed with the HFO-1234yf (R-1234yf) forms a combustible vapor.
The vapor can burn or explode causing serious injury.
Never use compressed air to pressure test HFO-1234yf (R-1234yf) service equipment or vehicle air conditioning
systems.
Air conditioning refrigerant or lubricant vapor can irritate your eyes, nose, or throat.
Be careful when connecting service equipment.
Do not breathe refrigerant or vapor.
NOTE:

[Wheel]

Interesting warning in 2016 Acura service info with 1234yf.

well - there goes their high moral standards and lip service to safety and the environment, which only proves what I always say: it ain't about the environment or safety - it IS about control.

[BRIAN617]

Interesting warning in 2016 Acura service info with 1234yf.

Thanks for that info, I shop air test a lot of AC jobs. What do they recommend as a suitable testing "gas/air"?

[greasybob]

Nitrogen is inert so I would think that would be acceptable, it also dries things out. Here is a guide line https://www.chemours.com/Refrigerant...Guidelines.pdf

See if the link works, the pdf did not fit to post it here

[Witsend]

Hmmm Nitrogen plus Glycerin (released from heat from the Tri glycerides in the wanky new refrigerant oil) equals 72 Virgins a waiting.

[Glide]

Thanks for that info, I shop air test a lot of AC jobs. What do they recommend as a suitable testing "gas/air"?

They don't make a recommendation in the information that I have,but like Bob said I'd recommend nitrogen as I've always used it.
There is also a new sniffer for 1234yf,I don't have the Bosch tool number at hand.

Edit: LD 020 leak detector plus ultraviolet light

[Witsend]

Color matched underwear to the work pants works well

You all know the saying You Reap what you Sow , but try telling that to the wife when she don't want to sew anything especially the split seams of your pants when they need some mending. Wearing color matched undies instead of Whitey Tighties , goofy pattern boxers, pink panties or whatever the heck you wear under your work pants, that will be easily be seen if you split your work pants open when you squat down.

[Witsend]

Broken metal TPMS valve stems on older Chrysler,Jeep

2005 Chrysler Town and Country. Rather than having a situation about who pays for part and labor to replace an entire TPMS sensor and valve stem or potential liability of eliminating a mandatory safety feature of a car I found a valve stem repair kit if I happen to crack one off trying to get them frozen corroded metal valve stem caps off . Standard Motor Part number TPM2014VK or NAPA/Echlin equivalent ECH920171. Who the H@ll wants to eat a TPMS sensor on one of these Turds?

[Witsend]

PITA Toyota Proprietary oil filter housing tools

I have somehow managed to remove these oil filter housings by hook or crook when I come across them one way or another. They have been out a decade or so on certain models and some come in pretty tight and can be a PITA to get off if you don't have the special tool to do it. WTF would you decide to design an oil filter housing that requires a proprietary special cup? Probably so you can discourage DIYers to bring to dealer for service and make aftermarket techs buy another "got to have" expensive new special tool to make life easier and not possibly damage an oil filter housing. Well I held out long enough and now there are plenty of aftermarket alternatives you can see online , but after 10 years from inception I'm surprised only one Auto parts store carries the special Toyota oil filter housing remover tools. Google search 77-3151 and 77-3152.
I bought the two Toyota cups but still improvising and using an old Snap On Pitman Arm socket with a half inch wobbler extension to get the oil filter housings off on GM Ecotech 4cyl engines