Orifice tubes

[Scooterwrench]

Have you got a pressure relief valve in there somewhere?

Well,,,,,sort of!
I hooked the high side of my gauges to the high side of the compressor and it stalled that 1/4hp motor at 150psi. The compressor still has its blow off valve in it but I would imagine that canister would blow before the valve blew off. I don't know what pressure those canisters are rated for but if I only use it to hold a third of its capacity I should be alright. I ordered a small capacity air/water separator that I'm going to put 1/4" flare fitting on to use as an oil trap for any oil that may get pulled out of the system during evacuation.

 

[Supercharged111]

Plugging a quick AC related question here: do you guys push a solvent flush through new components? Or just flush the old surviving components, bolt on the new, vacuum, charge and go?

 

[Schurkey]

I don't flush new stuff. I flush re-used parts...which of course is never the receiver/dryer/accumulator which has the desiccant pouch inside.

 

[1998_K1500_Sub]

do you guys push a solvent flush through new components?

I haven’t but I’ve thought about it. Here’s why:

Four or five years ago I bought a new, in the box ACDelco R4 that came without oil (a sticker on the compressor clearly stated this).

I was preparing to install it on a 1995 S10 Blazer I once owned.

I poured in maybe 4oz of new PAG, rotated the compressor, “sloshed it all around”, and then drained… just to measure how much oil might be retained.

The oil that I drained wasn’t clean. There was something in that compressor, I’m not sure what.

I didn’t believe my own eyes. I added more PAG and repeated; that oil didn’t come out clean either.



I re-installed the plugs, stuck it back in the box and put in on the shelf. Someday I’ll tear it open just to see what I find.

(edit) I looked up the purchase, I bought it from RA back in 2016 "GM GENUINE 1520189 (New) Contains No Oil (Dry); w/ Clutch"

 

[Scooterwrench]

Ten years ago I would have said no but the pi$$ poor quality of replacement parts now changes things. Couple years ago my sis-n-law hit a turkey,busted the grille and knocked a hole in the condenser. Went to NAPA and got a new condenser and when I removed the plugs I could see metal shavings in the inlet side tube. I flushed it out while holding a rag over the outlet tube and got a bunch of metal shavings and what looked like good ol dirt. May be good insurance to flush new parts now.