dieseldan44...don't feel bad needing to draw out a diagram.. those things are tricky....

this is a great reference site...

https://www.btrac.com/documents/svc-manual-revision-i-feb-2011.pdf

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1980 240d ,

chain elongation, cam marks reference:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/10414-help-i-need-check-stretch.html

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/305365-9-degrees-chain-stretch.html

evap fin cleaning:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/156207-photo-step-step-post-showing-w123-evaporator-removal-1983-240d-1982-300td.html?highlight=evaporator

A/C thread

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/297462-c-recommendations-mb-vehicles.html

Hmm - I am using schrader valves that come in my Santec o ring kit from this site.

Am I correct to screw the valve into the hose until it seats firmly and then gently tighten?

I have a new to me 300TD that has R12 fittings - ill check and compare the position of the needle relative to the top of the port.

lol, i want this to be done now :-)

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'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

I can't tell looking at your pics whether something is wrong/ where it's wrong. Best to connect the hose to the fitting and blow through it. If it does not pass air, the schrader valve is not depressed the valve is not open. Find a hose / schrader valve combo that's compatible.

Here's a pdf from Schrader http://www.schraderinternational.com/~/media/Schrader/Files/Document%20Library%20PDFs/North%20America/Valve%20Core%20Brochure.ashx

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

It is possible you have the wrong valve core. I believe W123's use standard schrader valve cores

http://www.schraderinternational.com/~/media/Schrader/Files/Document%20Library%20PDFs/North%20America/Valve%20Core%20Brochure.ashx

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

This schrader pdf is AC specific

http://www.schraderinternational.com/~/media/Schrader/Files/Document%20Library%20PDFs/North%20America/AC%20Valve%20Manual_User%20Guide_10-21-13.ashx

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

I got a Mastercool gauge set - the brass depressors on that one are correct and work.

I'll test the system later today and see where I'm at.

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'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

You said the whole system is new. Is it R4 new or Sanden kit new? If Sanden kit, which one? Did you replace the condenser with paraller flow and a new evaporator and new hoses that may be longer/ shorter/ different diameter? If so, the 2.2 lbs of R12 may not be correct anymore.

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

R4 from compressorworks - so it is new to 'stock' specs.


the only old component is the condenser, i believe it is original. hoses are from mercedes and original spec. im in Boston, so i dont need crazy cooling.

im going to pick up some coil cleaner and do a fin straightening pass on it as soon as i can.

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'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

Let me see if I got this right. You evacuated and pressure tested the system then charged it using a manifold gauge set connected to the low and high side ports without a schrader valve core installed in the low side port. Was there a valve core in the high side port? How did you determine the hoses from your gauge set was not depressing the core if there was no core(s)?

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

yes.

Yes.

1. the high side was not depressed
2. upon installing a core into the low side using the yellow jacket tool, the hoses would not depress that core either.

sorry, it is confusing

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'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

I struggle with reading comprehension sometime. Explain to me what you did after you had everything physically bolted up with the correct amount of oil in the system.

__________________
Jim

How did you determine the high side schrader was not depressed? When you did the initial evacuation, if the high side was not depressed, that means you evacuated only from the low side. That'd result in incomplete evacuation.

When you removed the gauge hose from the low side port w/o a schrader core, didn't the refrigerant + oil just violently expelled itself within a second? If that was the case, the yellow jacket magic core tool is not needed anymore.

I am not asking these questions to be a PITA. Just interested in what actually happened.

__________________
85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

engatwork -

- sealed system
- pulled vacuum for 1/2 hour, let sit overnight
- charged with 2.2 lbs of R12, leak checking after first 12 oz for several hours
- noted 43F at the vents during charging
- after charging, attempted to take low side off - met with massive leak
- discovered no core in low side, core not being depressed on high side

funola -

connected high side hose with no gauge set attached to the charged system- and no gas escaped. then connected a hose i knew worked to it, gas escaped.

grrr. i had not considered this very important fact. i thought air could flow between high and low side under vacuum? im likely wrong.

i was able to do the swap very quickly and the refrigerant is still charged enough to have 45 F at the vents at highway speed. a mist of oil and refrigerant leaked out, but not a significant amount of oil.

i guess at this point it's time to take the refrigerant out again and

- replace my high side core
- do a proper leak test
- evac fully with working gauge set
- replace R/D?
- full pressure test
- recharge

does that seem reasonable at the juncture?

dont apologize, thank you so much for bearing with me as i learn a new trade

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'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

The reason I said you may have an incomplete evacuation is that I did a similar thing due to laziness, I tried evacuating from the low side port only when testing the system for leaks. I had a digital vacuum/ pressure gauge (which could discern minute changes that the bourdon gauges cannot) in series with the manifold gauge. After an hour with the vac pump running, I shut the valves to take a reading and noticed the vacuum would drop instead of staying the same on the digital gauge. Took me a while to realize I needed to evacuate from both low and hi ports. I believe the reason it did not evacuate fully from only the low side port is due to the small orifice restriction in the TXV, isolating the hi side.

Use your manifold gauge set and crack one of the valve slightly to let out the refrigerant into whatever container you have so the EPA drones that are watching don't have anything on you. It may take 5 to 10 minutes to let out all the refrigerant and you won't lose any oil.

I would not replace the receiver dryer. Just evacuate for at least 3 hours on a real hot day with a 100 W incandescent bulb under the dryer with a shroud of aluminum foil around it to direct the heat upwards.

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

Cool. I was hoping to not have to lose valuable R12 but it's inevitable I guess.

The recovery machines on ebay for $400 are tempting! Three recoveries...

am i insane to think i could find an R12 recovery machine at a garage?

what temp are you getting at your vents?

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'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car