First Summer in Phoenix with 1st Gen...anyone know how to get more out of the A/C

[CHanstedt]

A Newbie here - so please go easy on me.



The A/C in my 92 Crew Cab blows 42 degrees at the vents but the blower doesn't push the air past the front seat. It works okay up to 105 degrees outside but anything hotter outside and the truck is a little... warm inside. Just trying to prepare for road trips in 115 degree temps.



Just wondering if a late model blower motor pushes more air?

 

[Dirtscience]

Welcome aboard Chad, I too live in Arizona and Nothing I own will keep up with the heat in PHX. Sorry I dont know about a higher output blower but the best advise I can give is get your windows tinted. I really does help.

The only draw back is visibility at night. They do make some pretty high rated tint these days thats not to dark to see past. I have found it darn near mandatory to have tinted glass in this State.



Mark

 

[BJMarshall]

What Mark Said. The windows were tinted on my 91 when I got it. I removed it because it was a crappy job. It wasn't long before I had it redone. It made a HUGE difference.

I also found that cleaning the evaporator helped as well. I cut an access door in the box so I could get to it with a hose and washed it out. I got considerably more airflow after that.

 

[CHanstedt]

The photo I posted is a few months old and I did Limo tint the truck. That did help a bunch, but it still gets warm inside on hot days.



My other vehicles do well in the 115 degree summer.

 

[rlyons]

The biggest improvment on mine was to clean the evaporator. It was clogged with dust, dirt and fuzz from clothing and carpets. The tint helped also.

 

[Sri Ram]

Could someone post a step-by-step to clean the evaporator? T'would help us A/C neophytes… BTW Welcome CHanstedt. Nice looking truck!

 

[BJMarshall]

If I remenber right, I cut out around the grille on the inlet on the passenger side below the glove box and put some hinges on it. The other truck I had had the grille busted out and you could get your hand in there. I just sprayed it out with a hose and a bunch of stuff came out. I vacuumed up the water with the shop vac. Make sure you keep the condensate drain hose from stopping up. Mine had much more airflow after this.

There are also commercially available cleaners for evaporators. Do a search on evaporator cleaner and you will find a bunch of products.

 

[CLiberty]

Could someone post a step-by-step to clean the evaporator? T'would help us A/C neophytes… BTW Welcome CHanstedt. Nice looking truck!

This is what your looking for,
Suitcase cleaning

and after you do that do that do this to keep it from getting crudded up again

Good luck!! It`s pretty easy to do, my old 86 had an old mouse carcass in the a/c box... YUK!

 

[Greenleaf]

The OEM coolant flow valve shuts off the flow through the heater core right? (and only when contols set to MAX a/c)



Wouldn't it be better/ok to install a ball valve or two in place of the factory valve to block the coolant flow for sure and for good or is that overkill and I'm rambln' on again about nothing worth while.



Why did that guy have to install a by-pass valve??????????? What-up w/ that!!??

 

[CLiberty]

The OEM coolant flow valve shuts off the flow through the heater core right? (and only when contols set to MAX a/c)

Wouldn't it be better/ok to install a ball valve or two in place of the factory valve to block the coolant flow for sure and for good or is that overkill and I'm rambln' on again about nothing worth while.

Why did that guy have to install a by-pass valve??????????? What-up w/ that!!??

I think he went with the bypass (K car?) valve because it was cheap and did what he wanted to do. It`s a good idea because evn tho coolant is blocked from flowing thru the core, the heat can still migrate up via the unblocked line. I guess you could fab up a coupla ball valves without too much hassle but the bypass coolant valve is pretty neat IMO, and it`s automatic, i. e. no levers to turn etc.

 

[JRussell3176]

Wow, thanks guys!



I had no idea my A/C system had a problem (seemed to work OK to me for an older truck). After cleaning out the HUGE pile of leaves and crap in the evap I had about 48-50* at the vents. I adjusted the copper tube about 1. 5" out and it went down to 38-39* at the duct! I put it back in about . 5" and it's at 40*. What a difference too!



EDIT: BTW I was able to cut the grill under the glovebox with tin snips and fold it open like a door. You should then be able to fold the "door" back closed when done and barely be able to tell.

 

[dpuckett]

ok, my detective skills are at a minimum- it's the weekend. Is the evaporator under/behind the glovebox? If so I'll head out there right nwo and take a look-see. Sun is almost far enough to get the truck into the shade.



Daniel

 

[HRDROKN]

ok, my detective skills are at a minimum- it's the weekend. Is the evaporator under/behind the glovebox?

Daniel

Yes, more so below than behind... .

 

[DSteimle]

i found on my 93 the evaporator would freeze up solid on long highway trips with the heater completly blocked off, i ended up with a valve in one heater line and it works fine. on another note, neither of my 93's have cooled as well since the 134 conversions. i think the r12 condensor is too small. searching now for something bigger that will fit with stock intercooler and radiator.

 

[LDechaine]

I just performed the "suitcase cleaning" on Stacks, and I cannot emphasize how much of a difference this made. The factory charged a/c (R12) now keeps my truck cooler than a lot of new vehicles that I have driven, even with the sunroof.



I also live in Phoenix, and have been able to test the a/c over the last several days, given our 110 degree days. Last year I had not cleaned the suitcase nor did I have a good tint job... the a/c was barely worth turning on. With the new tint... a vast improvement. With the suitcase clean... largest improvement. I could not believe the stuff that came out of that thing! I would say do that, ASAP... then see how you feel about the a/c.

 

[csnider]

I just came back from the AC place and everything checks out fine with my system so the guy recommended I try changing my heater shutoff valve to insure no hot water was getting to my heater core. . I looked at that "suitcase thread and thought the two way bypass would even be better than a new one side bypass since the heated water is still making it up the return hose. .

Does anyone have the part # for the 90 Dodge Daytona turbo shut-off valve?

Thanks in adavance... ...

 

[CLiberty]

Rockauto.com has the heater valve listed as "fourseasons" part# is 74779. Thats for a 1990 dodge daytona ES with a 2. 2 turbo motor

 

[Greenleaf]

I just charged my 90 with R12a (propane) after replacing the compressor. I pulled it to 29 inches and tested for leaks.



The best I got was 50°F duct temp driving on the open road. I attempted to pull the copper capilary tube out but she is fast... ..... stuck good!



I figgured that I would try to remove the function of said tube by cutting the wires. The compressor stopped. So I connected them together to by-pas the capilary.



The duct temp dropped to 35°F with the truck setting in the drive way and was still going down when I thought I'd better shut off the system



The compressor never cycled as it had been befor. It was on/off about every 15 seconds @ 1200 rpm. The other truck never cycles and sysytem works very well. So removeing the capilary does more than regulate the cycling.



I will have to experiment with this and report my findings. This may cause the evap. to freeze over. Perhaps regulating the coolant flow vale will help (?) Also I need to test the suction side pressure. It's not good to operate below 20 psi.



-S

 

[dpuckett]

Any updates, Greenleaf?



-DP

 

[Greenleaf]

Yes ..... and no



I lost the refrigerent charge ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... again :{ I filled it with a dye my brother stole ... er borrowd from the auto dealer and found I have a pin hole in the condensor I had to charge her up again too to build pressure to distribute the dye



You need to ask Andy M from the Windy City. The guy who edits these posts for the magazine. He say. . that his air temp is 25°F, so I'd ask him if the evap is freezing over because I cannot operate my system long enough to find out.



One more thang. I just purchased a dial a/c low side only pressure gauge from NAPA, that connetcs to the low side port. I have not used it yet to determine pressures and proper fill of propane yet so I need more time.



BTW, my suction line was completely covered with with ICE when I had 35° duct temp and of course the clutch is no longer cycling with the above mod.



My other truck is currently @ 40°F with propane and no electrical mods.