psfred,

Thanks very much for your suggestion. I went back out and looked at the expansion valve again with the UV light and it looked very much like a pretty good leak between the top diaphragm and block.

After I was looking at it with a droplight, however, that's when I saw indications of oily residue. I got an expansion valve and when I got the old one off, there was no doubt that it had been leaking profusely.

I replaced the expansion valve and the r/d last night and pulled a light vacuum, about 22 inches or something and closed the manifold valves. I came back to it this morning and it had lost no vac at all. I evacuated for a few hours while doing a few other things and then charged it.

It now works very well, but of course it was 71 degrees out. I'll have to wait a few months for the real test.

Had you not made your suggestion, I might not have examined the TXV so carefully and missed it. There is still a possibility that the evap is leaking, but if it is, I don't think it is a bad leak. Time will tell.

Thanks again for your valuable input.

Have a great day,