Not a poor mans game.

[Cornbinder89]

I just ordered new R/D, fittings, and trinary switch with harness I need to change a bunch of hoses that are 20 years old, and the OEM type R/D with -7 inlet is still available, but any fittings to fit are a back-order item with at least a 30 day wait, so it is getting a different R/D, and corresponding fittings to match. Over $300 and that doesn't include any hose, refrigerant, or "hard parts" like condenser, Tx valve or evaporator! I stock some hose, but will need to buy some (I'll obtain locally by the ft as needed). All this for a system that did function.

[Tom Greenleaf]

I really don't understand a 30 day wait. Is the item waiting to be made new or what? A/C or other something totally it's in season somewhere. That's a game. Stock tons yourself for things you know or think you'll need and magically 20 years go by speak for myself know you have it but now where did it get stored the issue! Other stuff became more likely stocked hiding what you know you had. That's just having room if you do keeping things all sorted.

Some is higher bucks some is dirt but isn't going to work without it.

A/C - it's almost humorous. Today a one day real hot with the max humidity expected, full sun highest it gets here is also my breaking point and can take heat to a point add a hot engine while running to even check things out where some problem is I lose it from the heat it has to wait. Note - I don't nor know shops that air condition the shop's work areas parts or not how many techs can take it and still be fast with the parts?

Same for the coldest but I do and others do heat just enough so things don't freeze not to be comfortable.

Hardest part is to not get angry that things just don't work out to get it done anytime soon lack of the proper parts is a lousy excuse IMO for an item that was every popular what is the true snag?

[Cornbinder89]

I'm finding that few places even stock the needed supplies anymore. I am going to have to make a run to Omaha to get more hose and fittings. There is a Thermo-King dealer there ( Trailer refrigeration) that I hope will have what I need.
My truck used an odd size hose and when I replaced it with Std Nylon barrier hose and lowered the cab, it rubbed on a pulley and I have to start all over again! There was enough clearance with the cab up, and I guess with the odd size reduced diameter hose it would clear, but with the thicker hose it did not! The hose I took off was neither Std nor the reduced diameter stuff sold today, neither fitting would work on it, so I don't know what it was.
Of the 3 parts houses in town, only one stocks any hose or fittings and they don't keep up inventory on that. They had 2 short pieces of -8 hose (a few ft long, not much use to anyone) and some lesser used fittings (-10 hose to -8 fitting) etc but were out of the common fittings. I guess they don't re-order until they empty the bins of everything!

Add to that a mouse had taken up residence in the heater box while the truck was sitting, Both blower resisters and high blower relays along with their corresponding plugs and connectors were corroded into oblivion. Lucky they are "Packard 56" connectors and still available. New resistors and relays are on order!
In the brief time I had the system running, I noticed the high side was hovering around 250 PSI with the fan on, Even though the condenser "looked good" all fins tight on the tubes and no mashed fins, closer inspection reveled that the aluminum had corroded between the tube and fin joint and there was "white powder" between the two, keeping it from sheading as much heat as it needed too. So a new condenser is going in.
Its "only money" afterall!

[Tom Greenleaf]

Same problem nothing to do with A/C today. Just hardware please I'll figure it out from there. Wrong place to look is handy to me a Home Center. Was just looking for the rating or hardened nuts and bolts I do stock a ton of that stuff even now pretty much not doing much A/C the rest of everything takes up so much time.

Asked the clerk what the ink letters meant not embossed or raised marks and he said that's so I can look up the price!!

Ever wish they had puke bags all around? I had ONE in my pocket to show the strength marked older than dirt of course they know nothing of such a thing just the price.

Cornbinder: I idea and it's a rare place still local was my brake parts outlet/warehouse. There were tons of solid brass replacements for whacko sizes like SAE to METRIC was used new on something and wrecked the vehicle is useless without a fix for that was and is common "rusted brake lines: and an unusable adaptor flare nut. Also just a wall of that stuff.

Small world around me - I don't know where to find the whacko sizes even on line you just don't know till in your hands. Hate the wasted time for stuff like that. My defense for years has been to use 'never seize' lube over a good one so it will be it I see it later or spray grease for the same reason a customer or my own. Out of luck sometimes spend all day trying to make something already used and worn truly work again usually did but forget the crusted alloys the part or area means game over for it,

[Cornbinder89]

Your mention of brake fittings remind me of when I was working on the ABS (BS???) on my Explorer. They has ISO bubble flare on one end and SAE inverted on the other of the same line! It is what happens when "bean counters" get involved in engineering. No true engineer would ever design something like that!

[Tom Greenleaf]

Spot on. Also metric flare nut at one end and SAE at the other. I know why in this case saves me time to guess at the length to be replaced default to longer. Joke - I've had a hell of a time cutting something longer :-)

Premade line cut down and put a flare union in the middle or where easy to get to if ever again. Buying the premade short line was costing less for line and two flare nuts than just buying flare nuts so have the assortment.

Forget the "Branded name on a very early Chevy" will come to me but was a German auto maker's common parts name clearly this one is a Ford so they just buy it then now program it for the specs of the vehicle it will go in one by one via fixed controls or need a dang dealer scanner to set it to the vin of that vehicle. Nice.

Credit to GM just one was asked to about restore a Rolls Royce maybe an early 70s there proudly placed was the GM A-6 compressor said by GM right on it. That car was just left in the barn of family friends once had a full stock of animals and gave me one end had a concrete floor for working on their cars did for a Winter no heat could see daylight thru the barnboards and had to leave as ground thawed in Spring lack of traffic to the concrete end for ages frozen ground now grass was so soft/muddy anything would get stuck couldn't stay there.

A/C wasn't part of my game yet. That's so long ago wasn't equipped for the whole game yet on my own with vehicles so always had two full time jobs. Nice to be that young again! Different all around Massachusetts wasn't out of control costly for everything then either,

[Cornbinder89]

I think the A-6 to be the pinnacle of compressor design, no gaskets only O rings and pressure lubed. Has something like a 40,000 BTU capacity. There was an earlyer GM compressor that I see from time to time, from the early 60's or late 50's but it didn't last too long. The A-6 was used by a lot of high end European mfg. Then the bean counters got ahold of things and the next was the R-4 disaster! In a lot of ways the Sanden and Seltec compressors are cheap copies of the A-6 design. The GM design was a lot better than what the others were using at the time, 2 cyl recips, either in the V configuration or inline. I can't even tell when the clutch pulls in on my trucks, the A-6 is so smooth and quiet that I have to look to see if it is turning or not.
Got back from Omaha and they didn't have any 45 deg fitting, its ok I think I still can find one or two that I have somewhere. The good news is I found they will deliver out here to the hinter-lands so will set up an account with them, and in the future can call in my orders. Finding good suppliers is 75% of the battle. I can always work around how long it takes to ship something if I know that it is what I need and can trust that the supplier is going to get it for me.
I had been working with a place out of Calif that would ship MEI/AIrSource to me, but they dropped the line and their customer service went in the toilet, last several orders have all be screwed up and often missing stuff off the order, tried writing and telling them they were going to lose me as a customer if they didn't do something to fix it, they didn't and they have seen the last of me.

[Cornbinder89]

Got the new condenser in, even hotter today than the other day where I was seeing 250 psi and climbing, today with the new condenser I'm at a rock solid 165 PSI, temp across the condenser is around 90deg. Of course it couldn't be simple, I had to make new brackets for the generic 3 ton condenser that replaced the factory one. Then the blower switch shorted out! More things to track down.'

[Tom Greenleaf]

Got toasty here today too. Still had to do something else took hours non auto anything. Laugh - I'm brain compromised to speak in tons with A/C of course it all matters but I think better in BTUs. Cooling a maybe 4,000 sq. ft. house with I think 60,000 BTUs a different game as the house sits still unless you are on the St. Andreas Fault line - not funny.

IDK - and I'll forget anyway but what is 60,000 BTUs in "tons?" Guess is maybe 3.5 to 4? It works and need it. Not constantly humid was 97F but high direct sun pounding on this joint/house. Home A/C not really my game just know and chose R-22 another banned again I think but have about 5, 30 pounders NOS with seals in wait.

Had a slow time now a long time ago at original site many of us then. Trying to figure BTUs of vehicles and approximate HP used when working hard a slight guessing game.

Was always a thing if using A/C vs open window and drag at speed was a toss up or a win. Answer I recall is totally depends on the vehicle and agree with that.

Old phart here doesn't care much for 3 mile runs for errands no time anyway. Highway the noise is obnoxious to me now both the breeze and other vehicles. Laugh, Massachusetts well known for the 80 MPH traffic jams when possible. Somehow despite the nut cases out there, there aren't usually many wild pile ups of wrecks. Go figure.

What is amazing is there really is some skill seen when it's totally snow covered roads or icy many people do know how to deal with it?

[hectorsalls]

Yes, true.

[Cornbinder89]

Last trip out the compressor pulley bearing locked up and burned the belt off. Went from needing A/C to needing heat on the same trip. The heater control valve was leaking so I had the manual valves on the block shut off.
Today was the day fix both. Fortunately I have a complete set of tools for working on the Harrison A-6. The engine fan clears the front of the clutch by less than 1/16th pf an inch! , have to roll the engine over until the fan is out of the way, then work blind (the fan shroud is in the way for line of sight) and pull the clutch plate and pulley. Once the pulley was off it was easy to press out the old bearing and press in the new, then back to working blind, putting the whole thing back on the compressor.
All that was childes play compared to replacing the heater control valve. The heater box is under the passenger seat, which in a cabover, is about 5 ft off the ground. Slip off the steps with your arms in the heater box and you'll snap your bones in a heart beat! The heater valve is in the bottom and one connection sticks through the floor so the heater hose can connect from the wheel well. The steel had rusted through from the salt and such thrown up for the tire. Getting the screws out was about as much fun as sticking your arms in a dispose all while it is on! Barely enough room to get one arm in and sharp edges every where! By the time I got it done, it looked like I went 30 minutes arm wrestling with a homicidal Bobcat!
I've done the job once before about 20 years ago, and remember then thinking I hope I never have to do it again.
Back to having heat and A/C.

[Tom Greenleaf]

You do have a way with words. A HOMICIDAL BOBCAT! Wish I could say it's funny but know it's not,