Air conditioner is fixed - sorta . . . maybe . . . I think . . .

[Mike Arman <armanmik@n-jcenter.com>]

Bought a rebuilt compressor for my 86 5 KS, cost $140 (wholesale - yes, I
know someone . . . ) last week.

Friday the independent who works out of his van shows up to install same
and convert to R-134. He installs compressor, changes orfice tube, replaces
drier, vacuums system down, charges with R-134 - son of a gun, cold air
comes out, and out of all the right vents! (Well it ought to - I'm getting
to know these dang controller boxes on a first name basis).

Coupla questions:

1. Cools OK, but just OK. If I stick a thermometer in the vent, how cold
should it be? No, it doesn't snow in the car, but I just have the
impression it should be colder - no guesses from me, I want a number. If
low, add freon? Full charge is 1100 grams of R-12, 10% less for R-134. How
do I check this?

2. AC off, car idles and runs like silk - an absolute pleasure. AC on, car
idles and runs like ***T!, idle drops from 800 rpm to 600 rpm (is there an
adjustment or "throttle kicker" for when the AC is on to raise the idle?).

3. How much should the gas mileage drop AC on vs AC off? 5 KS, 5 speed, not
turbo.

4. At 600 RPM, you have never heard such a racket at idle! I think every
heat shield and exhaust bracket on the car is resonating. Gotta crawl under
and shake stuff - suggestions on where to look first?

5. When turning AC on for first time, there's a WHOOSH from behind the
dash, drivers side, that sounds exactly like truck air brakes bleeding off
excess pressure - sharp, loud hiss, one or two seconds, then all quiet and
works fine. What goes on here?

6. Noise in blower motor housing - sounds like fan is hitting something -
probably dead leaves, gotta check that.

7. Any easy way to get the recirc door off? (and back on again) Gotta
change the weatherstripping around the rim. It's two screws and the link
for the vac. motor - I recall this being a grade one knuckle scraper when I
changed the vac motor last year (AC didn't work then).

8. Also gotta vacuum out two hundred years accumulated dead bodies and
other trash from AC ducts - otherwise it blows all this crap right in my
face! Ugh!

Best Regards,

Mike Arman

P.S. the old compressor was leaky, but the clutch was good. New compressor
came with clutch. Any bids on the old clutch? (GM type compressor - long
sucker, weighs 36 lbs!)