Following these instructions right now. I don't seem to have been able to get my dash up as high as in those pictures. It wants to stop on the driver side at the steering wheel and I can't pull it any further on the passenger side because the driver side wont move.

BTW what is the tool called I need to seperate the lines? Do I just need to vent the low pressure side or will I need to vent the high pressure side too to get all the freon out? Any other tips or tricks?

 

I got everything disconnected but I can't get the dash to come far enough out or up. Coming out the steering wheel seems to stop it and I can't make it go any further down or pull the dash up to go overtop of it. What do you guys do here?

Also I can't get the heater box to come loose even though everything is disconnected. Do you really have to pull or what? I'd like to get the dash more out of the way so I can get more leverage on it.

 

Found something to add to this. To get the dash that far up and out you have to unbolt the two bolts that hold the metal dash bracket to the little piece in the middle of the truck on that hump. You remove that plastic cover with 2 screws then you unbolt the dash from each side and you can move it up more.

I however still have had no luck getting the A/C box or whatever it's called out. It just wont budge no matter how hard I pull. I took the 2 screws off the inside and the 4 off the outside then I took the 2 heater hoses off and the 2 a/c lines. Am I missing something? I'm hoping to finish getting this apart tonight and just put it all back together tomorrow with the new parts. If I get it back together and the new line with the orfice tube then all I will have left to do is change the compressor, run a vacuum on the system, then fill up with freon.

 

Did you remove the 5 screws up by the windshield?

 

Yup. I figured it out now. The Evap core is out. What it was well, there were two screws you had to remove for the dash not listed above but for the heater box thing I removed the one nut with the ground wire thinking I got it. Not realizing there was another nut under the ground wire holding the box in. Once I removed that it came right out. This process took probably 5 hours maybe 6 well some of that was 30 minutes taking a break for the computer then 30 minutes for eating and such but it took that long to get it apart. I hopefully will have the parts to put it back together tomorrow.

 

Glad you got it. I noticed some things missing from that DIY also! Like if you have auto trans there is a small cable that needs to be disconnected from the steering column for the Park,drive , neutral , reverse etc.. indicator on the dash.

 

Yup yup I saw you said that and then when I got to working on it I saw that little cable. Well, figured that's what it was so got to looking and it wasn't hard to disconnect. Just make sure you have your wheels chocked as it will take it out of park when you disconnect it.

 

What kind of oil do I want to use in the new compressor? I've heard Ester oil from one person but the sticker on the truck says something else. It says like SP-20 PAG Compressor oil or something of that nature. Not 100% sure on the numbers and letters. Is Ester oil okay or do I need to get that? Also which hole in the compressor do I put it in? The one labled with a D or S?

 

The new compressors instructions should tell you what type of oil to use. And you put it in through the low side port because the compressor is suppose to come with enough oil to charge it up and get it running. The oil will have the same connector on the can as it does on a 134a can.

And btw! As far as the oil goes, any oil that is compatible with r134a is fine. PAG will be listed on the can.

 

Just wanted to make sure you realize that the oil goes in "after" you evacuate the system.