ford blue orifice tube

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spanky55amg

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Does anyone have the part number?

Of course Googling it brings up 40 different numbers.

Im getting ready to replace my compressor and want to slap a o-tube in it.
 

1987 GMC Jimmy

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What gains are you supposed to see in system performance over the OEM stuff?
 

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Drops pressure to hopefully make up for difference of 134 vs r12 to give better cooling at low speeds. But has potential to reduce cooling at highway speeds

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Just get a Variable Orfice Tube and fugettaboutit.
 

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There you go. Expansion valve retrofit. I like it.
 

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Variable orifice tube does not have the evap core thermal feedback like txv valve, and seem to be more prone to fail due to dirt.
I have been looking to actually retrofitting a true txv valve but without actual results at this time.
 

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Some older GM trucks and cars used TXV. IIRC my buddy had one on his 1972 Chevelle.
They are tuned for R12 and I've never looked into what needs to be done, if anything, to make it run with R134a.

I have run a Variable orifice tube and never had issues with it sticking... I'm a bit OCD about making sure the system is clean before I charge it.
 

yevgenievich

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Have you actually noticed a noticable improvement with the variable orifice tube? A lot of AC guys seem to claim little to no difference.
Some older GM trucks and cars used TXV. IIRC my buddy had one on his 1972 Chevelle.
They are tuned for R12 and I've never looked into what needs to be done, if anything, to make it run with R134a.

I have run a Variable orifice tube and never had issues with it sticking... I'm a bit OCD about making sure the system is clean before I charge it.
 

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I noticed no difference when I switched.
 

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I didn't notice any serious difference. I was going from no AC for several years to working AC so...
It seemed to perform adequately in traffic and on the interstate so... if you are getting poor performance at one or the other end and your system is very clean it may help you.
I don't have any measurable data to corroborate my adequate cooling assessment so take it for what it's worth.
 

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For me what I thought was not adequate cooling turned out to be better than a number of newer vehicle so I am not sure of what is the best that this system can actually do.
 

75gmck25

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I've been using a Ford blue orifice for quite a while on my '75. If you go to NAPA they usually have a tray of standard A/C orifice tubes, and they just sell you the blue one. IIRC, they are about $2-3.

The last time I charged my A/C I used 40 oz of R134a (original R12 charge was about 60 oz) and a Ford Blue orifice. At 90 degrees ambient I was getting vent temps of about 45-48 degrees at idle, and it got cooler when the engine was running faster. However, now the O-ring for the high pressure cutoff looks like it has a leak (visible refrigerant), so I'll have to discharge and figure out what is wrong. A/C repairs and adjustments seem to never end.

I also converted to a parallel flow condenser, and am using a Sanden compressor and brackets from Vintage Air to replace the old A6. The rebuilt A6's don't last (just do a web search for compressor black death), and the new A6's are too expensive.

Bruce
 

spanky55amg

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I've been using a Ford blue orifice for quite a while on my '75. If you go to NAPA they usually have a tray of standard A/C orifice tubes, and they just sell you the blue one. IIRC, they are about $2-3.

The last time I charged my A/C I used 40 oz of R134a (original R12 charge was about 60 oz) and a Ford Blue orifice. At 90 degrees ambient I was getting vent temps of about 45-48 degrees at idle, and it got cooler when the engine was running faster. However, now the O-ring for the high pressure cutoff looks like it has a leak (visible refrigerant), so I'll have to discharge and figure out what is wrong. A/C repairs and adjustments seem to never end.

I also converted to a parallel flow condenser, and am using a Sanden compressor and brackets from Vintage Air to replace the old A6. The rebuilt A6's don't last (just do a web search for compressor black death), and the new A6's are too expensive.

Bruce

Thanks! That answers about everything I could have asked.

I haven't heard of black death since I left the shop. There were some mid-2000's C classes that were having catastrophic damage and we would have to replace the whole system.

Have you ever noticed a difference at highway speeds?
 
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spanky55amg

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Drops pressure to hopefully make up for difference of 134 vs r12 to give better cooling at low speeds. But has potential to reduce cooling at highway speeds

I thought that you said that you went with a blue, which is what lead me down the path of researching. It seems that there were a lot of people that bitched about "it could" lead to not cooling down the highway but no one had anything to back that up.

Have you noticed a difference at highway speeds?
 

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