My Mach I woes

[tc_overclocker]

ok... so i've had a few prommies in the past 6 months but this last one has given me the most headaches...

This was a prommie that I bought pre-modded to r404a, the Mach I version.

Now everything was running smoothly apart from the odd 'heavy' plinking, but now i have problems..

When i boot up the prommie just with the head loose, the temps slowly crawl all the way down to -49C... from then onwards the evap. head temps slowly climb, remember this is with the head loose so no load.

I booted it up maybe 10mins ago and it crawled down to -49C and has slowly crawled up2 -38C over the past 10mins, and it's still climbing... Now I know it's not a leak because the prommie has been sat turned off in the corner of me bedroom for nearly 4 weeks now and it still does the same..

The only thing that is odd is that the compressor doesn't get as hot as it used to, but the drier is absolutely boiling?!?!? so much that I can't touch it wivout burning meself. Could I have pinched the cap tube along the line anywhere? would this cause this problem.

All I know is, is that I have a Prommie Mach I sat here doing nowt, cos it won't last 20mins attached to a rig before evap. temps reach -26C and the prommie starts screaming at me.

Please help.... I don't want a dead prommie on me hands

 

[Phil Stanbridge]

You cant just "convert" an r134a compressor to an r404a. If you do this you are asking for trouble - you shorten the life of the unit by years. You have to use longer capillary tubing with 404a because of refrigerant. If you dont do this, and use the existing tubing without modification after a time you will experience plinking, vibrations, and slower boot times until it dies. It sounds like your unit is on the way out mate. Where did you get the unit regassed?

 

[tc_overclocker]

The bloke I bought it off had it already pre-modded, I had a funny feeling it was on it's way out... ah well.... time for a new one methinx

EDIT: Would it just be the compressor that had given up the ghost??? would all the other parts be salvagable?

 

[Brwmogazos]

The bloke I bought it off had it already pre-modded, I had a funny feeling it was on it's way out... ah well.... time for a new one methinx

EDIT: Would it just be the compressor that had given up the ghost??? would all the other parts be salvagable?

I cant see why they shouldt mate.You should be able to use them with another comp with the needed modifications.

 

[tc_overclocker]

Well I've been working on this all day and some people reckon the compressor is on it's way out and some reckon that the compressor is just misfiring?? due to the r404a with the non-modded cap tube... so in theory regassing with r134a or altering the cap tube should fix it... maybe

 

[tc_overclocker]

Ok... spose I get the wally of the year award for this one...never noticed that the 120mm fan on the Condensor had stopped spinning... In my defense you can't really see it as it's a phat YSTech fan and is hugging the one side of the Compressor....

Anywho's.. with the aid of a new fan on the front of the unit we are up and running again, until I swap out that fans.. so this is a temporary fix.. Had to reinsulate all the hose again as I'd already stripped off the insulation..

Before:

After:

Magic eh?? All ready and wanting a new chip to play with

Oh.. and just in case you don't believe me, here's the money shot...

Tc... signing out..

 

[ZaX]

You cant just "convert" an r134a compressor to an r404a. If you do this you are asking for trouble - you shorten the life of the unit by years. You have to use longer capillary tubing with 404a because of refrigerant. If you dont do this, and use the existing tubing without modification after a time you will experience plinking, vibrations, and slower boot times until it dies. It sounds like your unit is on the way out mate. Where did you get the unit regassed?

I spoke to a refrigerant engineer about regassing my Prommy with r404a and he advised against it for the exact same reasons Phil mentioned.

Nice work though

By the way can the evap head be totally removed?

 

[Phil Stanbridge]

yeah I was going to offer this as a service but it just isnt worth it now - not with the GT's and LS models out there. That said, I'm still looking at a totally custom phase-change solution.