97 evaporator removal steps?

[comet240]

hi I missed placed my damn hayes manual and I cant find after googling it but how do you remove the evaporator in a 97 cav, do u need to pull the entire dash out or how that all work I gonna be working on it as I sendng this message so any help will help


as I added dye to the AC and it ran fine but there was no leaks under the hood so I guessing is the evaporator

[gmtech1]

Originally Posted by comet240

hi I missed placed my damn hayes manual and I cant find after googling it but how do you remove the evaporator in a 97 cav, do u need to pull the entire dash out or how that all work I gonna be working on it as I sendng this message so any help will help


as I added dye to the AC and it ran fine but there was no leaks under the hood so I guessing is the evaporator

Yes, the dash needs to come out. Do you have or know someone that has a A/C leak detection tool? You can place it by the evaporator drain, around the hvac housing or in a A/C vent and see if it detects any freon.

[comet240]

ah that's what I though it just took off the 2 air bags they wont shoot off sitting on a table will they I always hear gotta be careful of airbags so this time first time I ever removed any

and no don't have a dection tool all I got is the dye I put it and the yellow glass's that are too tight for my head and the blue led flash light and there was no visable seens under the hood

[comet240]

ok who designed this damn car there is 2 screws right at the back of this thing I don't have a 7/16 deep socket and getting it with a extension doesn't work like frig seriously elves must build these cars

[comet240]

ok i going nuts spent 2 hours trying to get 1 screw out of the back of the heater core covers and i havent done the other side if there is one, they are the ones right at the back u cant see the screw need a mirror is it a 7/32 like all the rest as i cant get a socket on it or with a universal or anything like that so how you guys get it off

[comet240]

so after 3 1/2 hours i got that 1 damn screw out
and i couldnt find anything else holding it on so i tore out the cover so how it clips on but no extra screws


but i had die in it and had it running for an hour and left it over night a while back but i see no die leaked out there is no die uder the hood how many die cans do u need to put in? i gonna retry tommorow but this frustrating as i seen no die

[Tech II]

Running for an hour, that oil dye should have left the system at the leak.....

Because the evap is so hard to get to, you only go there as a last resort.....you look for dye at the condensate drain, dye at the the duct work, and use a sniffer if possible.....

You say you saw nothing under the hood? Compressor shaft seal? Compressor seam? Condenser? Connections? Some low pressure lines have insulation on them......you may have to remove the insulation completely to see the dye.....

[comet240]

ah ok well i checked over it again and i noticed like an orange color on the compressor but the dye is green, not orange so i figure thats just the antrfree stains maybe?

or does the dye change color as its under the compressor too where the sticker for the compressors name is id take pics but i not sure if i can hold the camera through the glasss and such

[comet240]

ya using camera doesnt work

but i guessing the compressor is leaking then?

and the insulated piping i cant tell from that as it s a rubber piping

but i guessing if i had know this i shouldnt have pulled the pump then and like it leaks slowly i doing a test i sucked the air out -28 and i left gauge on so i seeing if its leaking sitting there or when engine runs

[comet240]

well good practice to put dash back together then lol frig and here i thought i should have seen green dye not so much like a pink orangeish color i figuured from the coolant

or does the coolant leave a stain on metal since the compressor is on the bottom of engine i didnt see no leaks but this time i re did it in pitch darkness with the glass's and blue light

[comet240]

all i seen the glowed under the dash is the heater core foam glowed oranage all way around but there was no green in the grills on the ac grill or the heater core

sio i guess thats not leaking must be the compressor

as in 10 hours it only also dropped 5 psi

[comet240]

i can tell u its a beotch to put that heater core covering all back together gotta force it gotta cuz the carpet out not gonna put the back screws in i guess u need to even remove the steering wheel shaft and support to get in there properly

ppl must be drunk when they make it i rather have a boat then a compact car that u need tiny hands