| Napa parts, Duracool [message #91786] |
Tue, 13 July 2010 10:21 |
Rick Williams
Messages: 256
Registered: July 2004
Karma: 0
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I have a 1990 Ford Club Wagon (van) that I use in the summer. It has not seen a Michigan winter so it is in nice shape. I just fixed some leaking O rings and recharged the air conditioning with Duracool. I can now say that I have no use for the Ford spring lock fittings. They are a real pain to get apart. The accumulator/dryer that I bought from Napa has a mounting bracket welded to it. It was not in exactly the same place as the original. I made it work but that too was a real pain.
The good news is that the Duracool works well. The outside temperature was 70 and a vent temperature was 41. The low side pressure was 22psi. I did not check the high side. The van has a rear a/c so the quanity of refrigerant is somewhat more. The R12 requirement was 4.5 lb and the Duracool (35% of R12) is 1.57 lbs (a little over four 6 oz cans). I put in 4 cans.
Another topic. The original started solenoid failed in May. It would not energize. It is located remotely from the starter, under the hood. The first replacement from Napa started to stick closed after starting the van. I had to open the hood and hit it with something to get it to release. The first time it happened was a real panic to find something to hit it with. And of course, I did not know what was happening at first. When I shut off the key, the starter kept cranking the engine.
That solenoid went back to Napa immediately. The salesman looked at it and said, "we do not sell that brand". He even made a call to someone in the company and they comfirmed the same. I had my receipt and they gave me another one. It was in the same style box but was slightly different and definitely made by another company. Guess what? That one stuck too. I was away from home in the van for a week so I bet I hit that thing 6 or 8 times. It would not stick everytime. I kept a hammer under the seat and hit it with the handle. As soon as I got home, I went to a Ford dealer and bought one. $40.00 vs $20.00 from Napa. It has been in a couple of weeks and has not failed once. Napa returned my money on the second one. The guys that work at the Napa store are A plus and I feel for them. It is not their fault. Repairing vehicles can be difficult enough but when faced with using this junk from China, it can be downright miserable. The solenoid from Ford was made in Mexico.
But it is all behind me now and it is a beautiful day in the UP. Sunny sky, low humidity and 73 degrees. Maybe it will warm up enough to need that air conditioning.
Remember, if you ain't where you are, you're nowhere.
Rick
Rick Williams
Bliss, Michigan
1978 Eleganza II
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