OK so what is the best way to clean it up? I got a new acumulator and orfice tube. New compressor is comming tomorow. So what do I do? Pull the old compressor and acumulator, and tube, buy the flush in the can and squirt it down the hoses. Squirt the rest of the lines and blow them out. Is that good enough?

No replies because Back Death is baaaaaaaad!

Only thing I can say is get more than one can and clean clean clean everything and hope for the best .

I'd get the cleaner in the bottle (flush) and a air sprayer kind of like a sand blaster gun and go to it.
But replace all the parts that you can with new.

[This message has been edited by Dodgerunner (edited 08-06-2007).]

It depends on how much of your system is contaminated, but it doesn't sound like what you're doing will be enough. If you don't get ALL of that stuff out of your system, you'll be back to square one in about 6 months after your new compressor fails and you lose all your 134a / freon again. been there, done that .....

Here's what I finally did after my first attempt failed:

- buy new evaporator, condensor, accumlator, compressor and orifice tube. If you don't wanna buy new evaporator and condensor, at least have them removed and completely back-flushed;
- remove the long tubes and connecting lines that run the length of the car and the hose assembly. Flush until they are completely clean. I had the long tubes hot-bathed;
- re-assemble using Nylog sealant and new O-rings, and re-charge. Replace insulation on the long tubes with pipe insulation available form hardware store.

Not counting the first time, the complete re-do cost me over $2200, but my system is now like-new. Seriously, if i had it to do all over again, I'd simply get another car. Compare the costs and hassles, but don't rule this option out ....

[This message has been edited by PaulJK (edited 08-07-2007).]

OK, I will bite. I don't know the term. What is "Black Death"? When the A/C compressor goes and floods the lines with all sorts of crud?

That and the system oil turns to the nastiest goo you have ever seen. Think sticky soot and you get the idea.

Black death is when the system gets low on refrigerant (or you don;t put enough oil in it when charging) so there's not enough oil flowing around the system to lubricate the seals of the compressor (the oil is suspended in the refrigerant).
Just like a regular motor, no lubrication is bad. In this case the seals in the compressor pistons break up and form a black sludge with the remaining refrigerant that then gets distributed throughout the system. It usually ends up blocking the filter around the orifice tube which stops refrigerant flowing and you get no cold air, even though the system has a charge. It also gets into the condenser, accumulator and everything else in the system (all the pipes).

In addition, once the seals go completely, aluminum starts rubbing on aluminum in the compressor and bit of metal get distributed around the system too. If you see silver particles on the orifice filter then the compressor is dead too. Usually once the compressor dies like this, it siezes and your belt squeals untl it fails!

The only real way to get it all out is remove everything and flush it but even that is not guaranteed.

You should also install a filter into the system after suffering black death in order to catch any remaining crap but there's not a lot of places to do that easily on the Fiero.

------------------
Dave

www.ltlfrari.com

[This message has been edited by ltlfrari (edited 08-07-2007).]

Well my compressor was still working, so I may have caught it in time. I got the parts, I guess I will go for it. I got the cleaner in a screw top can, and 8 oz of oil in a bottle Tomorrow will be an interesting day.

I'll help you clean:

quote Bring out your dead!

Black death is a very difficult problem to fix. You've got to clean the system out completely - everything must be absolutely clean. If you can't clean it, replace it. Do the very best cleaning job anyone has ever done on an AC system - and then go a few steps farther. Once you're absolutely sure there's no contamination at all anywhere in the system, pump it down and keep it there for 12 hours before charging it.

Do all this and you've got about a 50-50 chance of a successful repair.

Good luck!

I'd have a real quandry if I were you. If you don't think you have a bad problem, adding cleaner may make any stuff already in your system thinner and more mobile. I THINK i may either clean it completely or not at all. A little bit of cleaner might wash the stuff all over everything .....

If you have the crud on your orifice tube, you have the problem and you have to clean the whole system or keep replacing compressors ....... Good luck with whatever you decide.

[This message has been edited by PaulJK (edited 08-07-2007).]

Black Death is like pouring power steering fluid into your brake resevoir, usually if you don't replace everything, you will more than likely regret it down the road somewhere. Whether it was a case of idiocy (PS in the brakes) or the result of Black Death, we replaced everything to ensure 100% satisfaction and installed an inline filter as someone else mentioned (They come in such a variety of sizes and connection types it's almost impossible not to be able to install one).

I would be especially wary of the condensor, it was after the Fiero's time, but manufacturers started designing parallel flow condensors or condensors with very narrow passages which are (near) impossible to flush. As someone else said, go several steps beyond the best cleaning possible.

Thanks for the info on Black Death. My recent Fiero purchase has no AC and I have not gotten around to looking at it yet. Is there an easy spot where I can check to see if it is a victim of Black Death?

quote Originally posted by sjmaye: Thanks for the info on Black Death. My recent Fiero purchase has no AC and I have not gotten around to looking at it yet. Is there an easy spot where I can check to see if it is a victim of Black Death?

Yeah, you can pull the orifice tube. When you pull it out if it is a victim of BD it will be obvious.

I also need to check to see if im a victim of black death since my compressor is seized. Wheres the orifice tube and how do I remove it to inspect it?

quote Originally posted by pontiacking: I also need to check to see if im a victim of black death since my compressor is seized. Wheres the orifice tube and how do I remove it to inspect it?

There is a good picture in this thread.

quote Originally posted by PaulJK: It depends on how much of your system is contaminated, but it doesn't sound like what you're doing will be enough. If you don't get ALL of that stuff out of your system, you'll be back to square one in about 6 months after your new compressor fails and you lose all your 134a / freon again. been there, done that ..... Here's what I finally did after my first attempt failed: - buy new evaporator, condensor, accumlator, compressor and orifice tube. If you don't wanna buy new evaporator and condensor, at least have them removed and completely back-flushed; - remove the long tubes and connecting lines that run the length of the car and the hose assembly. Flush until they are completely clean. I had the long tubes hot-bathed; - re-assemble using Nylog sealant and new O-rings, and re-charge. Replace insulation on the long tubes with pipe insulation available form hardware store. Not counting the first time, the complete re-do cost me over $2200, but my system is now like-new. Seriously, if i had it to do all over again, I'd simply get another car. Compare the costs and hassles, but don't rule this option out ....

2000? eeek! For that cost, i think going with out AC would be what id do. ( and i may be in that boat, my compressor locked up a few weeks ago and ive been afraid to open mine up to see if its full of goo )