AC troubleshooting

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tophat36

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Aug 5, 2022
Posts
66
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Location
Bremerton, WA
First Name
Jessica
Truck Year
1980
Truck Model
C2500
Engine Size
350-4 V8
It depends on whether yours is federal emissions or Cali emissions. A 1980 8600GVW truck means it was over the light truck weight limit for emissions, therefore it did not require a cat or EGR. It may or may not have a charcoal canister. It could also be a canada truck, in which case it would also have a Cat like @Catbox truck.
These are the stickers on the air filter housing. Looks to be the heavy duty so not cat and egr.

Also my vin indicates my truck was from Fremont, Ca (the Z)
TCM24AZ500267
Does appear to have the charcoal canister. That’s what this is right? Do I just keep all this emissions related stuff? So many things and hoses involved lol!
 

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tophat36

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2022
Posts
66
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99
Location
Bremerton, WA
First Name
Jessica
Truck Year
1980
Truck Model
C2500
Engine Size
350-4 V8
Yup.
Mine is a camper special 8,200GVW and it has the cats under it.
Nice, looks like you have the yellow one in your pic…do you have the yellow interior also? Really like that
 

Bextreme04

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May 13, 2019
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Location
Oregon
First Name
Eric
Truck Year
1980
Truck Model
K25
Engine Size
350-4bbl
These are the stickers on the air filter housing. Looks to be the heavy duty so not cat and egr.

Also my vin indicates my truck was from Fremont, Ca (the Z)
TCM24AZ500267
Does appear to have the charcoal canister. That’s what this is right? Do I just keep all this emissions related stuff? So many things and hoses involved lol!
The middle picture is your emissions tag on the air cleaner. At the very bottom of the tag it says "This vehicle conforms to all EPA and CALIFORNIA regulations applicable to 1980 model year". That means you have California emissions, so the truck was likely originally sold in California(A vehicle can be built at the Fremont plant and not have been sold in Cali). I think that a normal K20 would have a pellet cat, but the 8600GVW might have exempted it in Cali too and that is also why you have the AIR pump. If you look at the california catalytic converter application listing, they don't have any listed for 1980 C/K 30, likely because of the higher GVW.

Yes that is the charcoal canister. All of my stuff is missing, but I hacked together a vent system through a "canister" because I hate the gas smell ever time I walk past the truck in the summer :)
 

wingman50

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2014
Posts
26
Reaction score
38
Location
Chicago
First Name
Brian
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
5.7L
I tried for 2 years to get my ’81 Factory AC to work. The thing that finally worked for me was changing the evaporator as well as the accumulator. When I got the evaporator out it was so full of leavers and dirt that the fan could not blow through it. I replaced the compressor, orifice tube, cleaned the condenser with cleaner especially made to clean it. I was almost ready to give up when I purchased an evaporator for $52.00 on eBay. The original evaporator probably will still work fine after I cleaned it as well. Took the fan out, cleaned it and oiled it. Used WD-40 on all the air and vent doors and now the AC is really cold even and fan speed 2.
 

Catbox

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Joined
Jul 12, 2018
Posts
3,992
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14,572
Location
Just Outside of Portland Oregon
First Name
Peter
Truck Year
1979
Truck Model
C20 Silverado Camper Special
Engine Size
461
Nice, looks like you have the yellow one in your pic…do you have the yellow interior also? Really like that
We have the Camel tan color pattern for the interior.
Although the original seat is long gone and there is a blue one currently in its place...
 

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