Thanks for the explanation on PAG oil. So I guess what I don't understand is that if the initial readings are a bit but then they come down.... does that not mean that once the pressure
does come down that the PAG oil has then been more evenly distributed throughout the system? If so, what causes it to collect back in the condenser and receiver/drier again all the time? That's definitely not the first time I've had those initial high side pressures that high after firing up with the gauges attached. Prior to the latest round of replacing components, I had driven the car for 2 months with the A/C running probably at least half of the time prior to that.... then did an evac, vacuum, and recharge and it was still doing the same immediately after firing up the engine and turning the A/C on. The engine bay was pretty heat-soaked at that time, so we put a shop fan in front of the condenser after a solid 1-2 minutes of the high side pressures being 300+ PSI, and the high side pressures plummeted to right within spec. So that's when we decided the condenser must have need more air flow when parked, which is what lead me to the idea of installing those electric puller fans. Perhaps it was just coincidence that the pressures dropped once we put the fan in place.... and maybe the system just overcame that initial buildup of PAG oil?????
I'll definitely try to prevent the system from reaching 350 PSI. Should I wait 30 seconds between cycling the compressor off and back on, or anything?
I used PAG 46, which apparently is what is called for on these trucks. I used the dyed stuff, if that matters. Used one brand the first time, and another brand this second time after replacing parts again.
Unfortunately I no longer have a zoom lens, and that was the closest I could get the camera with the tripod to the gauge set, but I do have an actual video camera I can try to use next time that has zoom. Sorry about that.... I wasn't considering the fact that someone might not be using more than a mobile device to watch the video. If the battery is acting up on my actual video camera I'll try to move the gauges closer somehow... I'll figure something out
Oh regarding flushing things.... the evaporators and condenser were new this time around. New evaporators, condenser, receiver/drier, muffler line, etc. So all I literally flushed and blew clean were just the lines themselves that run front to rear. Both ends of the suction and both ends of the liquid line were open, not connected to anything at all. Once I flushed and blew them clean, I left them disconnected overnight to finish drying out (the solvent is supposed to be quick-drying solvent anyway). The next day I removed the factory shipping plugs from the new evaporators, installed the TXV's, installed the condenser and receiver/drier, and connected everything up... so literally no other component was flushed since everything else was new. And I left both ends of the receiver/drier capped from the moment I unpacked it out of the box, till the moment it was ready to be connected to the condenser and other line set. It was the last thing to remove the plugs from and connect up, and was open to the atmosphere for maybe 10-15 minutes tops. It didn't get connected until everything else was sealed up, so shouldn't be any moisture issues with that.
Thanks Stamp!