You could contact Bacharach to see whether they can help with a manual. But with the flooding and the other questions you have about the old recovery unit—and wondering whether it will work at all—would compel me to leave it behind. I wonder, too, whether there's any R-12 in the system to begin with...

If I understand correctly, it appears that the two cams (white plastic parts) and actuators still work, just that the cams touch and make noise—although I don't hear any mechanical noise in the video, only voices. I'm guessing that one or both of the shafts on which they pivot have moved laterally s...

I can't tell from the video, but is one of those cams (lacking a better term) interacting with the other cam, or do they move independently via separate actuators?

If memory serves (and it has been quite a while), the Compressor Thermal Limiter Switch on a VIR system from the early to mid 1970's opened with a pressure anomaly on either the high or low sides. Once it opened, it couldn't be re-set and had to be replaced, like a fuse. I remember changing those sw...

A search resulted in one heat-transfer products manufacturer who produces all-aluminum parallel-flow A/C condensers in 18 mm (0.71 inch) and 25.4 mm (1 inch) fin depths, probably in whatever length, width, and connections that you're looking for.

It has been quite a while since I worked on or even saw a GM VIR system. If you want to take a chance, you could disassemble the VIR and replace the desiccant bag yourself. Desiccant kits are available in the market. Better yet, I think, is to purchase an entire VIR unit that has been rebuilt by a r...

I'll take a guess about the thermal limiter: If it was the original part from 1976, it might have "silently" failed at some point, resulting in its inability to open and protect the compressor when something went wrong with it. Also, you mentioned that this VIR system was converted to R-13...

Nice tutorial on a difficult and very tricky diagnosis. Kudos to Diagnose Dan for persevering through to a successful repair. Thanks, atikovi, for posting it.

On this day, as we remember all who served...Thank You.

“The valor and courage of our young women and men in the Armed Services are a shining example to all of the world, and we owe them and their families our deepest respect.” — Bill Frist, former U.S. Senator

I forgot to mention this earlier, but your 2006 Tundra (4-door model) takes 21 ounces net weight of R-134a and 7.75 fluid ounces of PAG-46. The 2-door model takes 23 ounces of R-134a; the oil amount and type are the same as the former.