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Advice on identifying vacuum leak in A/C system

5K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  chipset 
#1 ·
I have a 2001 Taurus 3.0 OHV with 138K miles. My A/C clutch went bad. Before the clutch died the AC worked great so there was no compressor failure therefore no need to flush the system, replace the accumulator, etc.

There is no room to just replace the clutch with the compressor installed so I had to remove the entire clutch/compressor assembly. As it turns out, neither O'Reilly's or Auto Zone had the tool to install the new clutch coil so the entire compressor was going to have to come out anyway.

I put it all back together, try to pull a vacuum and the best I can get down to is -18. When I close the gauges after about 10 min most of the -18 is gone.

This is my first time to tackle an A/C repair. Clearly there is a leak. The only part that was removed was the manifold from the back of the compressor. I had to move the manifold around some to get the compressor out.

I'm hoping that some wise, experienced Taurus owners/mechanics have had a similar experiences and can share how they solved the problem and where they found their leak.

Any assistance, prayers, sympathy is greatly appreciated.

2bef
 
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#3 ·
Thanks for the reply. The new compressor came with the rings installed. I did not remove them but I did rub oil on them.

When I was only able to get a -18 vacuum I took off the manifold and I noticed there is not an exact fit between the manifold and the compressor I guess because of the notch in the manifold? I installed it again but still only got to -18 vacuum.

Both times the manifold appeared to be flush with the back of the compressor. I wonder if I'm just not getting the openings on the manifold centered over the o-rings just right?

I will take it off again and give it another try. Nothing to lose at this point.
 
#5 ·
That manifold is very tricky to put on PERFECTLY STRAIGHT. It can go off center and
bind up on the compressor if the small alignment rings on the manifold are not in perfectly.
It can actually be a few thousand out and look perfect but will leak. You will have to
pressurize the system and use a soap and water mixture to find the exact point of the
leak AND DON'T USE AIR. You may have put a small crack in the tubing where it meets the
manifold. Very easy to do. If that has happend you replace the manifold.
 
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