[2002Z4CSS]

I had a bad reciever drier on my GT-37 that caused the liquid line out of the condenser to be frosted up. I replaced the reciever drier last night with a brand new AC Delco unit. Evacuated and recharged the A/C and it is cool but not cold. No more frost on the liquid line but half of the POA valve is frosted up like it is restricted. How do you test a POA valve and how does it come apart? I hate to go to one of the POA elimination kits they sell but if I have no choice I will have to get one.

[HWYSTR455]

Which half? Towards the firewall or the tube coming out of the evap into the POA?

If it's coming out of the evap tube and the front half of the POA that means it's operating properly. If it's after the POA then it's either clogged or the expansion valve is bad.

Did you do a 134 conversion?

Classic Auto Air in Tampa rebuilds POAs and is reasonably priced. Their' service is excellent, I strongly recommend them.

,

[FrankieT/A]

Is originality a concern?

[2002Z4CSS]

I used R134A freon. The frost was the half of the POA where the suction hose is attached. I tapped on the TXV a bit last night and then tapped on the POA and all of a sudden the frost went away and I have cold air now coming out of the vents and low side pressure of 30 psi. Nice to see this air working with original GM parts. It has not worked for at least the last 19-20 years because the car sat for 16 years with the engine out, compressor missing and I have owned it for 3 years without it working. How many 1971 GT-37s are out there with factory A/C option?

[HWYSTR455]

Originally Posted by 2002Z4CSS

I used R134A freon. The frost was the half of the POA where the suction hose is attached. I tapped on the TXV a bit last night and then tapped on the POA and all of a sudden the frost went away and I have cold air now coming out of the vents and low side pressure of 30 psi. Nice to see this air working with original GM parts. It has not worked for at least the last 19-20 years because the car sat for 16 years with the engine out, compressor missing and I have owned it for 3 years without it working. How many 1971 GT-37s are out there with factory A/C option?

You got lucky then! Must have been hung up or a small piece of trash in there that you knocked free. And yeah, not many 37s had air!

.

[OVERULD]

Originally Posted by 2002Z4CSS

I used R134A freon. The frost was the half of the POA where the suction hose is attached. I tapped on the TXV a bit last night and then tapped on the POA and all of a sudden the frost went away and I have cold air now coming out of the vents and low side pressure of 30 psi. Nice to see this air working with original GM parts. It has not worked for at least the last 19-20 years because the car sat for 16 years with the engine out, compressor missing and I have owned it for 3 years without it working. How many 1971 GT-37s are out there with factory A/C option?

My 71 455 H.O. is still running factory AC and I swear you could hang meat in that car. My POA valve did the same thing as yours (The car had "Freeze 12" in it when I first got it) and I had to replace the valve. I wish just tapping on it had solved the problem. I then took the car to Gainesville Radiator where they evacuated the whole system and left a vacuum on it for two days with no leaks. Afterwards, they gave it a full charge of good old R12 and it has worked like a champ ever since. My son and I drove the car to Co-Vention (Atlanta to Dayton and back) about a week after the R12 charge was done and we were getting 41 degrees out of the center vent! That was in 2009 and when I checked it recently this summer, I was getting 43 degrees. Can't beat factory design!

BJ

[HWYSTR455]

Yeah, when I bought the LeMans ('92 I think), it had 68k miles on it, and the AC was blowing cold. Around 2002 or so, it had leaked a little past the hose clamps, so I replaced all the hoses, clamps, and the dryer. Pulled the box off the firewall, cleaned up the evap core, and replaced all the seals. Sucked it down and charged with R12, and it wasn't until like fall of 2010 that it started to not blow as cold. Seems the compressor was leaking past the seals. But dang, that's like 40 years that thing worked! And same thing, meat locker, would freeze you out on high on the highway!

I'm going to do a hose upgrade where I replace all the clamps with fittings. CLassic Auto Air has kits to do that, and are very affordable. I'm tempted to do a full blown upgrade on it like I did the clone, that thing gets like 38 degrees out of the vents, sanden compressor, and a high efficiency condenser. It's 134, and have no complains with it.

.

[pggto]

Originally Posted by 2002Z4CSS

I used R134A freon. The frost was the half of the POA where the suction hose is attached. I tapped on the TXV a bit last night and then tapped on the POA and all of a sudden the frost went away and I have cold air now coming out of the vents and low side pressure of 30 psi. Nice to see this air working with original GM parts. It has not worked for at least the last 19-20 years because the car sat for 16 years with the engine out, compressor missing and I have owned it for 3 years without it working. How many 1971 GT-37s are out there with factory A/C option?

The GT-37 I bought today has AC, but its not connected, and most of it is in a box. I have to run the PHS on Monday to make sure its a true GT-37 yet.

[th442]

Those old A6 units with R12 work great thats for sure.

[2002Z4CSS]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

You got lucky then! Must have been hung up or a small piece of trash in there that you knocked free. And yeah, not many 37s had air!

.

I have not seen many GT-37s with factory A/C listed here in this board. Must be a rare option on a plain car. Do you know how many were made with A/C from the factory? I believ I was told from someone here that my GT-37 was a factory zone car. That may explain the A/C option.

[2002Z4CSS]

Originally Posted by OVERULD

My 71 455 H.O. is still running factory AC and I swear you could hang meat in that car. My POA valve did the same thing as yours (The car had "Freeze 12" in it when I first got it) and I had to replace the valve. I wish just tapping on it had solved the problem. I then took the car to Gainesville Radiator where they evacuated the whole system and left a vacuum on it for two days with no leaks. Afterwards, they gave it a full charge of good old R12 and it has worked like a champ ever since. My son and I drove the car to Co-Vention (Atlanta to Dayton and back) about a week after the R12 charge was done and we were getting 41 degrees out of the center vent! That was in 2009 and when I checked it recently this summer, I was getting 43 degrees. Can't beat factory design!

BJ

Where do you buy "Freeze 12" at?

[OVERULD]

I really don't know. It may just be a brand name for the R134. It was in the car when I bought it and I couldn't tell you how the AC guys could tell the difference unless they have different color dyes in them?

BJ

[CraigGT37]

"Freeze 12" is the name for a replacement R12 when the EPA started to ban the manufacture of R12. It is a very unstable mix made with Butane or sometimes Propane. When I worked at the dealer,we would hear stories of evap core leaks and smoking.

[2002Z4CSS]

Originally Posted by CraigGT37

"Freeze 12" is the name for a replacement R12 when the EPA started to ban the manufacture of R12. It is a very unstable mix made with Butane or sometimes Propane. When I worked at the dealer,we would hear stories of evap core leaks and smoking.

I would not want to use anything that is flameable in my A/C system.

[OVERULD]

Dang! Glad I swapped it out for some R12.

BJ