Ontopic A Thread About Butt Mustard, For Those Who Drive Automobiles

Status
Not open for further replies.
Jehannum said:
Especially if converting to R-134a. I had to spray about 5 gallons of acetone through the system to clear out all the old oil out of the lines, evaporator, and condenser without leaving residue behind, then swap the expansion valve for one that works for the pressures of R-134a, then swap a drier and pressure switch that work for R-134a. Then to top it all off, I had to separate the compressor housing to replace the rubber O-rings that sealed the housing together (it separated into 4 parts - the rear head, the crankcase, the front head, and the front housing/clutch mount) and clean that all in acetone to remove the old oil.

Then I had to put it all back together with new O-rings, make sure that I'd put everything together sufficiently air-tight, and add R-134a compatible oil, and then finally R-134a refrigerant.

It was a pain in my ass.
Click to expand...
This is why when I convert I'm just gonna buy all new 1994 truck parts.

I'll still have to clean some parts, but nowhere to that extent.
 
  • Gravy
Reactions: HipHugHer and Jehannum
I'm kind of proud that the AC is still working in the 300ZX. The compressor is actually cobbled together from 3 different ones. One had good heads, but shot crankcase, one had good crankcase but shot heads and reed valves, one had shot everything but good clutch and bearings.

Once I got it back together and torqued down, I stuck my thumb over the inlet and turned it to feel the compression and figured it was good enough to send it. That was pre-Zcon 2016 in Austin, TX, and it worked that entire week, plus the 3 years since.
 
Last edited:
  • Gravy
Reactions: HipHugHer
Mr. Asa said:
This is why when I convert I'm just gonna buy all new 1994 truck parts.

I'll still have to clean some parts, but nowhere to that extent.
Click to expand...
I thought about that for the Z, but the parts list for an R134a Z (1993+) actually only differs from an R12 Z by two pieces - a different condenser, and a 3 way pressure switch (sensitive to both under and overpressure, unlike the R12 which just switches on under pressure). I'm still running the old condenser, but I did swap the pressure switch. Theoretically, I'm not achieving optimal cooling, but I've never come up against a situation where the performance lagged badly enough to want to.

Then again, I live in New Mexico, so dissipating the heat should be easier than in Florida with all your humidity.
 
  • Gravy
Reactions: HipHugHer and Mr. Argumentor
Jehannum said:
Trying to break the transmission loose?

I think every single bolt in my Nissan has some of my blood on it somewhere.
Click to expand...
I anti-seize my fan clutch nut. It typically just takes a looooooong cold chisel and one or two whacks with a hammer for me to get it loose enough to remove. This time it decided to be obstinate and I ended up whacking myself so hard.

So so hard.

It drove the breath from me. It did something to that hand so that now it feels cold.

Actually, that kind of worries me. @Ledboots I hit my thumb hard enough that my entire hand feels cold. My other hand feels fine. Am I gonna die?
 
  • Gravy
Reactions: Immigrant
Mr. Asa said:
I anti-seize my fan clutch nut. It typically just takes a looooooong cold chisel and one or two whacks with a hammer for me to get it loose enough to remove. This time it decided to be obstinate and I ended up whacking myself so hard.

So so hard.

It drove the breath from me. It did something to that hand so that now it feels cold.

Actually, that kind of worries me. @Ledboots I hit my thumb hard enough that my entire hand feels cold. My other hand feels fine. Am I gonna die?
Click to expand...

They make rent-a-tools for those Ford fan clutch nuts you can get at AutoZone or wherever. Much easier.

Really they're just shapes cut out of 1/4" plate steel. You might have the stuff to just make them.

Larger "U" shape one that fits alongside the small bolts and uses them to hold it from spinning. Smaller "U" one that fits the big nut in the middle.
 
  • Gravy
Reactions: wetwillie
These. Look at the fan and it'll make sense.


download (1).jpg

If you got enough length of steel you could just cut a long enough handle for leverage and forgo punching the square that's for a 1/2" drive breaker bar.

Or make the handles skinny enough to fit in whatever piece of pipe you got laying around.
 
  • Gravy
Reactions: wetwillie
Mr. Asa said:
I anti-seize my fan clutch nut. It typically just takes a looooooong cold chisel and one or two whacks with a hammer for me to get it loose enough to remove. This time it decided to be obstinate and I ended up whacking myself so hard.

So so hard.

It drove the breath from me. It did something to that hand so that now it feels cold.

Actually, that kind of worries me. @Ledboots I hit my thumb hard enough that my entire hand feels cold. My other hand feels fine. Am I gonna die?
Click to expand...
thats nerve fuckery. Been there, had that.

When one of your nerves get shocked or damaged it can essentially overload the related pathways and you get a cold feeling. sometimes numb too
 
Mr. Asa said:
I anti-seize my fan clutch nut. It typically just takes a looooooong cold chisel and one or two whacks with a hammer for me to get it loose enough to remove. This time it decided to be obstinate and I ended up whacking myself so hard.

So so hard.

It drove the breath from me. It did something to that hand so that now it feels cold.

Actually, that kind of worries me. @Ledboots I hit my thumb hard enough that my entire hand feels cold. My other hand feels fine. Am I gonna die?
Click to expand...
No but that is weird. The hand feels cold to the touch, or feels cold to you? Is the hand swollen, is the thumb smushed?
 
HipHugHer said:
They make rent-a-tools for those Ford fan clutch nuts you can get at AutoZone or wherever. Much easier.

Really they're just shapes cut out of 1/4" plate steel. You might have the stuff to just make them.

Larger "U" shape one that fits alongside the small bolts and uses them to hold it from spinning. Smaller "U" one that fits the big nut in the middle.
Click to expand...
Yeah, but my engine is weird and I have yet to find a kit that has both the nut and the pulley bolt wrench in the same kit. I usually have to rent the Autozone and the O'Reilly kit. Each being an ~$80 returnable deposit and I tend to stick with the chisel and sledge.
 
  • Gravy
Reactions: HipHugHer
Mr. Asa said:
Yeah, but my engine is weird and I have yet to find a kit that has both the nut and the pulley bolt wrench in the same kit. I usually have to rent the Autozone and the O'Reilly kit. Each being an ~$80 returnable deposit and I tend to stick with the chisel and sledge.
Click to expand...

OK, that adds to the pain in the ass.

If the chisel works, it works. I'd be concerned about hitting the end of the water pump shaft with a bunch of shear force but I don't know how heavy of a bang it takes to get yours loose.

I've run into loaner sets that have the wrench heads in a variety of sizes with no handles. Have to mount them on breaker bars, which can be a bit floppy but still get the job done if you can hold everything straight.


If you think you might have to do this more than once it might not be a bad idea to cut a set that fit your truck out of some plate. Don't have to be pretty, just grind flat enough the parts that matter. A future water pump replacement or anything that involves removing the fan (radiator or shroud?) will benefit from it.
 
  • Gravy
Reactions: wetwillie
Mr. Asa said:
Wife says cold to the touch.

It 100% was the absolute worst time I've ever hit my finger(s)
Click to expand...

If it feels cold to somebody else and not just you that sounds more serious than the regular kind of hammer to the thumb.

Idk. If it doesn't let up in a while I might consider having it looked at.
 
  • Gravy
Reactions: Ledboots
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom
Back