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Necoa #: 9663
Location: 18(N.CA,N.NV)
Joined: Jun 16, 2007
Posts: 29
Year: 1984
Model: El Camino
Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 4:27 pm Post subject: VOV orifice tube
A fellow El Camino driver passing by saw me in the garage working on the a/c system. He stopped, came over introduced himself, and gave me some advice on something he had done to his car. He told me on his retrofitted R-134 system he uses a "VOV" orifice tube and these will drop your temperature 5-11 degrees colder. I sat in his car "FREEZER", while it was just a slow idle. He said it at it's best on the freeway and open road. He said he paid around $15 or $20 for it. I will be installing one next time I need to overhaul my system.
Necoa #: 603
Location: 12(MO,OK,KS)
Joined: Feb 06, 2003
Posts: 208
Year: 1982
Model: El Camino
Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 8:08 pm Post subject:
Did he happen to tell you where to purchase one of these items and does it take the place of the regular oriface tube? _________________ Bobby
56 Chevy 2-door sedan
82 El Camino Conquista
Necoa #: 9663
Location: 18(N.CA,N.NV)
Joined: Jun 16, 2007
Posts: 29
Year: 1984
Model: El Camino
Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 11:02 pm Post subject: VOV orifice tube
Yes it does take the place of the original orifice tube. He did not say where he picked it up. I called to a couple of the better parts stores in the are and they did not stock the item. He lives in the neighborhood, I will see him soon.
a quick google search yielded lots of info. here is a place to read and buy. _________________ 84 Elky with 455 Buick, Tremec TKO600 5 speed, 8.5 3:42 posi -
My Members Page Album
Another 3 to 9 years should finish it.
I've not heard good things about the VOV. If retrofit properly, a standard orifice tube will cool as good as it did from the factory with R12. But, CCOT is always a compromise at some level. For the optimum cooling you would want to go to a control valve setup (TXV, VIR, POA, etc).
"It was stated that when using a VOV valve that a systems refrigerant level “must” be adjusted! How much depends on vehicle performance itself and not a set amount. So you could be adding or removing refrigerant for hours before you get proper cooling. Also if there is a small leak in the system this would then effect the charge level creating a improper charge level for the VOV valve, thus poor cooling. It was stated that all OEM attempts to use a VOV valve were stopped. I think someone somewhere in design may still be working with them but it sounds like this is not really an option we will see in future vehicles. "
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