"AncientOfDays" (ancientofdays)
04/18/2014 at 11:50 • Filed to: 1985 AMC Eagle
2
6|
"AncientOfDays" (ancientofdays)
04/18/2014 at 11:50 • Filed to: 1985 AMC Eagle | 2
| 6 |
It's not summer yet, but you wouldn't know it in the Sonoran Desert. Our summer starts in mid-to-late April and ends some time around the week of Halloween. So it may seem that I picked an odd time to fix the Eagle's heater.
But, of course, the irony is that the heater is an integral part of the cooling system, and it had been bypassed because of a heater core leak. Last weekend I de-bypassed it, as part of a larger pre-summer cooling system service.
I also drained and refilled the coolant and used a wire wheel to clean up the business end of the coolant temperature sensor. I threw some stop-leak in as well, and so far the cooling system works as it should, the heater makes heat (and I haven't seen any evidence of leakage), and the temperature gauge on the dashboard is more functional than before.
So that's cool. Speaking of which, it's time to turn my attention again to the air conditioner. When I got the Eagle, I was concerned that the A/C might be running R-12, the refrigerant of choice in the bad old days. This concern was based on both the age of the car and this sticker on the compressor:
It's expensive and hard to find today, and supposedly it's bad for the environment, but it's less prone to leaks, and has more cooling potential.
I could also tell that some of the fluorescent-dyed refrigerant had leaked...
and that the system wasn't cooling as well as it should. Before anyone suggests it, "A/C delete" is not an option. While you (most likely) won't die without A/C in this town, you'll wish you did.
And it's a moot point anyway, because after some research and a look at the hardware on the system, it turns out after all that it runs R134a (YAY!), which is being phased out in the EU but is still the only game in town on this side of the pond. I already had a can of it, so I added some on Monday night to get the system's operating pressure where it should be. So far, so good.
Reinstall starter and brace
Put in the transfer case
New transmission fluid cooler line to replace the one I had to break
Fix speedometer
New u-joints for the driveshafts
A new driver's side CV axle in the front
Install new exha u st components
Change oil and brake fluid
New driver's seat belt ($$)
New (stock) rims and tires ($$)
New shift indicator cable (which keeps the gearshift from moving accidentally)
Service the front and rear differentials
New gas springs for rear hatch
Insurance, operation permit, emissions, title, registration
Flush coolant and repair heater core with some stop-leak and a prayer
Fix whatever makes the A/C compressor scream when it's on
De-grease the engine bay
4-wheel alignment
New under-hood insulation
Interior detailing
New paint job. Desperately needed. ($$$$)
crowmolly
> AncientOfDays
04/18/2014 at 11:55 |
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If you don't already, run straight distilled water in your radiator until you are SURE it's not leaking anywhere. Water is cheaper and easier to clean if you think there might be any more issues while you are testing.
JEM
> AncientOfDays
04/18/2014 at 14:39 |
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Oh god, it looks like you have a heater control valve, just like on my 1996 4.0L.
I hate that (*@$^@$ thing. Always leaks.
55_mercury
> AncientOfDays
04/18/2014 at 16:01 |
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You really need to do some research in regards to the compatibility of R-12 and R134a because I'm almost certain the two are not compatible. I see your compressor says " R-12" on the label. The problem with putting a different refrigerant in a system made for another is that the newer coolant will interact with the old oil residue in the system and can potentially lock up your compressor. I sort of found this out the hard way when restoring an old fridge.
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AncientOfDays
> 55_mercury
04/18/2014 at 16:24 |
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You're right, they're incompatible, based on everything I've been able to read. However, two owners ago, the system was professionally retrofitted to use R134a. They just never removed the original sticker on the compressor, which is what threw me at first.
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55_mercury
> AncientOfDays
04/18/2014 at 16:29 |
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So the original compressor is still being used in this retrofitted system? If that's the case then there's likely old R-12 lubricant residue inside. From what I've read its basically impossible to flush an AC system of the old lubricant. The only way to make sure there's not a compatibility problem is to basically replace the entire system with one that runs a different refrigerant, and then ONLY use that refrigerant. When the system was retrofitted did they do so with re-manufactured parts? But in any regard, if all that was done was do a swap then that might explain why its leaking and wasn't performing well.
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AncientOfDays
> 55_mercury
04/18/2014 at 16:48 |
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Not sure whether the parts were re-manufactured, but it's been run the way it is since then with no major issues... so far. There may be some r-12 lubricant left, but it's probably dispersed enough in the system and/or through leaking that it won't pose much of a problem. Time will tell, I guess.