DIY015 Driveway Air Conditioning

Well the first thing you need is a good vacuum pump.
Scope out the neighborhood for an old refrigerator on trash night…Carefully extract the compressor……
like this one…. Fig 4063

Solder a schrader valve fitting, to the suction side, wire up a power lead and an on / off switch as shown.
If your system is charged you need to discharge it. This can be recovered at a local shop if you choose.
After you discharge the system you want to check the oil level in the compressor.
Connect your gauge set and the vacuum pump to the system and evacuate the system. A vacuum pump removes troublesome moisture by lowering the pressure within the system and vaporizing (or boiling off) the moisture, then exhausting it along with air. Let it run till it gets to 29 inches of vacuum.
Then close off the valve and observe if the vacuum drops down. This would indicate a leak …let it set for a half hour.
Ok …no leaks …. Turn on the pump and let it run for several hours or more…

Next
You will need a fan in front of the car to keep the air flowing
Fig 4057

In my case the system needs 4 lbs. of Dichlorodifluoromethane Freon 12 so I converted it to 134A.
If you do, you only need about 85-90 percent of the charge. That’s 64 oz. of 12 vs. 55 oz. Of 134A.
Fig 4059
Use your gauges and temperature chart. Observe the Ambient temperature and the temperature of the air coming out of the vents.
Fig 4061

It was 93 degrees outside and I got 47 degrees out of the vents before it was fully charged on a black car.
That's basically it!!

You can do this because the oil is resident in the compressor sump and does not flow through out the system like on a modern vehicle.

Man Im glad I just found this site. Here is my story. My father bought this a 1959MK 4d Loaded for me in 1964 so it was
4yrs old. Since day one the a/c has never worked cold on left & warm on the right. I cant remember when but it was put
in the barn and forgotton. So I got the Lincoln bug around 1990 Had to repaint new Cokers new chrome etc. I did have
a little title problem cause there were no titles then but I still Have a Lincoln dealer bill of sale OK> A/C controls electric
work heat works I did it all, still no avail. This is very timely and quiet complex but I took every a/c thing out (not the
controls) and sent everything to classic air UPS. During my wait, I bought a new compressor 134 ready from Napa.
After big bucks they sent all of It back even with a 134 ready dryer. They said the evaps-condenser was perfect but
they replaced the expansion valves. Now I found out the hard way I charged it with the Snap on set up really for new
cars not these so there goes that compressor. Much research I found In a Ford truck book It must be charged with
gas not liquid like the Snap on machine does. Try again ,me to, I use an old refridg comp. it works good and same
thing it did 45yrs ago - right side warm. I have been doing weddings and such with this car and A/C would be
nice. In closing it has been flushed blown out screwed and glued and I give up, I guess this was made to be.
Anybody got any ideas about a two evaporator system!!!!!
thanks sam

Hi Sam ....welcome aboard....
I had a problem with the vent doors opening and closing .....a rusted cable. They operate by a motor and cables as you know. Additionally there was ..at one time foam rubber gaskets around the vent doors that rot away leaking air.
I think in your case the cable is rusted stuck or fell off the receiving end . That is to say up under the front fenders or way up under the dash i don't remember.... if the cable jumps off the door will stick in the open or closed position.....likewise if the cable is rusted ....it aint workin.....
Ill look for some pictures ...

No, my doors//vents all work perfectly it is that I have no freon flow to the right evaporator as I said left side is cold
and the right is warm or ambient temp thanks sam

Hi Sam,
I found my 58 Air conditioning Manual .......
If all the electrical connections are good and there are no kinks in the lines...Then chances are the expansion valve is defective
I don't have on in stock ...from what I can see the part is the same on each side...
The base part number is 19849
FFC-19849-B...RIGHT AND LEFT HAND, ON CARS BUILT PRIOR TO 5-25-59
B9LF-19849-A ON CARS BUILD AFTER 5-25-59 Notice the new style part number.....

Let the search begin!!
Anthony