Automotive Air Conditioning Information Forum (Archives)

77shovelhead on Sat July 17, 2010 9:20 AM

Year: 03
Make: Chrysler
Model: PT Crusier
Engine Size: 2.4
Refrigerant Type: 134
Ambient Temp: 98
Pressure Low: 0
Pressure High: 0
Country of Origin: United States

I got to thinking last night after pouring out and measuring the oil.

Can the remaining system, be blown out using compressed oxygen or argon in order to remove most of the oil?

I don't have a quality filter/dryer on my small shop air compressor to blow out the AC components, but I do have a bottle of oxygen for my cutting torch and a bottle of argon for my mig welder.

After taking the compressor dryer and liquid line off, I poured and measured the oil in each and ended up with a total of 1 ounce. This doesn't seem right to me.

This leaves me with 3 questions

1. Can I use compressed oxygen or argon to blow out the condenser, evaporator and lines?

2. If I don't blow out the condenser, evaporator and lines, how will I know how much oil was in the system?

3. If I blow out the system, can I use the factory recommended amount of oil?

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Quality is never an accident it is always the result of intelligent effort.

HECAT on Sat July 17, 2010 9:43 AM

Quote
Originally posted by: 77shovelhead
I got to thinking last night after pouring out and measuring the oil.

Can the remaining system, be blown out using compressed oxygen or argon in order to remove most of the oil?

I don't have a quality filter/dryer on my small shop air compressor to blow out the AC components, but I do have a bottle of oxygen for my cutting torch and a bottle of argon for my mig welder.

After taking the compressor dryer and liquid line off, I poured and measured the oil in each and ended up with a total of 1 ounce. This doesn't seem right to me.

This leaves me with 3 questions

1. Can I use compressed oxygen or argon to blow out the condenser, evaporator and lines?

2. If I don't blow out the condenser, evaporator and lines, how will I know how much oil was in the system?

3. If I blow out the system, can I use the factory recommended amount of oil?

The oils cannot be blown out as they adhere to the walls of the component; a solvent is required. The heat exchanger is designed to have maximum surface area, which means a lot of oil hanging on. The wells, chambers, and multiple paths will allow the "blow" plenty of paths to take for escape, leaving the oils behind. If your system lost charge as it failed, most of your used oils have accumulated in the Evap.

1. Nitrogen or Paint booth quality compressed air can be used to test for restrictions, dry out solvents, etc.
2. You don't.
3. You may overfill.


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HECAT: www.hecatinc.com You support the Forum when you consider www.ackits.com for your a/c parts.

FLUSHING TECHNICAL PAPER vs2.pdf 

HECAT on Sat July 17, 2010 9:44 AM

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HECAT: www.hecatinc.com You support the Forum when you consider www.ackits.com for your a/c parts.

FLUSHING TECHNICAL PAPER vs2.pdf 

Edited: Sat July 17, 2010 at 9:45 AM by HECAT

bohica2xo on Sat July 17, 2010 11:20 AM

Let's try to keep the oxygen away from things like OIL.

Do NOT connect an OXYGEN bottle to anything but a clean, and OIL FREE regulator.

Hecat is right, you need a solvent to get the oils out of a system, and clean dry compressed gas to get the solvent out. There is an entire forum here dedicated to flushing, with some great threads.

The Argon bottle will work for clean dry compressed gas, but will be expensive. The good news is your argon regulator will work on Nitrogen bottles. The same place that you fill or swap your tanks now will have nitrogen. You can get all sizes, they all have the same CGA 580 fittings. Keeping a 40 cu. ft. nitrogen bottle around for portable air can be really handy too.

Please be safe, and keep the oxygen connected to the torch. While the property damage would probably be limited to your own property, I really hate loud noises...

B.

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"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest."
~ Mahatma Gandhi, Gandhi, An Autobiography, M. K. Gandhi, page 446.

Cussboy on Sat July 17, 2010 12:27 PM

I think poster really means compressed AIR, not oxygen.

DON'T USE OXYGEN.

bohica2xo on Sat July 17, 2010 1:04 PM

Quote
Originally posted by: 77shovelhead
I got to thinking last night after pouring out and measuring the oil.



Can the remaining system, be blown out using compressed oxygen or argon in order to remove most of the oil?



I don't have a quality filter/dryer on my small shop air compressor to blow out the AC components, but I do have a bottle of oxygen for my cutting torch and a bottle of argon for my mig welder.



1. Can I use compressed oxygen or argon to blow out the condenser, evaporator and lines?




Actually Cussboy, he said exactly that. OXYGEN. From a welding tank. Perhaps we should call youtube & get a camera crew over there?



-------------------------
"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest."
~ Mahatma Gandhi, Gandhi, An Autobiography, M. K. Gandhi, page 446.

77shovelhead on Sat July 17, 2010 3:08 PM

I said exactly that. OXYGEN. From a welding tank. It ain't often that I say something STUPID, but I do does it.

But in the back of my mind I knew better. Old man Carr taught me that in metal shop. If I remember correctly I had just come back from smokin lunch and I'm still paying the price. Some folks call it brain damage. I call it dain brammage.

Now anyone else who wants to know will see that OXYGEN + OIL/GREASE=BOOOOOOMMMM!!!

I've never seen it happen and I don't want to see it happen.

Thanks for the smack upside the head reminder and the safety lesson to those who didn't know.

-------------------------
Quality is never an accident it is always the result of intelligent effort.

bohica2xo on Sat July 17, 2010 3:50 PM

Shovelhead:

Good to see you made it back here in one piece. We all have said & done stupid things a time or three... Just did not want to see anybody get hurt.

Like I said, grab a tank of nitrogen & keep it around. Almost free compared to Argon. I keep a couple of 40 cubic foot tanks for quick air - with a good regulator it will run the 3/4 drive impact just fine.

The simple Flush kit like THIS, and some Hecat solvent will usually get the oil out if there was not a compressor failure or other debris in the system. Blow the flush out with nitrogen, or clan compressed air.

B.

-------------------------
"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest."
~ Mahatma Gandhi, Gandhi, An Autobiography, M. K. Gandhi, page 446.

77shovelhead on Sat July 17, 2010 10:53 PM

Thanks bohica2xo,

I'm just glad to wake up some days.

Thanks to all who helped get me straightened out as well as get my daughter's car back on the road.

I'll take it for a ride tomorrow and see what happens.

By the way, what is bohcia2xo?

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Quality is never an accident it is always the result of intelligent effort.

TRB on Sun July 18, 2010 12:06 AM

Quote
Originally posted by: 77shovelhead
By the way, what is bohcia2xo?


Bend over - you can work on the rest.




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