How to Remove the Air-Conditioner Compressor in a 1998 Ford Ranger

The 1998 model year brought about a refresh for the Ranger, giving it a longer wheelbase, new suspension and even a four-door model. The 1998 Ranger had just three trim levels available, XL, XLT and Splash, and none of them had standard air conditioning. The base-level engine on the 1998 Ranger was the 2.5-liter four-cylinder that pushed out 119 horsepower. Replacing the air-conditioning compressor is a detailed process that also requires you to replace the orifice tube

Instructions

1

Take the Ranger to a local air conditioning repair facility to have the R134a evacuated and the air conditioning system leak checked. This process includes extremely high-pressure gas, and evacuating it yourself may cause harm to your truck or to you.

2

Find the electrical connector on top of the compressor, just behind the pulley. Press and hold the unlocking button on the harness and unplug it.

3

Draw a diagram of the way the serpentine belt routes over all of the pulleys, using a pen and paper. Find the tensioner pulley on the passengers side of the crankshaft pulley. Place the drive end of a ratchet into the square hole on the end of the tensioner pulley. Turn the ratchet counterclockwise and hold it to relieve tension on the drive belt. Pull the drive belt off just the air conditioning compressor. Allow the tensioner to rotate clockwise slowly until it is in its resting position.

4

Remove the four bolts retaining the compressor, using a ratchet and socket. Slide the compressor forward until you can access the lines on the rear of it. Remove the bolt securing the lines to the compressor, using a ratchet and socket. Pull the compressor from the engine compartment. Make sure to keep the rear of the compressor upward to avoid spilling any oil.

5

Hold the compressor over a measuring cup, with the rear of the compressor pointing downward and the holes lining up with the measuring cup. Turn the compressors pulley and observe as neon-colored oil flows from the rear of the compressor and into the measuring cup. Once the oil stops flowing, check to see how many ounces of oil drained from the compressor.

6

Pour the old oil from the measuring cup and into a sealable container. Fill the measuring cup with 1 ounce more new refrigerant oil or equivalent meeting Ford specification WSH-M1C231B than you drained from the compressor in step 5, if you drained 3 to 5 ounces from the old compressor. If you drained less than 3 ounces, pour 3 ounces of refrigerant oil into the measuring cup. If the amount of oil drained was greater than 5 ounces, pour the same amount refrigerant oil you drained from the old compressor into the measuring cup.

7

Add the refrigerant oil in the measuring cup to the new compressor, by pouring it into either hole on the rear of the compressor. Apply a thin coating of refrigerant oil onto the new O-rings, which come with the new compressor, then seat the O-rings into the grooves in their respective holes on the rear of the compressor.

8

Coat the threads on the bolt that secures the air-conditioning lines with a pipe sealant meeting Ford specifications WSK-M2G340-A2 and ESR-M18P7-A.

9

Set the compressor in its mount and guide the air-conditioning lines into the holes on the rear of the compressor, then hand-thread the lines retaining bolt. Torque the lines retaining bolt to 13 to 17 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket, as you hold the compressor still.

10

Slide the compressor rearward until its bolt holes align with those in the compressor bracket. Thread the compressor-retaining bolts by hand, then torque them to between 16 and 21 foot-pounds. Plug the wiring harness into the receptacle on the compressor.

11

Route the belt over the air-conditioning compressor, then rotate the tensioner pulley counterclockwise with a ratchet. Line the belt up with the tensioner pulley, then allow the tensioner to rotate clockwise slowly until it engages the belt. Remove the ratchet and socket. If the belt happened to fall off the other pulleys while removing the compressor, use the diagram you drew in StepThree to reroute the belt over the crankshaft pulley, alternator pulley, power steering pump, cooling fan pulley and water pump pulley

12

Trace the air conditioning line that runs from the condenser all the way to the firewall; this is the condenser-to-evaporator tube. Just before you reach the firewall, you will see a coupling holding two lines together. Pry the lock on the plastic cover over the mating point of the two lines with a flathead screwdriver and pull the plastic cover from the lines.

13

Select a spring lock coupling disconnect tool that fits over the two halves of the condenser-to-evaporator tube snugly and position it so the coupling is inside the tool. Close the tool and press it toward the firewall. Pull the line closest to the front of the truck away from the firewall to disconnect the two lines.

14

Twist the T-handle on an orifice tube remover and replacer clockwise until its jaws fully extend. Guide a fixed orifice tube remover and replacer into the half of the condenser-to-evaporator tube closest to the condenser until the orifice tube is inside of the remover and replacers jaws. Twist the T-handle on the orifice tube remover and replacer until the orifice tube snaps free of its groove in the pipe. Pull the orifice tube remover and replacer out of the pipe and pull the orifice tube from the remover and replacer.

15

Press a new fixed orifice tube into the jaws of the orifice tube remover and replacer lightly and guide the new orifice tube into the half of the condenser-to-evaporator tube closest to the condenser. Turn the T-handle on the orifice tube remover and replacer clockwise until you hear the orifice tube snap into place in its groove. Pull the orifice tube remover and replacer from the air-conditioning line.

16

Lubricate the inside of the female end of the condenser-to-evaporator tube with refrigerant oil. Press the two halves of the fitting together sharply until you hear the coupling snap into place. Reposition the plastic cover over the coupling and press the covers lock downward until it snaps to secure it.

17

Take the Ranger to a nearby air-conditioning repair facility to have the system charged with new R134a refrigerant.

18

Deliver the old refrigerant oil to a local used automotive fluid recycling center for disposal. Some auto parts stores take old fluids free of charge.