RSX - Is there a trick to reinstalling the A/C expansion valve/heater box side cover?
10-02-2019, 12:46 PM
#1
(Resolved)Is there a trick to reinstalling A/C expansion valve/heater box cover?
06 RSX Type S
Solution:
I ended up cutting away any of the firewall insulation where the side cover pressed against. It's easy to see the areas where it was rubbing. I also broke the two plastic guide pins in the heater box that help the cover but it was causing me issues. What I did was make sure none of the plastic molding in the cover wasn't deformed, cleaned away or widened the gap where it overlaps around the edges and started by screwing the two bolts closest to the rear of the car then worked my way back towards the firewall. Just need to remember which bolts go where for the airbox and I'm good to go.
Original:
I had a shop replace my a/c expansion valve and o-rings since it was leaking. I pulled all the equipment under the glove box so they had access to it, so when they go to charge the system they could verify nothing was leaking there anymore.
So now as I'm trying to reinstall the side cover I can't get the back side of it to sit flush. I already broke off the plastic guiding pins as one of them was slanted and I couldn't line it up properly so I just removed them hoping I could wiggle the cover in place.
I've tried pulling the evaporator towards the rear of the car to get a little more space between the expansion valve and firewall, hoping the plastic cover that sits around that area would end up in place, but I'm not making any progress, there remains about 1/4" gap along every seam on the back side of the cover as you're looking at it (the side that sits closest to the front of the car). I remember the plastic cover rubbed against the firewall when removing it so maybe I need to pull the expansion valve area some more (to create a bigger gap near the firewall) while pushing the backside of the cover towards the firewall at the same time. I'm making sure the side of the cover closest to me is not sitting flush so that I can get a better angle on the area where I'm having trouble.
I remember it was a little snug removing it, didn't think it was going to be impossible to reinstall it. Once I get this back on it'll take no time to put the blower motor airbox and ecu back in place.
Thanks for any help.
Solution:
I ended up cutting away any of the firewall insulation where the side cover pressed against. It's easy to see the areas where it was rubbing. I also broke the two plastic guide pins in the heater box that help the cover but it was causing me issues. What I did was make sure none of the plastic molding in the cover wasn't deformed, cleaned away or widened the gap where it overlaps around the edges and started by screwing the two bolts closest to the rear of the car then worked my way back towards the firewall. Just need to remember which bolts go where for the airbox and I'm good to go.
Original:
I had a shop replace my a/c expansion valve and o-rings since it was leaking. I pulled all the equipment under the glove box so they had access to it, so when they go to charge the system they could verify nothing was leaking there anymore.
So now as I'm trying to reinstall the side cover I can't get the back side of it to sit flush. I already broke off the plastic guiding pins as one of them was slanted and I couldn't line it up properly so I just removed them hoping I could wiggle the cover in place.
I've tried pulling the evaporator towards the rear of the car to get a little more space between the expansion valve and firewall, hoping the plastic cover that sits around that area would end up in place, but I'm not making any progress, there remains about 1/4" gap along every seam on the back side of the cover as you're looking at it (the side that sits closest to the front of the car). I remember the plastic cover rubbed against the firewall when removing it so maybe I need to pull the expansion valve area some more (to create a bigger gap near the firewall) while pushing the backside of the cover towards the firewall at the same time. I'm making sure the side of the cover closest to me is not sitting flush so that I can get a better angle on the area where I'm having trouble.
I remember it was a little snug removing it, didn't think it was going to be impossible to reinstall it. Once I get this back on it'll take no time to put the blower motor airbox and ecu back in place.
Thanks for any help.
Last edited by InTheZoneAC; 10-05-2019 at 12:36 PM. Reason: Resolved
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