4 hours ago, Dave WM said:

 the best thing would be to just replace EVERYTHING forward of the firewall and hope the evap is ok.

 

I second that. 

There are 3 things good about this aftermarket system. 1. sanden sd508 compressor (cheap and good)  2. cheap easy to find dryer  3. easy to find generic expansion valve

Missing hose = open system = bad

This is the same aftermarket system i removed from mine. The condensers are cheesy and small. Replace that for sure.

Replace the compressor, open system = bad for compressor. They're cheap and plentiful.

Replace the expansion valve because the system was open for a long time.

All new hoses.

New generic dryer with fittings that match your new hose fittings.

EDIT: The a/c tech probably will  recommend a complete new system if the hoses on the inside that go thru the firewall and connect to the evaporator

are impossible to change without pulling the dash.

 

 

The best thing about having a/c in your z, is you can roll up the windows and keep exhaust fumes out if you've got a leak.

 

Edited July 5, 20168 yr by hr369

Ok, got the requested photos.  Have fun...

Mystery ac, who knows what kind of evap def not factory hard lines to it anyway. Compressor open=bad. Sorry to say this is def going to need an AC shop, as they will need to raid the parts dept to cobble something back together. I would budget 1500+

1 hour ago, Dave WM said:

Mystery ac, who knows what kind of evap def not factory hard lines to it anyway. Compressor open=bad. Sorry to say this is def going to need an AC shop, as they will need to raid the parts dept to cobble something back together. I would budget 1500+

ARA/Frigiking is what's in there now and yes a couple grand. When you compare that to new car repairs, its not that bad. I would remind the a/c person how easy these cars are to work on as they write up

the work order. 

Hr369, so was that a non factory Evap as well? still in the same location?

2 hours ago, Dave WM said:

Hr369, so was that a non factory Evap as well? still in the same location?

Yes aftermarket evap for sure. Hoses go thru the firewall. They put the evap in about the same location as stock was because i remember looking thru the vents and seeing

the fins. . It's been 10 years since i pulled mine out but I do remember it being bigger than the factory evap which is a plus. This is my whole system after I pulled it out.

2nd photo is a close up i found on the web.

The hoses connect to the evap on the passenger side so i'm thinking it would be feesible to change the hoses out without pulling the dash.

 

 

 

Edited July 5, 20168 yr by hr369

ah I see the easy to get exp valve. Yea if it was mine I would replace that as well. and try to flush the evap.

My recommendation to the OP is to take it to several shops, try to find one that has been in business at the same location for a long while, get some written estimates, then report back to the group before committing to anything. You don't have to go with the 1st person that looks at it.

 

Edited July 5, 20168 yr by Dave WM

Jai

Sort of lives in the country. Not much close and what is close is fairly small. I suspect there won't be a lot of options...

Jai,

Ask your painter or some other car guy you trust for a recommendation if you don't already know who to take it to.

Thank you Patcon, and all of the good advice from everyone.  I'm trying not to get overwhelmed, because all of this is new to me, beyond my comfort zone.   I'm learning alot, thanks to your careing comments.    

Jai

 

No reason to stress over it, its not a big deal, take is slow. its a good idea about recommendations from other mechanics, that's what I have done in the past. You will get it done and then you can be proud of having a nice cool car and you will know a lot more. The more you know the less overwhelmed you will feel and that applies to a lot of things not just cars.

Edited July 6, 20168 yr by Dave WM

I got the name of a man who actually lives close, from my painter friend/neighbor.  Michael has painted 4 cars for Sam, and known him for 20 years.   I've talked to him on the phone, and he sounds very promising.  He is not fond of parts off eBay, says he wants to buy from the distributor so that if anything is wrong, he really can get it taken care of under warranty.  He mostly works on old cars, but it has been a while since he has worked on a Z.  He is supposed to call tomorrow and I'm  going to drive over so he can have a look-see and we can talk.  In the meantime he is going to research his catalogues for the parts.  He is not a specific AC shop, but has worked on them for years.  Oh, he is 68.  I'll  get back with you and share what he has to say.

I'll try to remember all you folks have suggested to me, and am thankful I have that information stored away.  Thank each of you for being there when I needed help again.  CZCC is the BEST.  Yayyyyyyy....

3 hours ago, Redwing said:

 He is not fond of parts off eBay, says he wants to buy from the distributor so that if anything is wrong, he really can get it taken care of under warranty.  

Looks like you found the right man for the job.  He wants to do it once and do it right.  If it makes you feel any cooler, it's a balmy 102º here today and I'll be picking my '71 up from the shop a little later this afternoon.

Dennis