radiator CHEVROLET CAMARO 1967 1.G Chassis Workshop Manual

LUBRICATION 0-14

SAE 5W-30 oils may be used during periods when

temperatures of 32° and below are to be expected.

Types of Oils

In service, crankcase oils may form sludge and varnish

and under some conditions, corrosive acids unless pro-

tected against oxidation.

To minimize the formation of these harmful products

and to assure the use of oil best suited for present day

operating conditions, automobile manufacturers have de-

veloped a series of sequence tests designed to evaluate

the ability of any oil to properly lubricate automobile

engines.

It is recommended that only those oils which are

certified by their suppliers as meeting or exceeding the

maximum severity requirements of these sequence tests

(or GM Standard 4745-M) be used in Chevrolet engines.

Certified sequence tested oils will be described as such

on their containers.

Maintaining Oil Level

The oil gauge rod is marked "Full" and "Add Oil."

These notations have broad arrows pointing to the level

lines.
The oil level should be maintained between the

two lines, neither going above the "Full" line nor under

the "Add Oil" line. DO NOT OVERFILL. After operating

vehicle allow a few minutes for oil to return to crankcase

before checking oil level.

Check the oil level frequently and add oil when

necessary.

Oil and Filter Change Intervals

NOTE:
Under prolonged dusty driving condi-

tions,
it is recommended that these operations

be performed more often.

OIL

To insure continuation of best performance, low main-

tenance cost and long engine life, it is necessary to

change the crankcase oil whenever it becomes contami-

nated with harmful foreign materials. Under normal

driving conditions draining the crankcase and refilling

with fresh oil every 60 days or every 6000 miles which-

ever occurs first, is recommended.

It is always advisable to drain the crankcase only after

the engine has become thoroughly warmed up or reached

normal operating temperature. The benefit of draining is,

to a large extent, lost if the crankcase is drained when

the engine is cold, as some of the suspended foreign

material will cling to the sides of the oil pan and will not

drain out readily with the cold, slower moving oil.

OIL FILTER

Change engine oil filter every 6000 miles or every 6

months, whichever occurs first.

NOTE:
For Vehicles in heavy duty operation

involving continuous start-stop or prolonged idl-

ing, engine oil should be changed after 2500-

3000 miles of operation. The filter should be

changed after 5000-6000 miles of operation.
Crankcase Dilution

Probably the most serious phase of engine oil deterio-

ration is that of crankcase dilution which is the thinning

of the oil by fuel vapor leaking by pistons and rings and

mixing with the oil and by condensation of water on the

cylinder walls and crankcase.

Leakage of fuel, or fuel vapors, into the oil pan occurs

mostly during the "warming up" period when the fuel is

not thoroughly vaporized and burned. Water vapor enters

the crankcase through normal engine ventilation and

through exhaust gas blow-by. When the engine is not

completely warmed up, these vapors condense, combine

with the condensed fuel and exhaust gases and form acid

compounds in the crankcase.

As long as the gases and internal walls of the crank-

case are hot enough to keep water vapor from con-

densing, no harm will result. However, when the engine

is run in low temperatures moisture will collect and

unite with the gases formed by combustion resulting in

an acid formation. The acid thus formed is likely to

cause serious etching or pitting which will manifest itself

in excessively rapid wear on piston pins, camshaft

bearings and other moving parts of the engine, oftentimes

causing the owner to blame the car manufacturer or the

lubricating oil when in reality the trouble may be traced

back to the character of fuel used, or a condition of the

engine such as excessive blowby or improper carburetor

adjustment.

Automatic Control Devices to Minimize

Crankcase Dilution

All engines are equipped with automatic devices which

aid greatly in minimizing the danger of crankcase

dUution.

The thermostat, mounted in the cylinder head water

outlet, restricts the flow of water to the radiator until a

predetermined temperature is reached, thus minimizing

the length of time required to reach efficient operating

temperature, reducing the time that engine temperatures

are conducive to vapor condensation.

A water by-pass is included in the cooling system,

utilizing a hole in the front of, the cylinder block. This

allows a limited circulation of coolant, bypassing the

thermostat until thermostat opening temperatures are

reached. This system provides a uniform coolant tem-

perature throughout the engine, eliminating localized

hot-spots, improving exhaust valve life, provides fast

warmrup of lubricating oil and fast temperature rise in

the coolant which provides fast heater operation in cold

weather.

A thermostatic heat control on the exhaust manifold

during the warming up period, automatically directs the

hot exhaust gases against the center of the intake mani-

fold, greatly aids in proper vaporization of the fuel.

An automatic choke reduces the danger of raw or

unvaporized fuel entering the combustion chamber and

leaking into the oil reservoir.

An.
efficient crankcase ventilating system drives off

fuel vapors and aids in the evaporation of the raw fuel

and water which may find its way into the oil pan.

CRANKCASE BREATHER CAP

Clean and re-oil at every oil change..

CHEVROLET CHASSIS SERVICE MANUAL

HEATER AND AIR CONDITIONING 1A-4

CHEVROLET SHOWN AS

TYPICAL OF CHEVROLET

AND CHEVELLE

CHEVROLET

WITH CONSOLE

ONLY

THESE USED ON

CHEVROLET ONLY

Fig. 5— Heater Blower and
Air
Inlet (Chevrolet, Chevelle, Camaro)

Core

Replacement

1.
Drain radiator.

2.
Remove the heater hoses at their connections beside

the air inlet assembly.

NOTE:
The hose from the
water,
pump
must go

to the top heater core pipe; the other hose runs

from the thermostat housing to the lower core

pipe. (See Figure 8)

3.
Remove the bowden cables (except the Chevrolet

defroster cable) and all electrical connectors from

the heater and defroster assembly.

4.
On the engine side of the dash, remove the nuts from

the core case studs coming through from the inside

of the car.

5. Inside the vehicle, remove the case to firewall

mounting screws and pull the entire heater and de-

froster assembly from the firewall (remove the
Chevrolet defroster cable at this time) then remove

the assembly from the vehicle and set on a bench.

6. Remove the core assembly retaining springs and

remove the core.

7. Install the replacement core.

NOTE:
Be sure the core to case sealer is

intact before replacing core. Replace with new

sealer if necessary.

8. Replace the core and core retaining springs.

9. Within the vehicle (after attaching the Chevrolet

defroster cable) insert the five studs on the heater

and defroster assembly through the holes in the

cowl and blower and air inlet assembly. Replace the

case to firewall mounting screws and (on the engine

side) the five stud nuts.

10.
Replace the remaining bowden cables and electrical

connectors.

11.
Replace heater hoses, being careful to reinstall

CHEVROLET CHASSIS SERVICE MANUAL

HEATER AND AIR CONDITIONING 1A-5

them in their proper location. (See Figure 8)

12.
Refill radiator.

Defroster Duct

Figure 9 illustrates the defroster duct installation

on Chevrolet, Chevelle and Camaro vehicles.

Bowden Cobles

Bowden cable attachment should be made in the fol-

lowing manner:

1.
With the cables attached to the control assembly

and levers, move the levers to their fully left or

closed position.

2.
Attach cable wires to the heater valve levers and

tighten cable attaching bracket screws.

3.
Check for proper cable operation and readjust as

necessary.

Control Panel

Control panel installation is shown in Figures 10, 11,

and 12.

Fan Switch

Replacement

1.
Remove control assembly-to-instrument panel re-

inforcement attaching screws and push the control

assembly toward the front of the vehicle and down.

2.
Remove the two switch attaching screws and the

electrical connector.

3.
Replace switch, screws, and electrical connector.

4.
Place control assembly into instrument panel and

replace attaching screws.

Resistor

The resistor assembly is attached to the heater dis-

tributor assembly. It should "be replaced if low or

medium blower speed is inoperative. Remove the glove

box for access to the unit.
HEATER HOUSING

LOWER RIGHT HAND

RETAINER NUT

Fig.
6—Air Distributor Duct (Camaro)
Fig.
7—Access to Blower and Housing (Chevelle)

CHEVY II

Heater Assembly

Removal (Fig. 13)

1.
Drain radiator.

2.
From within engine compartment;

a. Remove heater hoses from heater inlet and outlet

connections.

b.
Remove three nuts around blower motor attaching

heater assembly to dash panel.

3.
From within vehicle:

a. Remove glove box and glove box door.

b.
Remove screw attaching distributor bracket to

dash.

c. Remove the screw attaching case bracket to the

adapter assembly bracket.

d. Carefully detach heater assembly from dash panel

and adapter assembly and lower it toward floor of

vehicle.

e. Disconnect all bowden cable connections, the

wiring connector and the defroster hoses.

4.
Remove the heater assembly from the vehicle.

Core Replacement

1.
'With the heater assembly removed from the vehicle,

remove the screws attaching the core cover to the

heater assembly.

2.
Remove the core mounting screws and remove the

core from the assembly.

3.
Replace with a new core and replace the core cover.

Installation

1.
Be sure the adapter seal and blower motor seal are

in place and set into place beneath the instrument

panel.

CHEVROLET CHASSIS SERVICE MANUAL

HEATER AND AIR CONDITIONING 1A-6

CHEVROLET SHOWN AS TYPICAL

Fig.
8—Heater Hose Routing (Chevrolet Shown as Typical)

cables, defroster hoses and the

place and install all at-

4.

5.

6.
Attach all bowden

wiring connector.

Set heater assembly into

taching nuts and screws.

Attach inlet and outlet hoses.

Replace glove box and glove box door.

Refill cooling system.

Defroster Duct

Installation of the defroster duct as used in Chevy H

vehicles is illustrated in Figure 14.

Blower Motor

Replacement

1.
Remove the heater assembly from the firewall.

Remove the five screws attaching the motor and

blower to the heater assembly.

2.
Remove the retainer attaching blower to the motor

shaft.

3.
Replace blower on new motor assembly, balance and

reinstall into heater assembly.

Fan Control

Replacement

1.
Remove the screws at the dash lower edge which

retain the control assembly and lower the assembly.

2.
Disconnect the blower harness connector and remove

the switch retaining screws and switch.

3.
Install the replacement switch with the nylon bearing

inserted into the AIR - FAN lever slot.

4.
Connect the blower harness connector and remount

the control assembly in the dash.
CORVETTE

Blower Assembly

Removal

1.
Remove the radiator supply tank from its retaining

straps and move it out of the way, then disconnect

the battery positive cable.

NOTE:
It is not necessary to drain the radiator.

2.
Remove the connectors from the blower motor.

3.
Scribe or chalk a mark on the blower motor mount-

ing plate and blower assembly.

4.
Remove the five screws retaining the blower mount-

ing plate to the blower inlet assembly.

Withdraw the blower assembly from the inlet

5.

assembly.

Disassembly

Remove the blower wheel from the motor by removing

the nut and tapping the motor shaft with a soft hammer.

Installation

1.
Assemble the blower to motor and using the scribe

mark, properly position the blower assembly on the

inlet assembly and install the five screws.

2.
Replace the electrical connectors on the blower

motor.

3.
Replace the radiator supply tank and the battery

positive cable.

Blower and Air Inlet Assembly

Removal

1.
Drain the radiator.

2.
Remove the radiator supply tank from its retaining

straps and swing it out of the way.

3.
Remove the battery.

CHEVROLET CHASSIS SERVICE MANUAL

HEATER AND AIR CONDITIONING 1A-8

Fig.
12—Control Assembly (Camaro)

3.
Replace the battery and radiator supply tank.

4.
Replace each heater hose to its proper core

connection.

5. Refill the radiator.
Defroster Duct

Figure 19 illustrates the installation of the Corvette

defroster duct.

Fig.
13—Chevy II Heater Components Removal
Fig.
U-Defroster Duct (Chevy 11)

CHEVROLET CHASSIS SERVICE MANUAL

HEATER AND AIR CONDITIONING 1A-9

Fig.
15-Heater Control Assembly and Cables (Chevy II)

Resistor Removal

Two screws attach the resistor to the rear side of

the heater assembly.

Heater Assembly

Removal

1.
Drain the radiator.

2.
Remove the radiator supply tank from its support
Fig.
16—Heater Hose Routing (Chevy II)

straps and move it out of the way.

3.
Remove the battery.

4.
Remove the water supply hoses from the core

connections.

5. Remove the blower and air inlet assembly as de-

scribed above.

6. Remove the glove compartment and the panel on

either side of the instrument panel console as out-

lined in the Body Section of this manual.

Fig.
17—Corvette Heater and Blower Inlet Assembly

CHEVROLET CHASSIS SERVICE MANUAL

HEATER AND AIR CONDITIONING 1A-10

PLATE RETAINERS

CORE BRACKET SCREWS

Fig.
18—Corvette Heater Core Removal

7. Place a protective covering (waterproof if possible)

over the carpeting under the heater.

8. Remove the two bowden cables from the instrument

panel and disconnect the wiring connectors from the

blower switch and from the resistor.

9. Carefully work the heater assembly out from beneath

the dash.

Core Removal

1.
Remove the heater assembly as described above.
2.
Remove the sheet metal nuts which retain the core

mounting plate to the core housing.

3.
Remove the screws attaching the core brackets to

the core mounting plate and separate the core and

plate. .

Installation

1.
Assemble the core to plate with non-hardening

sealer. Attach the core mounting screws.

2.
Attach the core and plate assembly to the case with

the two sheet metal nuts. The assembly is ready for

installation as described below.

Heater Assembly Installation

1.
Carefully position the heater assembly in place on

inner surface of dash panel, then install the blower

and air inlet assembly on heater studs extending

through to the engine side of the panel. Attach the

seven stud nuts.

2.
Install electrical connectors to the blower switch and

resistor and reinstall the bowden cables to the

instrument panel.

3.
Replace the blower electrical connectors.

4.
Replace the heater hoses. (See Figure 20)

5. Replace the battery and the radiator supply tank.

6. Refill the radiator and check for leakage.

7. Check heater operation and make control adjustments

as necessary.

8. Replace the console panels and the glove

compartment.

CHEVROLET CHASSIS SERVICE MANUAL

HEATER
AND AIR
CONDITIONING
1A-13

AIR CONDITIONING

INDEX

Page

General Description
1A-13

Four-Season System
1A-13

Controls
1A-16

Comfortron System
. 1A-18

System Components
lA-19

Controls
1A-20

Universal System
. .
1A-21

Chevy
n
All-Weather System
•
1A-21

Corvette Four-Season System
. 1A-22

General Information
. . . 1A-26

Precautions
in
Handling R-12
1A-26

Precautions
in
Handling Refrigerant Lines
1A-28

Maintaining Chemical Stability
in the

Refrigeration System
1A-28

Gauge
Set 1A-29

Charging Station
IA-29

Leak Testing
the
System
1A-29

Vacuum Pump
1A-30

Availability
of
Refrigerant-12
. . 1A-30

Compressor
Oil 1A-31

Compressor Serial Number
1A-31

Inspection
and
Periodic Service
1A-31

Pre-Delivery Inspection
1A-31

6,000 Mile Inspection
1A-32

Periodic Service
, 1A-32

Installing Gauge
Set to
Check System Operation
....
1A-32

Performance Test
1A-32

Performance Data lA-r33

Comfortron System Operational Test
1A-33

Chevrolet Comfortron Tester
1A-34

Complete System Checks
1A-35

Maintenance
and
Adjustments ......
1A-37

Evaporator Comtrol Valve (POA)
.
1A-37
Page

Thermostatic Switch
1A-37

Expansion Valve
1A-41

Engine Idle Compensator
. . .
1A-42

Evacuating
and
Charging Procedures
1A-42

Purging
the
System
1A-42

Evacuating
and
Charging
the
System
1A-43

Checking
Oil . 1A-43

Component Replacement
and
Minor Repair
1A-45

Refrigerant Line Connections
1A-45

Repair
of
Refrigerant Leaks
1A-46

Preparing System
for
Replacement
of

Component Parts
. 1A-46

Foreign Material
in the
System
.
1A-47

Condenser
.
1A-48

Receiver-Dehydrator
1A-48

Evaporator
1A-49

Expansion Valve
1A-57

Evaporator Control Valve (POA)
1A-59

Thermostatic Switch
or
Blower Switch
. .
1A-59

All Weather-Pull Cable
1A-61

Blower Assembly
1A-62

Air Inlet Valve
.
1A-64

Blower
and
Evaporator Assembly
1A-64

Air Distributor Assembly
and
Outlet Ducts ...... 1A-64

Comfortron Automatic Control Components
1A-66

Collision Procedure lA-70

Four-Season Heater Components
1A-73

Comfortron Heater Components
. . . 1A-75

Compressor
1A-76

Wiring Diagrams
1A-78

Special Tools
.
1A-84

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Four
air
conditioning systems
are
covered
in
this

section. They are:

1.
The
Four-Season System (Chevrolet, Chevelle,

Camaro and Corvette).

2.
The Comfortron System (Chevrolet).

3.
The All Weather System (Chevy n).

4.
The Universal System (Chevrolet, Chevelle, Chevy
n,

Camaro)

Underhood components (that
is, the
compressor,
con-

denser
and
receiver-dehydrator)
are
much
the
same
in

type,
location
and
method
of
attachment
on all of
the

above systems. The six-cylinder reciprocating compres-

sor
is
bracket-mounted
to the
engine
and
belt driven

from
the
crankshaft pulley.
The
condenser
is
mounted

ahead
of the
engine cooling radiator
and the
receiver-

dehydrator
is
mounted
in
the refrigerant line downstream

of
the
condenser.
All
cooling system components
are

connected by means
of
flexible refrigerant lines.

Evaporator size
and
location differ from system
to

system
as do
methods
of
temperature control
and air

supply
and
distribution.

FOUR-SEASON SYSTEM

The Four-Season system used
in the
Chevrolet,

Chevelle, Camaro,
and
Corvette vehicles
may be
iden-

tified
by the
fact that
it
uses
an
evaporator pressure

control known
as the POA
(Pressure Operated Absolute)

suction throttling valve.
Both
the
heating
and
cooling functions
are
performed

by this system.
Air
entering
the
vehicle must pass

through
the
cooling unit (evaporator)
and
through
(or

around)
the
heating unit,
in
that order, and the system
is

thus referred to
as a
''reheat" system.

The evaporator provides maximum cooling
of the air

passing through
the
core when
the air
conditioning sys-

tem
is
calling
for
cooling.
The
control valve acts in the

system only
to
control
the
evaporator pressure
so
that

minimum possible temperature
is
achieved without core

freeze-up.
The
valve
is
preset,
has no
manual con-

trol,
is
automatically altitude compensated,
and non-

repairable.

The heater core will be hot
at
all times since no water

valve
is
present
in
the system.

System operation
is as
follows (See Figure 24 and 25):

Air, either outside
air or
recirculated
air
enters
the

system
and is
forced through
the
system by the blower.

As
the air
passes through
the
evaporator core,
it

receives maximum cooling
if
the
air
conditioning controls

are calling
for
cooling. After leaving
the
evaporator,

the
air
enters
the
Heater
and Air
Conditioner Selector

Duct Assembly where,
by
means
of
manually operated

diverter doors,
it is
caused
to
pass through
or to
bypass

the heater core
in the
proportions necessary
to
provide

the desired outlet temperature. Conditioned airflow then

enters
the
vehicle through either
the
floor distributor

duct
or the
dash outlets. Remember that the heater core

CHEVROLET CHASSIS SERVICE MANUAL

HEATER AND AIR CONDITIONING 1A-21

"De-Fog"
Position

In the event that the front windshield should require

removal of a fogging condition, the owner at his option

may direct air to the windshield. The "De-Fog" position

directs part of the air to the windshield while retaining a

certain amount through the floor outlets. The temper-

ature of the air remains the same as it was prior to the

control being placed in the "De-Fog" position. Five

blower speeds are available. The temperature of the air

and the blower speed are selected by the automatic

controls and are dependent upon the in-car temperature.

"De-Ice" Position

The "De-Ice" position provides full heat with "Hi"

blower directing the entire airflow to the windshield to

melt ice. The automatic controls are completely defeated

and as a result, full heat with "Hi" blower are the only

conditions that can be received. The system will turn on

immediately in this position even though the engine

coolant might be cold.

General Information

Three start up conditions can be achieved with

Comfortron.

Weather

Cold
Method of Starting System

System starts as soon as engine coolant is

hot.

Hot System starts immediately when AC is

required.

Any System starts immediately in "De-Ice"

position.

UNIVERSAL SYSTEM

A self-contained unit, the dealer installed Universal

System operates on recirculated air only and entirely

independent of the vehicle heater. Recirculated inside air

is drawn into the unit, passed through the evaporator core

and into the car through the adjustable outlets in the

evaporator case. The entire unit mounts compactly

beneath the dash. Temperature control is by means of a

thermostatic switch.

The compressor used with the Universal System is

identical to that used for the Four-Season system except

for displacement. Underhood components are similar in

placement to the Four-Season system.

Controls

Universal system controls are the AIR knob controlling

the three speed blower motor switch and the TEMP knob

which controls the setting of the thermostatic switchi

Switch adjustment is covered elsewhere in this section.

When operating this system the Heater must be fully off.

CHEVY II ALL-WEATHER SYSTEM

The Chevy n All-Weather Air Conditioning System,

Figure 33, operates in conjunction with the heater to

provide a complete air conditioning system operating on

either outside air, recirculated air or a combination of

both. The cooling unit attaches to the heater distributor

and utilizes the heater blower. Several controls allow
full use of either the heating or cooling features of the

system. During marginal weather, it is possible to pro-

vide heated air at floor level and cooled air at breath

level.

A schematic view of the air conditioning underdash

components is provided in Figure 34 to aid in under-

standing airflow and control operation.

The evaporator assembly, located in the passenger

compartment attached directly to the heater distributor,

contains the evaporator core, expansion valve, thermo-

static switch and the air conditioning "ON" knob. The

thermostatic switch, utilized as the cooling control, feels

the temperature of the cooled air leaving the evaporator

core and turns the compressor on and off in accordance

with cooling needs. Refrigerant lines connect the evap-

orator assembly to the other system components located

in the engine compartment.

The six cylinder air conditioning compressor, com-

pletely field serviceable, is bracket-mounted to the

engine and is belt driven from the crankshaft pulley. A

muffler assembly, designed to eliminate compressor

pulsations is an integral part of the compressor con-

nector block. The condenser is mounted on the radiator

support just ahead of the engine radiator. The receiver-

dehydrator, with its sight glass, is located on the right

fender skirt.

Controls

Control of the air conditioning system is achieved

through the use of the heater control on the instrument

panel as well as the two knobs located on the air condi-

tioning unit itself (fig. 35).

Air Conditioning "ON" Knob

Labeled "Pull for Air Cond.", this knob diverts air-

flow from the floor distributor and through the air condi-

tioning unit. Initial movement of this knob also actuates a

switch, located at the damper door, which energizes the

compressor clutch thus putting the system into operation

and under the control of the thermostatic switch.

Temp-Cool Knob

This knob controls the thermostatic switch. Turn the

knob clockwise for more cooling, counter-clockwise for

less cooling.

Air Lever

This lever actuates the damper within the assembly

which chooses between recirculated air or outside air.

Fig.
31-Universal Air Conditioning Unit

CHEVROLET CHASSIS SERVICE MANUAL

HEATER AND AIR CONDITIONING 1A-26

clockwise for medium and high blower speed, as

desired. Low blower speed is automatic during

cooling operations.

4.
"Def-Pull". This knob should be pushed fully in.

Additional Cooling Hints

1.
The center barrel outlet in the dash may be rotated

to deflect air as desired or used to act as a shut off

door.

2.
The right and left ball outlets may be rotated to

deflect air in the direction desired. Each outlet has

a shut off valve operated by a knob approximately

4 in. inboard. When the knob is horizontal, the valve

is open.

3.
There are two (2) additional outlets in the bottom of

the ducts approximately 6" inboard from the valve

knobs. A rotating cover will open these outlets to

provide cool air for the feet if desired.

4.
When first entering a very warm car, open the

windows for a few minutes until the interior of the

car has cooled off.
Heating

1.
"Air Pull-Fan". Pull this knob fully out. Rotate

the knob clockwise for low, medium or high blower

speed as desired. If just a small amount of heat is

desired, leave the fan on low or medium speed and

regulate the temperature with the "Cool In-Hot Pull"

knob.

2.
"Air Cond-Pull". This knob should normally be

pushed fully in. However, during cool, damp days

it is possible, by pulling this knob fully out, to de-

humidify the air by passing it through the evaporator

core before reheating to the desired outlet

temperature.

3.
"Cool In-Hot Pull". Pull this knob out as far as

necessary to provide the temperature desired.

4.
"Def-Pull". Pull this knob all the way out for

maximum defrosting or de-icing. When the knob is

partly out, a portion of the hot air is used for de-

frosting and the balance is discharged through the

heater outlet.

GENERAL INFORMATION

In any vocation or trade, there are established proce-

dures and practices that have been developed after many

years of experience. In addition, occupational hazards

may be present that require the observation of certain

precautions or use of special tools and equipment. Ob-

serving the procedures, practices and precautions of

servicing refrigeration equipment will greatly reduce the

possibilities of damage to the customers' equipment as

well as virtually eliminate the element of hazard to the

serviceman.

PRECAUTIONS IN HANDLING REFRIGERANT-12

Refrigerant-12 is transparent and colorless in both the

gaseous and liquid state. It has a boiling point of 21.7^

below zero and, therefore, at all normal temperatures

and pressures it will be a vapor. The vapor is heavier

than air and is noninflammable, nonexplosive, non-

poisonous (except when in contact with an open flame)

and noncorrosive (except when in contact with water).

The following precautions in handling R-12 should be

observed at all times.

• All refrigerant drums are shipped with a heavy metal

screw cap. The purpose of the cap is to protect the

valve and safety plug from damage. It is good .prac-

tice to replace the cap after each use of the drum.

• If it is ever necessary to transport or carry a drum

or can of refrigerant in a car, keep it in the luggage

compartment. Refrigerant should not be exposed to

the radiant heat from the sun for the resulting in-

crease in pressure may cause the safety plug to

release or the drum or can to burst..

• Drums or disposable cans should never be subjected

to high temperature when adding refrigerant to the

system. In most instances, heating the drum or can

is required to raise the pressure in the container

higher than the pressure in the system during the

operation. It would be unwise to place the drum on a

gas stove, radiator or use a blow torch while pre-

paring for the charging operation, for a serious ac-

cident can result. Don't depend on the safety
plug - many drums have burst when the safety plug

failed.' Remember, high pressure means that great

forces are being exerted against the walls of the

container. A bucket of warm water, not over 125°F,

or warm wet rags around the container is all the heat

that is required.

• Do not weld or steam clean on or near the system.

Welding or steam cleaning can result in a dangerous

pressure buildup in the system.

• When filling a small drum from a large one, never

fill the drum completely. Space should always be

allowed above the liquid for expansion. If the drum

were completely full and the temperature was in-

creased, hydraulic pressure with its tremendous

force would result.

• Discharging large quantities of R-12 into a room can

usually be done safely as the vapor would produce

no ill effects, however, in the event of an accidental

rapid discharge of the system it is recommended

that inhalation of large quantities of R-12 be avoided.

This caution is especially important if the area con-

tains a flame producing device such as a gas heater.

While R-12 normally is nonpoisonous, heavy con-

centrations.. of it in contact with a live flame will

produce a toxic gas. The same gas will also attack

all bright metal surfaces.

• Protection of the eyes is of vital importance! When

working around a refrigerating system, an accident

may cause liquid refrigerant to hit the face. If the

eyes are protected with goggles or glasses, no

serious damage can result. Just remember, any

R-12 liquid that you can touch or that touches you is

at least 21.7"F. below zero. The eyeballs can't take

much of this temperature. If R-12 liquid should

strike the eyeballs, here is what to do:

1.
Keep calm.

2.
Do not rub the eyes! Splash the affected area with

quantities of cold water to gradually get the tem-

perature above the freezing point. The use of min-

eral, cod liver or an antiseptic oil is important in

CHEVROLET CHASSIS SERVICE MANUAL