Quote:
Originally Posted by funola
My success in getting my AC to work is not because I was blessed. It is from willing to learn, being persistent, not give up easily, being able to differentiate good advice from BS. Automotive AC is not easy. I had my share of failures before finally getting it to work well.
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^^^ This.
Separating the BS (and BOY is there a lot of it) from reality is the biggest key. If you pay attention to all the "experts" on the Internet, you'll quickly come to the conclusion that the A/C will never work, the design is flawed, it'll never cool off in the summer, all the hoses will leak, and the compressor will blow up.
Push all that crap aside, R&R the system with common sense and follow basic guidelines of servicing HVAC equipment and it'll blow cold. Like Funola, I'm running a stock system with reman compressor, R134a expansion valve, and new filter/dryer. Running on 134a, I'm blowing 40-44˚ at the center vent with it 95+ outside and no window tint. This is season 2 and still no leaks on the original 1986 hoses. I'm impressed for a 32 year old car, but it works better than my 2011 Honda (which has DARK tint) in exactly the same conditions.
R&R work on automotive A/C systems is not rocket science, nor is it voodoo. It just takes patience and a methodical approach. Do it right, take your time, and be thorough in your practices and you'll be rewarded with a comfortable car and a reliable A/C. Take shortcuts, skip steps, or overthink it and you'll complain about how poorly your A/C works and how it's always breaking down.