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How to replace evaporator
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Posted by Kevin Parker [Email] (more from Kevin Parker) on Sat, 22 Jul 2006 13:17:44 Share Post by Email
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I replaced the evaporator in my 96 900NG using the aftermarket unit from eeuroparts--$300 as opposed to $800 for oem kit. My aftermarket kit arrived poor-fitting and had to be massaged and tweaked to work. Parts need to be cut to fit. In addition, because the pad for the frost switch is not placed in the same location on the evaporator as on the oem version, the evap. cover needed to be cut. Procedure: If there is pressure in A/C system have it recovered at a shop. Detach battery cable. Remove glovebox. Unclip main ECU and swing out of the way. Remove ECU holder. Remove defrost vent solenoid (cylindrical object with two wire harness and a plunger attached to vent-system lever). Remove the two ventilation ducts to floor and dash on passenger side. The evaporator housing cover is oriented vertically, at the bottom rear(against firewall) of the ventilation system box on the passenger side. You do not need to remove the center console side panel to get at the evaporator. At the top of the evap housing cover is a thermostat attached with a 13mm nut. Remove nut. Remove the two screws securing the frost switch and swing switch out of the way. Remove the four screws holding the evap cover to housing. The two on the firewall side are difficult to find because they're buried in foam rubber insulation. Pry cover off gently and note routing of bare thermostat probe wire. With insulation pad pulled back you will see the side of the evaporator and its plumbing. Cut the two aluminum A/C lines near the firewall with a "handy saw"--a handle holding a short, protruding hacksaw blade or a keyhole saw with a metal cutting blade. Unclip thermostat probe wire coil and slide the old evaporator out. Detach plumbing connections on engine side from the expansion valve--10mm on a 3" extension for the front connection and two screws for rear connection. Withdraw old pipes. Prefit new evap with o-rings onto adaptor (some gentle bending may be required). Remove adaptor and insert new evap. into position. From inside the evap box, push the 2-pipe end of the adaptor through the holes in the insulating grommet in the firewall. Attach adaptor flange to evaporator plumbing with new o-rings. Cut cover so that newly positioned frost switch will just fit. You will lose one screw attachment with this cut. Use a coping saw or score with a utility knife and break away plastic. Jack front end of car up and secure safely on stands. Detach clips holding A/C lines to firewall and fender near battery (you may need this play in the rigid lines to get the expansion valve lined up). Attach expansion valve to lines from evap. Make the last two plumbing connections on the outside of the expansion valve. Put everything back together. Notes: I recommend testing the system for obvious leaks before buttoning everything back up--I used compressed air through a hose adapted to the pressure fitting on the A/C fill port near the battery. Release pressure after test. The return line from the evaporator in the aftermarket kit was too large to fit into its adaptor--very lame. I had to cut about one quarter of an inch off of its length to get it to seat properly. Obviously, use a new seal wherever you've removed an old one--get everything to seat properly--this is difficult as the system is poorly engineered for repairs--paired lines rather than single lines, etc. Keep the system clean--no aluminum shavings, dirt or nicked o-ring seal seats. Since the system has been opened it needs to be vacuumed by a shop for 45 minutes to get the moisture out. Add a few ounces of pag oil and between 720 and 800 grams of R134a--that's two and a quarter 12oz. cans. Don't put combination refrigerant/dye and leakstop into the system. No one will want to hook their A/C machine up to your car if it has leakstop in it--it clogs and ruins the machine to the tune of $4,000. If the oem kit fits better than this aftermarket one I estimate a three hour time savings. The fact that a little air will leak where the cover has been cut to accomodate the new position for the frost switch is another consideration. The book labor on the repair is 3 and a half hours. It took me ten, but I pulled out far more of the dash and center console than I needed to. Getting the system vacuumed cost me $35. Charging the system myself cost $30, but I already had a charging kit (hose and connections)--shops estimated between 140 and 200 for the vac and charge.

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