Bought replacement AC Evaporator from Rockauto for 89 turbovan

[pauly_no_van]

My first dash pull of a van.
If you look carefully, you can see on the new core to the right, that the coupler that goes to the pinch valve assembly in the engine bay is lower toward the core itself.
In order for this thing to fit, it will need to be bent about 3" up and away from this core.

45893

I don't see another detailed thread anywhere here about this.
Has anybody here seen or dealt with this before?
What was done?
I got a return label on the box already, my first inclination is to return it.
Then I read this:
http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/showthread.php?61144-Turbo-Mini-needs-A-C-Evaporator&highlight=van+ac+evaporator

Post 2 AJ says:"The one I got didn't fit the box perfectly but I adapted and overcame"

Has anybody received one like the one pictured on the right and used it?

:/
I think rockauto is slipping here, which worries me, because they never ever did this before. Their stuff was always 100% correct.

[A.J.]

I would contact the supplier. It looks like it got dropped on the lines pressing them closer to the core. You can try to pull them away from the core, they WILL bend a little, but I would contact the supplier first. Explain what is going on and you are willing to TRY to bend them back but you don't want to be responsible if the line cracks/breaks. I hate aftermarket evaporators but when you're dealing with an older car, sometimes you don't have a choice.

[wheming]

They often have different style within the same car application.
But I definitely think what you got there has been bent in shipping.
Was that the item pictured on rockauto?
I always verify pics before ordering.

If you decide to try bending it back, be very careful and leak check for any cracks.

[pauly_no_van]

Ok.
Thanks for the replies.
I bent it back, Leak tested, and am making new insulation for the outside edge.
The picture showed a unit with copper end tubing, which was why i picked it.
Copper can be brazed with solder. The unit I got was not the one in any picture on rockauto.
The other one they had was exactly the same as the one i removed, aluminum and not repairable where it broke. The spot and the way it broke led me to believe they all break there, so i tried for a copper unit thinking i could braze it if I needed to...
Thanks again I will post when I get it blowing cold again.
paul

[wheming]

On the plus side, the new one looks much more efficient. And should have better heat transfer.

[shackwrrr]

I've seen many evaporators and heater cores bent like that to fit in the box. Unbending it will be fine.

[pauly_no_van]

Ok.
I finished the dash work and I Let the ac lines sit under vacuum for two days, it held.
I used the engine's vac at idle to pull air out of ac system from high side port. backyard ftw..
I then used ester medium viscosity 3oz followed by 2 can (12oz) of inexpensive r134a.
It used most of the second can, and gave minimum of normal charge reading on the dial.
The compressor runs 100% of the time, it blows quite cold in 80* ambient!
I will repost if it leaks again, I hope not! Im into this almost $100 in r134 alone due to learning curve..
Thanks again for all the replies!
I hope this helps other people...

[wheming]

Hope that works out for you.
You may know, you really should have kept a real vacuum pump on it overnight to get out all the moisture. Longer would be even better.

[turbodaytona87]

Hope that works out for you.
You may know, you really should have kept a real vacuum pump on it overnight to get out all the moisture. Longer would be even better.

Even a modified refrigerator compressor will pull lower than car vacuum does

[pauly_no_van]

Hope that works out for you.
You may know, you really should have kept a real vacuum pump on it overnight to get out all the moisture. Longer would be even better.

I did not know. I don't have a vacuum pump.
It had ~18" vac on it for a couple of days while I drove it...
Later yesterday the pressure dropped again. It began to cycle on and off and does not get cold.
It has held this state up to this morning...
A theory is the oil got to the pinch valve and slowed things down briefly to make the pressure higher,
then spread through the system and the operating pressure dropped.
I cant find a leak anywhere.
It has the 3 oz oil and 24 oz or less of 134 in it currently.
The sticker says capacity is 38 oz.
I have a third full 12oz can of 134.
I am thinking of waiting a few days to see if it stays where it is,
then putting more in.
If I could do this all again I might not have because I don't have all the tools I need to do it right..
Its the only thing on a car I cant fix yet.... :)

UPDATE
It is still leaking somewhere else.
I have read
http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/showthread.php?67502-MeanMini-A-C-re-installation-problems&highlight=ac+later+evaporator+condenser
and decided to do this under the hood of my own van, rfather than chase down leaks from the stock system that has lousy type seals and fittings IMO.
To Be Continued . . .

[pauly_no_van]

The AC has worked every day since that incident on 7/13.
I have done nothing to it since before that day.
I don't know why it did not work that day, it has worked every day since, and it is quite cold as of today.

[turbodaytona87]

The AC has worked every day since that incident on 7/13.
I have done nothing to it since before that day.
I don't know why it did not work that day, it has worked every day since, and it is quite cold as of today.

At 18" the system would have to have been around 160* to boil off the water/moisture and remove it from the system. Where under 29" of vacuum, the boiling point is 76*

[shackwrrr]

At 18" the system would have to have been around 160* to boil off the water/moisture and remove it from the system. Where under 29" of vacuum, the boiling point is 76*

He said he drove around with it like that so I could see the system getting that hot

[turbodaytona87]

He said he drove around with it like that so I could see the system getting that hot

But if the system wasn't under vacuum (by an active vacuum pump), then the water vapor stayed in the system

[pauly_no_van]

Interesting..
When it is less hot outside, (below 80 ish outside) the ac pump cycles on and off again.
It still blows cold under those conditions.
When it is mid 80's and up, the pump runs full time.
This would prove what turbodaytona87 has posted.
What is the mathematical formula used there, turbodaytona87?
:D

paul

[turbodaytona87]

Interesting..
When it is less hot outside, (below 80 ish outside) the ac pump cycles on and off again.
It still blows cold under those conditions.
When it is mid 80's and up, the pump runs full time.
This would prove what turbodaytona87 has posted.
What is the mathematical formula used there, turbodaytona87?
:D

paul

The air/water vapor in the system would reduce the performance overall.

They're a little expensive for one job, but a set of A/C gauges has been a huge help to my A/C projects. I bought my set from Harbor Freight for around $50. For the vacuuming, I use a refrigerator compressor as a vacuum pump, it pulls down to 29.xx inches.

With the a/c gauges, you could see if the pressure was too low, or too high, etc.

[pauly_no_van]

I wanted to update that as of this moment the AC is still working as well as it did last year when I fixed it.
I was driving around cool with 97 degree heat outside 2 weeks ago!
Next time I do this I will evacuate the system properly for sure...