First off... I did it wrong when I added some R134a to The Beast.
Dur moment.
When you open the valve to the can, the low pressure gauge is going to surge upwards. I panicked and closed the valve and looked at the pressure, then lather rinsed and repeated until it looked like I was getting what I wanted.
What I should have done was to open the valve and leave it open until the low pressure side came back down and read correctly. This will also cause the high pressure side to read correctly instead ever so slightly low.
Lesson learned.
Because I'd not actually added any R134a, it wasn't keeping up on Friday when I went to get Harvey her tobacco and take Bubba to the used book store.
Second.
The HP port appeared to be leaking at the valve. It's not a regular Schrader valve. It's a plunger with a rubber bumper on top. I took the rubber bumper out, thinking it was something that'd gotten into the port by mistake and the leaking appeared to have stopped with it removed.
What bean counting EPA sycophant at GM changed the HP port from the tried and true, easily servicible, Schrader valve to a completely different kind of plunger valve that needs the entire port replaced instead of just the Schrader?
Rat fuck son of a bitch is what they are.
Oh, and good luck finding that port without a lot of community knowledge. GM doesn't admit that the port CAN be replaced without replacing the entire high-pressure line.
For the record it is GM p/n 52458184, ACDelco p/n 15-5438 and Dorman p/n 800-955.
The Dorman has a replaceable Schrader valve and the ACDelco is rumored to have one.
Almost every GM vehicle since the change to R134 uses this HP port. You're welcome!
Third.
Once I'd removed that hunk of rubber and properly added Freon R134a, the AC appears to be working correctly. Pressures were right. Pressures changed with the RPM correctly. Temperatures looked good both at idle and on the road and matched what the service manual says I should get in "manual" and automatic modes.
Three days of it behaving! Eyes crossed!
I really like the fact that you post the part numbers for the fix when you post about your automotive repairs.
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