How to remove 2001 Windstar Condenser

[marsrcflier]

Has anyone out there done this?

After screwing around for over an hour trying to determine how the condenser and radiator are mounted/connected....it looks like they are connected together at the bottom. I can lift the assembly up about 3/8" expecting to push down on either of the uinits to seaparte them....but nothing looks promising without tearing the front end apart.

The a/c lines are disconnected and the radiator hoses still connected.

Any advise from someone doing this would be appreciated.

[mundy5]

i have taken a look at it from the dvd. it looks like it is removed from the bottom with the radiator supported from the top.

[marsrcflier]

Thanks mundy5,

Just crawled under for a new look at the task! It looks like a body bracket covers the bottom of the radiator/condenser. Removing the bumper screws and misc hose retainers might be the answer. I'm somewhat embarrased to tell you that I've been using a Haynes book as a reference. Basically....it has everything I already know and not what's needed.

The compressor blew apart and contaminated the system. Pepboys replaced the compressor without flushing the system. Ford estimated it would cost more than the vehicle was worth to fix. I'm flushing everything except the condensor.

Thanks ....

[12Ounce]

Originally Posted by marsrcflier

. I'm flushing everything except the condensor.

Do you mean you're replacing the condensor rather than cleaning it? Are you replacing that big vertical reservoir/filter/expander gizmo that sits against the inner RH wheelwell?

I suspended the condensor by large tie-wraps at the top when I replaced the radiator.

Some of the ac service books at AutoZone are worth the read ... just to get some general info. How much oil goes in each component is usually spelled out ... by manufacturer and model. What type of PAG oil is recommended for Ford vs other manufacturers.

I finally bought a vacuum pump so I could do some service work on ac's ... but I hate to fool with them at all ... best to just keep them full of refrig and oil if you have a choice. I've had to evacuate and refill the Winny just once so far. Keep my fingers crossed. Sometimes there's just bad luck.

[marsrcflier]

I can flush the evaporators and hoses. Replace the orifice valve, expansion value, and dryer. But the condenser has so much crap in it from the compresssor failure, flushing won't get rid of the ground up rubber. Too many parallel paths to collect contamination.

If your into auto ac fixes.....check out autoacsystems.com.