What is this AC part?

[Broncojunkie]

What is this part called and what does it do? Pardon my ignorance. It's typically a weight reduction part for me lol!

[BMW Rider]

Expansion valve.

[Broncojunkie]

Expansion valve.

Thanks. I thought it was but a search pulls up a different-looking part. The factory piece is huge compared to what I'm finding online.

[Greywolf]

Expansion valve, also called Thermal Expansion Valve (TXV). It's a fancier version of the orifice tube, opening and closing based on temperature in the evaporator housing to keep your cool air temperature consistent.

Newer A/C systems generally use an orifice tube which replaces a fancy opening-and-closing device with a fixed size hole that (if properly sized and the system is working correctly) will average out to the same flow over time under the same general conditions.

It was a weight, complexity and cost reduction item for the automakers in the early 80s (and many other A/C manufacturers as well).

If you plan to keep your A/C original, you can have an A/C shop test and/or repair it.

If you plan to keep your A/C but don't care if it's original (or, specifically, plan to switch to R134a), buy the parts for a newer Fox and use an orifice tube because it's cheaper and simpler and 99% as good as the more complex system (obviously, good enough for every major auto manufacturer, right?).

If you don't plan to have A/C, and it's not broken (there's a thin sensor line that works exactly like a mechanical temperature gauge, except it opens and closes the valve to allow refrigerant through), consider taking it out carefully and seeing if someone wants to buy it.

[Broncojunkie]

Expansion valve, also called Thermal Expansion Valve (TXV). It's a fancier version of the orifice tube, opening and closing based on temperature in the evaporator housing to keep your cool air temperature consistent.

Newer A/C systems generally use an orifice tube which replaces a fancy opening-and-closing device with a fixed size hole that (if properly sized and the system is working correctly) will average out to the same flow over time under the same general conditions.

It was a weight, complexity and cost reduction item for the automakers in the early 80s (and many other A/C manufacturers as well).

If you plan to keep your A/C original, you can have an A/C shop test and/or repair it.

If you plan to keep your A/C but don't care if it's original (or, specifically, plan to switch to R134a), buy the parts for a newer Fox and use an orifice tube because it's cheaper and simpler and 99% as good as the more complex system (obviously, good enough for every major auto manufacturer, right?).

If you don't plan to have A/C, and it's not broken (there's a thin sensor line that works exactly like a mechanical temperature gauge, except it opens and closes the valve to allow refrigerant through), consider taking it out carefully and seeing if someone wants to buy it.

Great info. I'm in the process of stripping the engine bay of my 79 cobra and was wondering about this. I plan to keep a/c in this car and recalled someone on this forum suggesting swapping in a later fox system.