I hate Squirrels! And my van!🤬

[dakazman]

   I promised my wife to fix the AC system on my 98 gmc van .
It had a slow leak last year and I just adding Freon. Well after not using for about a year the wife may want to use it decided to say ,”just fix it”.
  First, I found the blower motor screaming stop. Replaced it .
Second, slightly charged the system and found the compressor clutch would not cycle.
Wait why is this hose all chewed up?  🤬🤬🤬🤬squirrels
Third , removed interior panels to uncover motor ..., hmmm not much to see here .
Forth,  started removing air cleaner and radiator overflow tank. Oops original air cleaner still installed!
Perfect shape still , Of course, made in the UK. Probably get another 20 years or 89000 miles out of it.
Book say remove leads and test clutch ,,, where? Found another connector behind compressor.
 Of course the compressor I picked up at the parts store doesn’t have that connection.

  More tomorrow!
Dakazman

[EuropaTC]

 
Not squirrel or air-con related but definitely Lotus and "grrr, little so-and-so's" related.

I pulled the Elan out of the garage this week after a winter lay-up where all it's done is shuffle around between parking slots since December.  Out in the sunshine and, hmm, there's a lot more mess than usual. Then I find the mouse nest under the driver's seat, complete with it's own winter storage.

Living in the sticks you can't avoid mice/rats so I have bait traps all around the garage & workshop. Earlier this year I noticed that the bait was going down much quicker than normal but no piles of dead mice/rats. Which is how it should be, apparently the bait makes them thirsty so they wander outside and don't die cluttering up the place. (very decent of them ! )

Except for this lot. They'd moved at least 2 packs of baited corn from the bait stations, first across the garage floor and then clambered up into the Elan, storing it underneath the seat.   Quite how they did that I don't know but obviously if I can catch any of them alive I'm going to have my own Mouse Circus with acrobats & high wire mice.....

Brian

[dakazman]

  Animals are amazing!
Dave

[dakazman]

   Waiting for parts... again.
  A simple accumulator turned into a version 1&2 nightmare.  Several stores do not have to version 1 which I need so not to change routing of hoses and possibly a lengthening of some. It is not a simple van 1500 Savanna, it’s a explorer conversion. Dual blowers and other little tweaks that go into the custom building of the days gone by. It is a rolling living room, TV, VCR, Nintendo, Electric fold down bed.
  Luckily I was able to pick up a complete set of  GMC maintenance manuals ,5 in all ,  DTC Codes , wiring prints , locations, trouble shooting and step by step procedures.

Dakazman