A/C Expansion Valve

[Geolander]

Just got a '95 SR5 4WD. It's got (ouch) 240k miles, but the head gasket was just done in the last 100 miles, along with re-machined heads. Timing belt and water pump were replaced recently as well. I took it to my mechanic and he said it's in great shape, especially for the age and mileage. Only things wrong with it are a bad A/C expansion valve and worn clutch bushings.

The clutch bushings aren't critical, so I'll probably put them off for a bit, but the A/C expansion valve is shot and makes a constant, really really irritating noise whenever the A/C is on. I'm going to be driving the truck halfway across the country in a month, including across the desert, so I'll need the A/C, and I'd rather not listen to the noise of this thing for 1600 miles.

I was quoted $240 to fix it, which seems high to me - I took a look at the FSM and it looks pretty simple to replace. The part is only $40. Anyone ever replaced this themselves? Would it be doable for someone with mechanical aptitude but limited experience working on cars? Even better, can someone point me to a write-up? I've looked around, but I've only found a few mentions on the side. Nothing about how it was actually done or any problems/tricky spots.

To avoid worthless thread smileys:

 

[Geolander]

Bump.

Also, in reading around, it sounded like the A/C shouldn't be working at all if the expansion valve is bad, not just making funny noises. The A/C still blows cold with no issues in its cooling performance. Is there a fan in there with the cooling unit that could be doing this? It does sound a bit like an improperly balanced fan (dirt build-up maybe?). The sound is definitely coming from somewhere in the dash and is only active when the A/C is on.

 

[Saved]

I never heard of an expansion valve making a noise. The fan is the same that works the heater. if it is rumbling it is probably the bearing going out. I would just run it until it stops.

 

[Geolander]

I never heard of an expansion valve making a noise. The fan is the same that works the heater. if it is rumbling it is probably the bearing going out. I would just run it until it stops.

It's not rumbling. The best way to describe it is like the sound you get when you put a playing card in your bike wheel spokes, kind of a fast ticking noise. So maybe the fan is hitting something? Also, where is this fan located? With the cooling unit under the glove box?