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My offer still stands for fixing the AC. Come by my house after I get back from Europe and we will try to fix it in a day. If it takes longer than a day you can leave it at my house and I'll work on it myself until its done.Quote:
Originally Posted by Farrar
Happy birthday man!Quote:
Originally Posted by Farrar
A/C is not that bad a repair provided your condensor and evaporator aren't at fault - we did my whole system from stem to stern, including all new hoses, new compressor, accumulator, etc in only a couple of hours. But my condensor and evaporator were fine and didn't have to come out. Hopefully yours don't either.
What's the constraint that causes the order of operations here? Time, money, or both? I'd do the A/C first, then rip out the interior and do the sound insulation while roughing in what you need for the cruise control at the same time. Then you can finalize the installation later. But that's assuming time is the major factor and not money, as you'd need to have all the parts for both jobs up front.
Edit: "a couple" of hours for the a/c job was really more like 6, with 2 of us working.
:happyd: Thanks, Sean! That's gotta be the geekiest birthday present I've got yet. :lol:
Steve -- thanks! I still think it can be done in a day with two people working. Houston says it's a ten-hour job, and I can do a lot of the prep work myself (e.g. removing kneepads) before I take it to wherever we do the work. Knowing you have the proper tools, plus there is a covered area to work, makes me feel better. (Not sure if Brian has his other projects out of his garage yet -- I guess we will find out on Sunday!)
Edit: Hey, where is the "happy dance" emoticon? :[
Oh yeah, happy birthday too.
Well, guess what -- the evaporator needs to be replaced. (I have already done the hoses and narrowed down the leak to the evaporator itself.)Quote:
Originally Posted by jawn101
The main problem here is my lack of expertise, tools, and covered work space. If I don't have someone with me who knows what s/he is doing and has the proper equipment, then I am likely to damage something -- in fact, the evaporator did *not* leak until I wrenched on one of the hose connections too hard and damaged the aluminum pipe.
After the evaporator is replaced, the only component in the system not new will be the condensor.
Thanks for the birthday wishes, gang! I come here when my workday sucks, so that makes it even better. :)
Aw, crap. Sorry to hear that then! But hey, it will make it that much easier to put sound insulation up on the forward bulkhead! Sounds like you need to gut the whole car and insulate, then do A/C, then do cruise control to me :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Farrar
33, eh? You know, if you take the current year (2012), subtract 1985 (for an arbitrary reason), then subtract the number of cylinders in the PRV (6) divided by 2, and divide by 2 again, you get (DMC)12. Coincidence?
Yeah, probably.... lol. I tried to make it work somehow with 1979 but ran out of steam and creativity. :)
Edit: this is the worst birthday math trick ever because it doesn't even involve your birthday. I feel so lame ;-)
If I were to gut the entire interior, I would replace it with something wholly redesigned:Quote:
Originally Posted by jawn101
... a one-piece dashboard (better "flow" into the kneepads).
... HVAC ducts in the kneepads (like Houston's 2004 interior).
... a glovebox that opens from the front and hinges downward (so you can see!).
... finishing pieces for under the dashboard (hiding electronics, ducts, etc.).
... a three-piece console with an integrated 7" touchscreen carputer interface.
... a storage compartment inside the console.
I know how I would do it, but I haven't the time, tools, or garage space. (I absolutely will NOT fabricate fiberglass pieces inside my apartment. It's too dangerous.) So the overall makeover of my car's interior is a long-term goal. (I can make some sketches if you like.) For right now, I think I will start by taking out the seats and carpets and putting down some sort of sound insulation. Fortunately I work with an audio engineer who can make some good recommendations for what material to use. :) And it would be easier to replace the evaporator with the carpets and seats removed anyway ... right?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Farrar
Wow, big plans :) I didn't mean gut as in remove and destroy... :) I just thought that the evap box was done with the dash out, which would make it a lot easier to dynamat the footwells, etc. I've heard that it's possible but difficult to do with the dash still in place. Either way, best of luck! Take lots of pics for an evap how-to. :)
I think I have heard the same thing -- "possible but more difficult." I thought about removing the dashboard and adding some sound dampening material to the backside of it, but I am not sure that is feasible. The good news is Steve has removed and installed a dashboard before, so I can draw on his experience in this area. My greatest concern is that, in the process of removing or reinstalling a 31-year-old part, I will damage or destroy it. This is what happened when I took out the kneepads -- when I tried to put them back in, the studs came out. And it's happened in other instances as well. So in the long run, instead of "leaving well-enough alone," I might as well make some changes that I consider to be improvements. It is, after all, my car to do with as I please, right? :)Quote:
Originally Posted by jawn101