So, My Wife Broke My T-Bird

Reply #15 – July 28, 2010, 08:37:40 PM

Quote from: Scott D;329832

:flip:

My door is twice as heavy, but you make up for it with the hood :D

Really? I find our doors quite heavy - carrying it one person, it feels about the same weight as our hoods. I now also have a roll of sound deadening in each door too, adding another huge 20lbs or something. The thing is - it didn't even help as much as it should have! The tops of our doors is where all the noise comes from!

So, My Wife Broke My T-Bird

Reply #16 – July 28, 2010, 09:29:11 PM

man I had no ac in the coug since I got it and I'll tell you what down here in FL with the 100* summers and 90% humidity, its nice to have. I'm so glad the bird has it now. ...come to think of it....It could definitely use a recharge...

So, My Wife Broke My T-Bird

Reply #17 – July 28, 2010, 09:59:52 PM

Quote from: sarjxxx;329839

It could definitely use a recharge...

Perhaps I don't know enough about A/C but to me, this makes no sense. Adding refrigerant to the A/C system would increase the pressures. Unless the A/C is continuously cycling on a hot day due to low pressure (low pressure = colder refrigerant), adding refrigerant will make the cooling system run HOTTER, not cooler. Why do people typically claim they need to "recharge" their systems?

I need a remove a little refrigerant from my A/C as I don't get as cold of vent temperatures as I could be on normal hot days. The system runs continuously at cruise on a 80 degree day and doesn't hit cutout so the pressure is a few psi and up to 10 degrees warmer than I could get it if I were to have less refrigerant, not more.

Most of the time when I hear complaints about A/C performance, I tell people to leave it alone - it's usually in your head.

So, My Wife Broke My T-Bird

Reply #18 – July 28, 2010, 10:02:42 PM

Quote from: Seek;329843

Perhaps I don't know enough about A/C but to me, this makes no sense. Adding refrigerant to the A/C system would increase the pressures. Unless the A/C is continuously cycling on a hot day due to low pressure (low pressure = colder refrigerant), adding refrigerant will make the cooling system run HOTTER, not cooler. Why do people typically claim they need to "recharge" their systems?

recharged to the optimal pressure

So, My Wife Broke My T-Bird

Reply #19 – July 28, 2010, 10:29:21 PM

Quote from: Seek;329831

My 88's hinges/bushings are still stock after 22 years :p

Yes, I should replace them soon too.

Aft 22 years mine are fine, a little oil goes a long way... Hell the door hinges on my '69 Fairlane are still tight...

So, My Wife Broke My T-Bird

Reply #20 – July 28, 2010, 10:33:35 PM

Quote from: Scott D;329844

recharged to the optimal pressure

The problem is adding ANY refrigerant will cause poorer cooling - again, UNLESS the A/C clutch is cycling on and off when it shouldn't, due to low refrigerant. Less refrigerant/pressure = colder A/C in liquid side. I don't think people who "recharge" are pulling anything out and charging it back up - they're just adding addition r-(your flavor).

I hear the "recharge" thing from half a dozen people every summer, yet the a/c eventually blows cold and the compressor keeps on running. In these cases, no A/C work will improve anything other than stalling larger condensers, evaporators, adding stronger/more condenser fans, and replacing inline parts with more optimal ones. I've wasted so much money on stupid things that were pointless, I'd like to help people not make the same (expensive) mistakes.

I hope someone can say I'm wrong and it's certainly possible with variable output compressors and what not, but the basic rules of liquid/gas phase change don't change.

So, My Wife Broke My T-Bird

Reply #21 – July 28, 2010, 10:34:43 PM

Quote from: TurboCoupe50;329847

Aft 22 years mine are fine, a little oil goes a long way... Hell the door hinges on my '69 Fairlane are still tight...

The hinges may be find but my old bushings were fun to play with when we had to replace the passenger side door. It'd bolt up and work but an hour later, the door was sagging.

So, My Wife Broke My T-Bird

Reply #22 – July 28, 2010, 10:47:40 PM

Quote from: Seek;329848

The problem is adding ANY refrigerant will cause poorer cooling - again, UNLESS the A/C clutch is cycling on and off when it shouldn't, due to low refrigerant. Less refrigerant/pressure = colder A/C in liquid side. I don't think people who "recharge" are pulling anything out and charging it back up - they're just adding addition r-(your flavor).

I hear the "recharge" thing from half a dozen people every summer, yet the a/c eventually blows cold and the compressor keeps on running. In these cases, no A/C work will improve anything other than stalling larger condensers, evaporators, adding stronger/more condenser fans, and replacing inline parts with more optimal ones. I've wasted so much money on stupid things that were pointless, I'd like to help people not make the same (expensive) mistakes.

I hope someone can say I'm wrong and it's certainly possible with variable output compressors and what not, but the basic rules of liquid/gas phase change don't change.

I dunno much about how it works , All I know is I have a gauge that I can hook up that has a yellow, green, and red range and a gauge that has an adjustable temperature range . You set the temperature part to the outside temperature and check to see where the needle is ... It has worked great for me so far :D

So, My Wife Broke My T-Bird

Reply #23 – July 28, 2010, 10:56:26 PM

Quote from: hypostang;329851

I dunno much about how it works , All I know is I have a gauge that I can hook up that has a yellow, green, and red range and a gauge that has an adjustable temperature range . You set the temperature part to the outside temperature and check to see where the needle is ... It has worked great for me so far :D

Do you charge it with the engine at idle or revved up continuously? If you charge it at idle, the clutch will rapidly turn on and off at any sustained speeds but you will get good cooling at idle. This should kill the clutch a lot sooner than otherwise. If you charge it when keeping the rpm's up, your idle won't work as well but cruise will cool great.

Keep in mind that at lower temperatures, the clutch will cycle more often due to the entire system being cooler/lower pressure. In winter with your defroster, the A/C cycles on quite rapidly so I don't think charging the vehicle with it at idle will harm anything too much but the system may be a little undercharged (which is why it can cool better at idle).

So, My Wife Broke My T-Bird

Reply #24 – July 28, 2010, 11:09:14 PM

Quote from: Seek;329852

Do you charge it with the engine at idle or revved up continuously? If you charge it at idle, the clutch will rapidly turn on and off at any sustained speeds but you will get good cooling at idle. This should kill the clutch a lot sooner than otherwise. If you charge it when keeping the rpm's up, your idle won't work as well but cruise will cool great.

Keep in mind that at lower temperatures, the clutch will cycle more often due to the entire system being cooler/lower pressure. In winter with your defroster, the A/C cycles on quite rapidly so I don't think charging the vehicle with it at idle will harm anything too much but the system may be a little undercharged (which is why it can cool better at idle).

I have always checked /charged at idle , but never in "cooler" weather, it's always been 90 or above whenever I have done any A/C checks/work .
I'm kinda chubby and I don't like being hot in my car . So I usually just make sure the needle on my gauge is in the green zone and call it good .

So, My Wife Broke My T-Bird

Reply #25 – July 28, 2010, 11:21:35 PM

Yeah, I'm guessing that you have a leak and the compressor is being cycled on and off rapidly, causing the evaporator to get to like 40 degrees, then 90 degrees, then 40 degrees, and so on. Over time, this comes out to something stupid like 80 degree vent temperatures. The cycling would likely turn on for about 10 seconds, then off for 5, then on for 10 - or something similar. Normally it takes a car a couple minutes of solid ~30 degree evaporator temperatures before you start to notice it actually cooling the cabin down.

Just pop the hood and look at the a/c clutch - it'll tell you all its dirty secrets.

So, My Wife Broke My T-Bird

Reply #26 – July 28, 2010, 11:33:17 PM

I have actually only had to add refrigerant to any of my cars one time .
It was on my 88 Mark VII back in 2008 and have since sold it to my brother and it is still blowing cold :D
When I bought my Bird it had a new compressor, accumulator and low pressure line and a wonderfully working climate control system .

But you are absolutely right the clutch will tell you lots of things .

So, My Wife Broke My T-Bird

Reply #27 – July 29, 2010, 07:19:07 AM

Quote from: Scott D;329832

:flip:

My door is twice as heavy, but you make up for it with the hood :D

you can just have the shop do pins and bushings instead of
hinges. ive done it a couple of times.involves using gm parts.
there might even be a kit from total automotive for this now.
hinges are a pain in the a-- . just a thought --irv
any body shop can get this kit from total automotive--TAI-FDHK02
[total auto.com]

according to my mitchell the last prices i have for hinges is
85.43 upper & 180.48 for lower and probably at least 2 hours labor

So, My Wife Broke My T-Bird

Reply #28 – July 29, 2010, 08:28:01 PM

This thread is why I do my own work. I don't think any repair is justified, when it costs more then a new car.

So, My Wife Broke My T-Bird

Reply #29 – July 29, 2010, 10:22:42 PM

Quote from: irv;329878

you can just have the shop do pins and bushings instead of
hinges. ive done it a couple of times.involves using gm parts.
there might even be a kit from total automotive for this now.
hinges are a pain in the a-- . just a thought --irv

I'm gonna find a shop to put in the rebuild kit I bought from SuperCoupePerformance.com ...the hell with a 400$ bill. shiznit, I may get brave and do it over a weekend.