Back almost 25years ago I was rebuilding the air conditioner on a 1978 White snub-nose - looked like this one, except painted blue.
Detroit 6v-92T engine, for those interested. A 2-stroke diesel.
It had a roof-mounted condenser unit, and the 10-foot long hoses were rotten, etc etc. I redid the system, and needed a vacuum pump to pull it down before charging.
A friend of mine had some property with a ravine, and over the decades things had been pushed off into that ravine. Way down there was an old refrigerator which still had a compressor. We hooked a chain to it and pulled the fridge up, and I robbed the compressor out of it.
The compressor still pumped, amazingly enough, and I cobbled together a vacuum pump out of it.
I've been using that vacuum pump ever since. It's slow but it works, and I've got like 3 bucks and 30 minutes of labor in it; including the custom carry handle on top.
Well, yesterday I installed a new condenser in my 2007 International, and went to pull down the system.
Hooked the pump up, and it didn't work. Rats. I gently whacked it with a screwdriver handle a couple times, and it burped into life for a second or two, then shut off.
Heck, if a gentle whack will make it run for a second, a hard whack should fix it, right?
No dice; regardless if how big a hammer used it wouldn't wake up. It's dead, Jim.
I called up my buddy to complain, and asked about the warranty.
He was still laughing when I hung up in disgust.
They just don't make stuff the way they used to.
Detroit 6v-92T engine, for those interested. A 2-stroke diesel.
It had a roof-mounted condenser unit, and the 10-foot long hoses were rotten, etc etc. I redid the system, and needed a vacuum pump to pull it down before charging.
A friend of mine had some property with a ravine, and over the decades things had been pushed off into that ravine. Way down there was an old refrigerator which still had a compressor. We hooked a chain to it and pulled the fridge up, and I robbed the compressor out of it.
The compressor still pumped, amazingly enough, and I cobbled together a vacuum pump out of it.
I've been using that vacuum pump ever since. It's slow but it works, and I've got like 3 bucks and 30 minutes of labor in it; including the custom carry handle on top.
Well, yesterday I installed a new condenser in my 2007 International, and went to pull down the system.
Hooked the pump up, and it didn't work. Rats. I gently whacked it with a screwdriver handle a couple times, and it burped into life for a second or two, then shut off.
Heck, if a gentle whack will make it run for a second, a hard whack should fix it, right?
No dice; regardless if how big a hammer used it wouldn't wake up. It's dead, Jim.
I called up my buddy to complain, and asked about the warranty.
He was still laughing when I hung up in disgust.
They just don't make stuff the way they used to.
