Evaporator replacement Toyota Auris/Corolla 2013

[roks Ra]

Hi All,

I have a problem with the evaporator whereby it produces white powder from the vents, as in the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-keZ4K_tt8 , apart from that my AC system is working perfectly, has no leaks etc.

I need to replace it so I have acquired an aircon box from a 2016 model. It got damaged in transit, so I cant do a straight swap, I will salvage the heater core and the evaporator from the broken box.

My concerns are the internals of the evaporator, externally it looks perfect, has no sign of any leaks, and looks clean, maybe just a bit dust or something and most importantly there are no signs of the white powder inside the box.

I am told I need a professional to look at it as the parts have been exposed to air it could be all frozen/rusted inside due to chemical reaction and debris could have got in there? The expansion valve was attached to the evaporator, so I would have thought not much debris could get in the evaporator. Also, we don’t know how much oil is inside that evaporator to get the freon/oil balance correct.

I will take it to a garage to evacuate the system before I start the job and when I finish the job take it back for a re-charge of the AC.

My questions are:

1. Do I need to clean the evaporator? If so what DIY solution can I use?
2. I was planning on measuring oil from the faulty and placing the same amount in the new one, is that ok?
3. Should I dip the evap in soap and water to wash the fins or is that going to cause erosion?

Thanks in advance for your input

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