'93 Cougar w/poor A/C air flow

I'd try it... make sure portion cut away is not part of holding structure.

use or borrow a dremel with saw-type disc.. may have to clean teeth several times.

I've felt around inside, there is enough space to do it as long as I avoid the pipe leading into the evaporator. I've got a RotoZip and have gotten fairly good at controlling it's dept and such. Thanks for the vote of confidence!

PoD

you gotta do what you gotta do, right? :)

I need to crow a bit! I now have a very nice access panel in the box just ahead of the evaporator.

I cut nuthin but plastic - challenge 1 accomplished. The guck is almost greasy - it's very sticky, too. There has never been a leak in this system except for the O-ring blowout so I haven't a clue what kind of primordal ooze it is. I need to get a slightly different brush to sweep it with. A long toothbrush might do it - the things I have just mash it up. My fingers and nails do ok peeling it off but I can't reach everywhere.

It's getting humid out, too. Well, back to it!

PoD

Arghhh... I was going to tell you go to a HVAC supply place and buy fin- combs. Spacing is unknown... they have an assortment.

Spray Dawn Dish detergent on the evap before you button it up. Will clean up the 'oiliness' once it starts condensing.

I am familiar with fin combs but I doubt I could get one in. I'm swiping from the side access - different toothbrush with extended handle. It's slow but I am making progress. I like the Dawn idea, too. Thanks!

PoD

Your challenge is going to be getting out the crud impacted down in the evaporator. In my experience it's pretty much impossible because the fins are so fragile and spaced very close together. The greasiness is very likely caused by a long term slow leak in the evaporator. The refrigerant oil sucks up dirt like a magnet. Early 90's T-bird\Cougar evaporators nearly all leak due to electrolysis. The cleaning procedure will also likely open up more leaks in the evaporator. Think about this, with all of the time you've invested so far plus what you will spend from here out to clean it you could have probably had the inst panel and heater box out. I'm not trying to rain on your parade, but I don't think you'll be happy with the long term results the way you are going about this job.

I used evap cleaner years ago on window a/c units. It sure would burn skin! I didn't think about brake cleaner while I had it open but it is one of my favorite cleaning tools. I may open it up again and hose it out. It's really quite easy to reach in this car. Right now, there seems to be quite a bit more airflow thru the outer vents. Before, they were weakest.

I do wish I still had access to a freon sniffer - it made finding the evap. leak in my '84 Bird really simple. This car never set it off when I tested it a few years ago. The dealer used a sniffer when they redid the o-rings and on a follow-up visit. They got nothing, either.

I guess this dash is a little easier than on the '84 but I really don't want to do it. If I get that far, I will probably go ahead and retrofit for R134a. This was the last year for R12 in Cougars (I think.) I'd like to pull the whole thing out and find out why the blower is so feeble. It's been weak since it was new but it sounds like a hurricane. I think the dealer put 3 fan motor assemblies in it under warranty for noise. I kind of wonder if the blower wheel is correct or if the motor spins the right direction. I think squirrel cage fans will move air the right way even when going backwards but not well...

Thanks for the input.

PoD

are you sure the blower is turning the right way? Seen that before....makes lots of noise but VERY little air.

I am going to re-double check it this weekend. Wrong direction or wrong blower wheel sure fits the symptoms. Thanks, folks!

PoD