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I need air condition help

Your summary is correct. I suppose I could hook the gauges up to some other vehicles and verify the accuracy of the gauge, but you're right, it was slipping the clutch and/or belt due to the high load, so I don't think the gauge was lying.

Yes, I will be using a 4th condenser this time.

It was not blowing cool air inside.

Good info on the fan speed. Today it's only getting up to a high of 77, so there won't be as much load today, but that's a good nugget of info to try to remember. I'll have the IR gun at the ready this time.

You are correct on the orifice to condenser tube orientation.

I remember you talking about the orifice tube in the evap in an old thread. I think Leroy did that as well? With the bundle of snakes I have going on down there, taking it apart to slip an orifice tube in does not sound fun.

It is a new tensioner, but now I can't remember what brand.

I understand on the lack of good parts.....and that's sad.
 
I wouldn't put the O-tube in the evaporator. It was merely a possibility that the PO had done this. In your case it would be a new part with an o-tube shoved in from the factory. I forget what years did this. GM moved it due to noise. Noise may give it away if one is in there. I would doubt it, but, this is a strange problem. I recall the early model NBS like 1988 had em in the evaporator but like 1992 were in the condenser. So it's actually plausible a new part has an O-tube in the evaporator.

I would inspect the liquid line from the condenser to the evaporator. Maybe it got kinked or hammered shut somehow.

Without blowing cool air I would think massive restriction or massive internal leak at the o-tube. How many cans you getting in it as low charge won't cool either.
 
Thanks, this is helpful. When I did the flushing, I blew it through the evaporator from the core support via the line from the condenser to the evaporator. It seemed to flow freely, but to be honest, this is the first time I've done this, so I don't have a great baseline to compare to. If I still have problems with this condenser and orifice tube, then I guess I'll tear the bundle of snakes apart and inspect the tube and evaporator independently.
 
Welp, I guess I’m removing the hard line between the evaporator and the condenser. I still have stupid high gauge readings on the high side and it’s relatively cool out today. This was with just 5.4oz of R134 in it.


7F7B3B4D-2607-4B4A-AF95-5BA828EA28FB.png

The inlet of the evap was reading around 80 degrees and outlet of the evap was reading 85-ish (hard to get a good reading on it down there). The condenser was reading around 80 degrees on its surface. The nut on the line just before the orifice tube was reading a whopping 135 degrees. With the gauge tickling 400psi I didn’t think it made sense to add any more refrigerant.

I’m going to do one last thing to be sure before I start disassembling, I’m going to put the gauges on another vehicle to confirm the gauge isn’t the problem.
 
Nope. Gauges are fine. Here they are on my 2008 Envoy.


I also only read 108 degrees at the inlet to the condenser and I could easily lay my finger on it. With the truck I think the IR reading was low. I couldn't get a decent reading unless I was on the nut, otherwise it just read around 90 degrees, but I couldn’t leave my finger on it at all….it was like touching exhaust. I’m thinking there may be an obstruction in that line right there by the bend due to the temps I’m seeing. We’ll see soon. Er, soon-ish.
 
UMMMM…..pretty sure I found the problem. It was a loose nut - the one in the operator. I had the lines to the condenser swapped!! When I bolted the system together, I mindlessly installed them based on how that hard line wanted to fit. And I assumed they couldn’t physically be swapped…..that there was no way it could go together wrong, so it must be the right orientation. Right? GUESS NOT. So now I will be putting the larger condenser back on, vacuuming the system and doing it again. Dumb.
 
Wreckinball67 said:
When I mistakenly put my orifice tube in incorrectly (backwards), the orifice tube was jammed so far down the tube I almost couldn't get it out. Luckily I was able to but, what I'm trying to say is that the pressure involved will definitely send an obstruction deep into your system.
Click to expand...

No wonder this sounded like when your orifice tube was backwards, eh??
 
Ok, it’s under vacuum now. I also had one new orifice tube still, so I figured it made sense to pull the one that was in there out and put this new one in, since the other one had been run under incorrect conditions.

I’m sure that was the problem. Thank you for chiming in, guys. If not for your thoughts, I’d have my dash torn apart right now, on my way to replacing the evaporator.
 
400 psi would definitely push the orifice tube down in there.

Its weird that your lines were bent that way. I know I always have to tweak my low side line from the condenser to get it on and off.
I got in the habit of following the flow and attaching the lines accordingly. Which is how you figured it out I'm sure.
 
Twisted Steel Performance said:
By any chance ya know a part # for the bigger condenser, or what truck uses the largest one that will fit without mods to a 93 ??
Click to expand...

I can’t search back in my emails on my phone for some reason. Tomorrow I’ll dig through my email and get the part number for the first condenser I had installed. I don’t know if it’s the biggest that will fit, but it’s the biggest I’ve found. It’s the same size as the one I put on the Tahoe when I was looking for a large condenser

Duvall said:
400 psi would definitely push the orifice tube down in there.

Its weird that your lines were bent that way. I know I always have to tweak my low side line from the condenser to get it on and off.
I got in the habit of following the flow and attaching the lines accordingly. Which is how you figured it out I'm sure.
Click to expand...

I stumbled on it as I was talking about taking the hard line between the condenser and evaporator apart because it must have an obstruction since it’s hot. Then I realized it was the line from the compressor that was hot……and that’s when it clicked. I looked up the proper flow in the service manual and that was confirmation. I’m not super savvy with AC….I know just enough to be dangerous…..literally, well at least to my bank account and AC components. I’ll for sure think about the system as a whole in the future!!

Will L. said:
Wow. Glad you got it. Next video, lets see some ice cubes flying out the vents!
Click to expand...

I’m glad I figured it out too, and hopefully this helps someone else to not make the same mistake. What a dumb mistake. Boy do I have PAG on my face.
 
n8in8or said:
I can’t search back in my emails on my phone for some reason. Tomorrow I’ll dig through my email and get the part number for the first condenser I had installed. I don’t know if it’s the biggest that will fit, but it’s the biggest I’ve found. It’s the same size as the one I put on the Tahoe when I was looking for a large condenser



I stumbled on it as I was talking about taking the hard line between the condenser and evaporator apart because it must have an obstruction since it’s hot. Then I realized it was the line from the compressor that was hot……and that’s when it clicked. I looked up the proper flow in the service manual and that was confirmation. I’m not super savvy with AC….I know just enough to be dangerous…..literally, well at least to my bank account and AC components. I’ll for sure think about the system as a whole in the future!!



I’m glad I figured it out too, and hopefully this helps someone else to not make the same mistake. What a dumb mistake. Boy do I have PAG on my face.
Click to expand...
ME! lol
 
Twisted Steel Performance said:
By any chance ya know a part # for the bigger condenser, or what truck uses the largest one that will fit without mods to a 93 ??
Click to expand...

I found the part number of the condenser I ordered off Rock Auto last summer. It's APDI/PRO part number 7014544. Unfortunately it isn't in their catalog right now. This had the thicker, parallel-flow core that I was looking for. The core was pretty much the same size as the one that I put on my Tahoe a few years ago. It was also decently made from what I could tell.

5/21/21 I ordered a condenser from Rock Auto after roaching the first compressor, it was UAC part number CN22107PFC. This one was NOT the larger size core, which was a bummer. It has a note in their catalog saying "2 door" - that probably should have been my clue that it was the thinner core. Ah, and I see now it says it's 16mm thick, yep, not the right one.

6/1/21 I ordered another condenser from Rock Auto as part of the scroll compressor kit. It's GPD part number 4544C. I specified the kit being for a Suburban with rear AC, so surely it would be the larger condenser.....plus the '4544' part number is close to the APDI/PRO part number above. Nope. It was the thinner core. That was the condenser that I put in yesterday afternoon that was thinner.

This is a thread I started 3 years ago when I needed a condenser for the Tahoe. There's some helpful info in here from others.

97 Tahoe condenser recommendations | The Truck Stop

The condenser I went with in that thread was from Autozone (I know.....). It was Spectra Premium 7-4721. This is what I ordered last week after the used one from the Tahoe became restricted. Unfortunately what I received was not that actual brand and part number (I don't remember what it was now, I'll have to look at the box later). The one I received from Autozone is what's on the truck now. The core is basically the correct size. It's thicker like I want it to be, but the overall width of the condenser is a little narrow so it doesn't fit in the saddles awesome, but it works.

Note that I am using the non-stock saddles that I found in my thread above. I'm not sure there's an off-the-shelf condenser that fits well in the factory saddles, but then again, a guy with your fab skills should be able to make something fit however he wants. Again, I don't understand why it's so hard to find parts that fit right for these trucks....it's not like the GMT400 isn't popular.

In summary, of the condensers I've installed, these have been my favorites based on fitment:

Spectra Premium 7-4721

APDI/PRO 7014544

NON Spectra Premium 7-4721 (I'll find the label on the box later and share that part number)

You'll also see an AC Delco condenser (15-6958) referenced in that Tahoe thread. I couldn't get the orifice tube to go into it, but it fit in the saddles decent. I wonder now if a different o-ring on the orifice tube would have allowed it to slip in there. If an orifice tube can be made to fit, I'd slot it in between the Spectra and the ADPI/PRO as far as fitment goes.

Hopefully that helps.
 
Well sumbitch, would you look at that!

B382E76A-3660-4FEE-9DA4-FCDFE535BF29.jpeg8619B47A-F233-4C0A-85A6-514DD5EC9718.pngD2389376-DE9E-4106-99B2-1269C97290FA.jpeg

Amazing how it actually makes cold air when your junk’s hooked up correctly. I ran out of refrigerant, but at least I’m finally on the right path. Thanks again for the help!!
 
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