My A/C seems to be working for now but I want to prepare for the eventual R&R of the system. I'm pretty sure it gave me my shot-across-the-bow warning so I'm going to start hunting and gathering new parts. I've noticed our Fords will generally do that before total failure (starters are famous for this, or at least in my experience).

Could someone help me verify which Shrader valves I need for the HIGH and LOW service ports? When looking at various parts sites, there seems to be some differences.

2004 F150 Lariat 4x4, 5.4 Triton (Vin 5), Factory A/C.

The high side on mine is 10mm. I measured the ID of the port to make sure of this. The low side appears to be about 8mm (was kinda hard to get the calipers back in there for an accurate measurement). I would have removed the valves for a better measurement but I didn't want to take the chance of buggering them up without a replacement in hand. I did try and loosen my high port before I charged the system back up, but it's REALLY tight so I stopped. I'll fight that Tiger another day.

So far I've found these part #'s:

YF-2448 (low side ?)
YF-3290, 4L3Z-19D701-A, (high side ?).
E69Z19D701A (says it's high side but looks like a regular tire valve and MUCH smaller)?

As we all know, Ford part #'s change all the time so it gets confusing. I also ran into a message on the Ford Parts Giant web site, "we cannot verify if this part fits"... etc...
Funny thing is, you take the same part # from them and plug it into say, the dealer site and it says the part DOES fit! So yea... gets a little confusing.

It would be nice if Ford offered a kit with the valves and caps all in one. But noooo can't be that easy can it! Maybe they do offer a complete kit and I just haven't found it yet. There are aftermarket kits but which do you trust?

Oh and what tool do you use to get these stubborn valves out? All I have is that cheesy pencil-type one that came with my gauge set. About the only thing it's good for is to take the valves out of a bicycle tire. Do they make a tool you can put a socket or wrench on it?

Thanks,

 

Well I spoke too soon. Took a 3 hour trip today and my A/C is back to rapid-cycling and no cooling. . Dunno why it would hold a vacuum but not Freon under pressure. Who knows. I suspect that green 'dust' I see around the front of the pump has something to do with it.

So all new OEM parts are on the way (pump, dryer, orifice valve, service valves and O-rings). No aftermarket. All Motorcraft - even the O-rings.

Question: How do you guys prefer to remove the pump? The Haynes manual says to remove the right tire, skid plate, engine fan and inner fender well. Is there any other tips or tricks I should know about? I first considered removing the radiator and pulling the A/C pump out forward, but if it's easier via the fender well? I KNEW I should have done this while I did the timing job. *sigh* live and learn!

I may also replace the condenser but I haven't decided yet. It will depend on what I find once I crack the lines open. If it's the black death in there (doubtful) then I'll replace it. Otherwise I think a good cleaning with some brake cleaner or similar should do.

I was looking at various condensers and WOW.. so many available. Not to mention the OEM is VERY expensive so I may have to consider an aftermarket one but I don't know which one to get or trust. They talk about a 'Parallel' type, Tube and fin and Serpentine. Pretty sure our OEM is of the tube and fin 'piccolo' type. If there's an upgrade I can get, then I may look into it. Thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks,

 

When I replaced my compressor I'm pretty sure I removed the shroud and fan, then laying on the floor reached up from underneath and unhook the clutch wiring and unbolted it. The hardest part is reaching the block on top where the pipes connect up., There's a bolt with a 10mm? Head you have to undo to get that loose.
then the compressor can just slide forward and drop out the bottom. I didn't remove the tire or wheel liner as it seemed like the coil spring and suspension would still be in the way, but there was decent access from below.
Good luck

 

Thank you for the heads up!

Nothing really scares me anymore after doing the timing job on these Tritons.. lol. I sorta feel like I beat the game boss on the max settings.. heheh. Always nice to know any tips or tricks though.

I took a brief look at the fender under there and if I can get that off with little trouble, then the pump is right there so I guess I'll find out soon enough! I'll take lots of pictures as I'm sure I'm not the only one that will get to enjoy this sort of fun.

 

Quick update:

I received my new pump, drier, Shraders and O-rings. I decided to go ahead and order a new condenser. After reviewing multiple videos, I'm not entirely confident I can clean my old one out well enough. And seeing as a condenser is far cheaper than a new pump and the P.I.T.A it is to replace it - I see it as cheap insurance. I also upgraded the condenser to a parallel type. I believe our 2004 F150's have the older tube and fin 'piccolo' type, so upgrading was a no-brainer. From what I've read - all new cars have the more efficient parallel style.

The pump came with instructions that says it's pre-charged with 7 OUNCES of oil. It also says that I should measure the amount removed from my old pump and drier and subtract that amount from the pump, etc. I understand this as you don't want too much in the system (or not enough).

I'm also taking the advice from some of the videos I've watched and I'll verify how much the new pump actually has in it. No offense to Ford, but they've made their share of mistakes so there's nothing wrong with checking to make sure how much oil they put in.

My A/C tag on the fan shroud says it takes 8 ounces of oil. Is this TOTAL system amount?
This is where I got a little confused. Many new pumps came with 3 ounces and some with 4, so I'm not sure why mine has 7. I'm guessing it's set up this way for a total system replacement and then top off that last ounce.

With a new pump, condenser and drier - it's safe to say my system will be bone dry so I can safely add in the 8 ounces. Of course when I drain my new pump to verify the oil amount, I expect I won't get it all out but it will at least give me a real good idea how much is in there.

Question # 4467: When adding the oil back in, would you add 3 ounces to the pump and spread the rest around, say 2oz in the drier and 3 in the condenser or? Seems like that would be a better way to go so it's somewhat distributed when you first turn it all on.

The compressor oil seems to be one of the biggest questions when working on the A/C system. Mostly because there's no easy way to tell how much is in there. It's not like engine oil where you have wiggle room and can be off by several ounces (or a quart). Not sure how much a person can be off in an A/C system.

Thanks again!

 

I would just leave the oil in the compressor. The compressor is the only component that needs the oil for lubrication, the fact that it gets dispersed about the system is just a side effect.
As far as the amount I think your thinking is valid, that most of the system being replaced you should just leave all 7 ounces in the compressor. In my opinion being a few ounces plus or minus is probably not a big deal, as long as your not running dry or have more than 2x as much as your supposed to have.

 

Thanks for the advice! Now the fun soon begins!

 

I just finished doing a timing job on my 2004 XLT and like you, was having similar AC symptoms and discovered a leaky compressor. Where did you end up purchasing your Motorcraft parts? When I put in my vin at Fordspartsgiant or forddiscountparts or oemfordparts or even my local Ford dealer online, parts search, they all indicate the AC compressor for my truck is discontinued.

 

I ended up getting my compressor from Rock Auto. Part # YCC495.
I also got all new O-rings, Orifice, Shraders, etc. I debated whether or not to change my condenser but I'm glad I did. Although the OEM can be flushed, I wasn't confident on doing this myself. Besides, the new one was cheap and an upgrade, so what the heck.

-

I started pulling my AC apart today and again, I'm glad I decided to replace most of the parts.
Here's what my orifice valve looked like when I pulled it out (see pic). Keep in mind a local shop SUPPOSEDLY did full flush of my system as I requested. Obviously they did NOT. They didn't even pull things apart by the looks of it.

THIS is why I don't trust anyone working on my truck. No offense to fellow mechanics. There are many out there that do a fantastic job and then there are some that shouldn't be allowed to operate a screwdriver! After doing my timing job, I got lazy and wanted a shop to re-charge my AC and give it a good once-over. WRONG.. they didn't.

There is all kinds of crap lodged in this orifice. Some of it looks like pine needles? I have no idea how those got it there. While my truck was laid up during it's timing job, I was quick to cap the AC hoses to prevent this very thing. The system is all original as far as I know, so who knows. The crap could have been in there from the prior owner.

Point to this story - had the shop did a proper AC job, this would not have happened. I can only imagine what other treasures I'm going to find! Damn I'm glad I bought a new condenser. I think I might cut the old one open just to see how badly it must be clogged.

My other concern is the evaporator. I don't even want to think about replacing that thing since it sits inside the dash. I guess I'll find out when I go to flush the lines and see what kind of fun comes out of it.

To be continued...

 

I believe in rainman ray, any time you go in its a good idea to replace cores. I have my own vacuum pump and gauges since I do my own ac units. I have my micron gauge as we have been helping fiends install mini splits
Why they didn't design the fire wall to be able to pull evap from engine side is ridiculous . That evap is subject to a lot of freeze cycles sooner or later it fails .
I lived many years without ac , so I'll tough it out . But in Florida we run some ac all year .
I really don't know what to think about that green stuff on your orifice .
The micron gauge is more accurate for vacuum ,we go for under 500 microns on a minisplit and a reasonable rise after 10 minutes . A leaking system is not going to get to 500 microns .
The vacuum actually boils water until it vaporizes and can be sucked out by vacuum pump . No such thing as a perfect vacuum.