Advice on cap tube pinch'n

[Peen]

Im ready to pinch the cap tube on the chiller. Anyone got some advice or tips, or maybe some pics?

[Gary Lloyd]

I have never pinched a cap tube, and possibly someone here has experience with this, but I would do it this way:

With minimum heat load at lowest achievable coolant temp:

Pinch near the drier end of the cap tube to minimize turbulence.

I would pinch very gradually with something like an adjustable C clamp or small vise, preferably in several spots, close together, rather than one spot.

Take your time, pinch a little, wait 15 minutes or so for the system to adjust itself to the new flow rate before judging the results, then pinch a little more, etc., until the side of the compressor near the bottom is above room temperature.

This should get you pretty close.

The pinched area will be a weak spot. It would be best, when you are finished. to strap this area to other tubing with cable ties in order to protect it from being moved around and kinking or snapping, preferably with insulation between to keep it from rubbing against the other tubing. For example, it could be strapped to the insulated suction line.

[Gary Lloyd]

Hmmmmm... Doesn't this belong in the chiller forum?

[Peen]

I was thinking this would apply to phase change in general.

this sounds scary :D

[Peen]

pc ice done this? come on in with the pics hehe

still kinda nervous something is going to blow up :)

[Karnivore]

Originally posted by Peen
pc ice done this? come on in with the pics hehe

still kinda nervous something is going to blow up :)


The way your luck has been with hardware lately, are you certain you want to bring tools into the kill zone?:D

[LardArse]

I've done like what Gary has suggested before and it works just that it might take quite a length of pinched cap tube to get where you want it. I used simple pliers to pinch.

[Çhrist0ph]

what would happen if you slipped and accidently pinched the cap tube shut?

[hallowen]

UH OH! :eek:

Get out the Brazing tools.............

[LardArse]

I've had cap tubes that were brazed shut by accident and even with a slight overcharge, the high side pressure would be slightly higher than normal but not so dangerously high. Don't think it will be dangerous but you will need to replace the cap tube in the end.

[kayl]

i tried pinching the captubing on the weekend, was a little scard of breaking it.
so i didnt pinch it much at all.


i also practiced on some captubing i had laying around, that stuff needs a lot of force (with pliers) to pinch it, gota find the multigrips i think, practice then do it on the chiller captube.
i need to get computer going first though, shes dead.
fist my tec died on saturday, then i killed mother board, so when i get it going ill give it another go

[Peen]

did it help?

[kayl]

no, only becasue i didnt pinch it enough.
should have system back in order by weekend
then ill give it another go

[Peen]

Originally posted by pc ice
run the system normal like usaul.turn off the system and then make the pinch listening to the freon squirt into the evap coil's.you will here it start to slow down as you pinch it ever so slowly..

you can pinch it by the drier but that will cause the liqiud the evap in the capline .the capline will start to sweat. and oil will have a hard time going threw the pinch.so you might want to make the pinch as close to the evap as possible.so if the is any evaperation it will instantly happen close to the evap.

im at work right now and have no pic's to uplaod for you...but i will tonight.

any pics? i think this thing is seriously overcharged, im getting just -15c cooling only videocard with very small reservoir