Cap'n,

Yes I added a little refrigerant a few months ago when it was still very cool. One hot day in traffic it was not cooling like it should. I topped it off and ran it a few times in cool weather before the heat hit and then on a hot day I noticed that it wasn't freezing me to death as it had been. It was a hot day when I noticed it and I was in a traffic jam. In fact Suginami was with me and we were going to an Mshop get together. In retrospect I think the fresh air was most of the problem, not the refrigeration system itself.

At that time I assumed that it had lost freon and even started getting my R12 recovery machine ready and started shopping for a sniffer to verify the evaporator before I pulled it out.

That's when I found the fresh air problem. Since then I drove to Missourri and to Kansas in the heat and was actually reasonably comfortable both trips except for a section of stoplight to stoplight in 96 degree heat.

Once I put the gauges on, I could tell that it had not leaked any since charging early in the year. When I charged I put in UV dye. I searched exhuastively for signs of dye and found absolutely none. I have had the car seven years and have never had to add refrigerant. I expect (and sure do hope) that it was just the normal ounce per year or so that most systems exhibit.

I just realized that I did not shine my black light in on the evaporator while I could see it. I did look it over pretty good visually though and it was amazingly clean. Of course, you can't see that much of it, even with the heater core out.

Time will tell. The system seems tight and certainly does not have a bad leak if it is leaking any at all, besides the miniscule seepage that most all systems exhibit. I was considering replacing it anyway until I read a post that somebody has put in three in the last several years. When I read that, I decided that if it ain't broke don't fix it.

I realize the track record of these evaps, but even with that track record, there is no guarantee that it will fail.

I got the instrument panel back on tonight, everything on the right side except the cover over the SRS controller and the connector. I got the instruemnt cluster in place and all the vents.

What I have left to do is the center from the switch panel down, everything underneath on the passenger side, the steering wheel and airbag. Once all that is in, I'll raise the car the rest of the way up and hook up the speedo cable, then lower it and fill the radiator.

I am mentally prepared for something to be wrong necessitating disassembly again. I have put all guns out of reach, and will hide the razor blades before I start it up.

Unless I run into problems I will probably start it up tomorrow night, Saturday at the latest.

Keep your fingers crossed for me,