I just completed the... well last just say... the 1st stage of the most interesting job on a vehicle that I have had in about 3 years. I decided to rent a car (smart decision... trust me) before I started on my 01 Durango with the evap leak that was causing instant loss of all pressure when adding freon. To be honest... coming from me (been working on vehicles for over 18 years... it wasn't bad, but a MAJOR TIME CONSUMING project! I started at 6:30 p.m. and had the entire heat /coll housing out in about 4 hours. The worse part of removing was getting to the 11 mm nut on the back side of the tranny dipstick. I replaced both the evap and the heat core even though the heat core looked fine... the evap core was nothing but green slime around the base and in the bottom of the housing. I do have pictures but I won't get them uploaded until the afternoon when I complete the 2nd stage (put it back together). I managed to only damage my windshiled which was completely tinted when I went to remove the enormous metal housing part of the dash (should have dropped the column first) but thats alright because I make a living tinting windows so if that's all I have to replace... I am out about $10 bucks in tint and about an hour of labor. Just think... I called about every dealership in central Indian and they wanted over $500.00 for just LABOR!!! I got the part from Dodge wih my business discount at $95 and spent by the time I am done a total of 8 hours with the enjoyment of a radio, quietness, a few cuts, some minor bleeding, and PLENTY of Bud Light and Landshark (drinking was done after the everything was torn apart to eliminate putting bolts/nuts/etc in the wrong place afetr re-install!!! Like I said... I will try to pictures uploaded after EVERYTHING is done!!!

 

With everything complete (tear-down/repair/reinstall) I had a total of 7 hours in it. I used an evac pump on it and filled it with 2.44 lbs of of freon for a dual source unit. Tonight was the first night in over a year that I had A/C running full and ZERO problems. I am uploading pictures soon just to show you what you would expect in removal of parts and just what the repair center is going to do if you decide to go that way!

 

take enough pics for a write up? i dont think we have one for the 01+ trucks

 

That's cool. I know how good the feeling is (in more ways than one!) to FINALLY get A/C working in a ride that hasn't had it for a long time. It's like a new vehicle.

 

To be honest with you... I only took pictures of what I showed in my previous posting. Over the weekend I will try to get some time to do a quick step by step process of what I did to do the tear-down and re-install. For as much time and patience that you have to have when doing this I would be more than happy to help anyone out. I can't tell you enough how much work it is... but the PAYOFF is WORTH it!!! I was going to continue putting this off until after my vacation in 2 weeks at Dale Hollow in TN, but after my wife b*tched and moaned about not having A/C for the 6 hour trip I couldn't put it off any longer at 80+ degrees. The only thing that sucks now is my boys and my wife complain of how COLD the A/C is... "man you just can't win!"

 

haha, yeah - my 2003 will plain freeze you out of there after it's been running for a bit. But being the cheap guy I am - or well, hate waste - I'll toggle the A/C compressor off if I'm going to be pulling a hill or accelerating. By the time I'm done needing the extra power, it's warmed up enough to give me reason to turn it back on.

 

i guess im the odd ball in this group, i put my a/c on yesterday for the first time since last JULY!!!!!!!!!!

my a/c only sees use maybe a dozen times a year, and most of those are when its raining, the rest are bc im in traffic.