AC expansion valve

nathan944 · 07-19-2006, 11:22 AM

Can some please tell me the best way to remove the a/c expansion valve on an early 944??

morbid · 08:29 PM

Hello Nathan. There's no best way for that... There's only one way; you got to take off the evaporator/blower box out of the car. It's under dash, in passenger side.

The first thing to do is to discharge (recover /recycle) the refrigerant from the system. Remove the glove-box, and the cover below the glove-box. What you can see there, with two hoses screwed into two lines in front of it (discharge[skinny line on top], suction[bigger line below)] is the evaporator/blower box. Carefully pull down the top of the passengers carpet, and remove the drain hose. Then unscrew the discharge and suction lines. On top of the box, over the lines you can see two screws, remove them, and now you can pull down the box. The next step is to unplug some cables, and carefully pull back the evap/blower box. With the box out of the car, you can see expansion valve covered with insulator at the back where the blower is attached. What I can't remember is the need to disassemble of the box to remove the valve, or if it can be change without disassemble...

Hope this helps.

jhimsey · 07-20-2006, 03:11 AM

I just went through this process a month ago. Talk about a hellacious evolution!!! It took longer for me to get the box out and then back in than it did to do just about everything else!!!! It took about 1 hour for me. But, it was the first time I had ever seen the unit. Might go faster if your pretty versed in the set-up. You do have to crack open the box to get to the valve. It is pretty straight forward. Just remove the clips and three screws. Hope this helps.

nathan944 · 07-20-2006, 10:43 AM

Thanks guys. Well I got the evap/fan unit out easy enough, but when I went to put in my new expansion valve it was the wrong one. It was close, but one of the fittings was a little to big and it had (2) of those copper wire things on it. Advance autoparts shows it fitting a 83 944. I dont know what to do now. I hate to spend 100$ on a genuine porsche one. WHere did you gys get yours at?

morbid · 04:26 PM

Those cooper wire things you see are capillary tubes with bulb sensors at the end. Should be careful managing them, not to sharp bend them. Some of the capillary tubes are charged with gas, and the gas in them is what makes them work. You can buy it where it's cheaper in price. The $100 genuine valve will work as good as the Advance one, if they are exactly the same, properly installed, and insulated. I got mine at a local Auto A/C parts store... So if the one you bought it's not the same as the old you have, get it change. If they don't have the same one, ask for your money back and look for it in another place.