What is this part called and what does it do? Pardon my ignorance. It's typically a weight reduction part for me lol!
What is this part called and what does it do? Pardon my ignorance. It's typically a weight reduction part for me lol!
79 Pace Car - 331, t5
79 Pace Car- 302, 4 spd
79 Cobra - working on 351w, t5
82 Capri- working on 302, t5
82gt - working on 408w, c4
Expansion valve.
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.
79 Pace Car - 331, t5
79 Pace Car- 302, 4 spd
79 Cobra - working on 351w, t5
82 Capri- working on 302, t5
82gt - working on 408w, c4
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