Kegerator help?

Ok, so I picked up a mini fridge today from CL... I believe it's a Magic Chef 4.4 Cu Ft, model no: MCBR445W2

my first concern is that temperature dial. how hard is it to remove and move? any problems?

http://imgur.com/QWOU3

another concern is removing the freezer "flap" and bending the coolant lines upward... but the "flap" doesn't seem to want to come out

http://imgur.com/CwiU1

another concern is removing the door shelves/racks...

http://imgur.com/W5KJG

i guess im just trying to see if anyone else on here has experience with this model or a similar model and has any helpful insight?

i'm ready for some cold homebrew! :rockin:

I know 3 years ago when I built mine, those of us grabbing mini-fridges stayed away from those with an icebox because of the interference. I wonder if you can unscrew it and swing it down to the back of the fridge.. My concern is with kinking or rupturing a line. A kink will create a secondary orifice resulting in less cooling from the evaporator, and well a rupture renders the fridge useless. I'll do some research and see if I can find anything for you on that.

The T-stat housing should be removable, if you can't find screws then still use your screw driver... to pry it off. Just work patiently as you might decide that you want to save certain pieces. Don't destroy anything until you are sure you no longer want it. Same goes for that door, looks like some gentle pry-bar action (screwdriver) will pop it out.

The front racks are simple to remove, pull back the gasket and you will find screws. Remove the screws and the rack will come off. Now you will find one of two things, there will either be a retainer or there will not be. If there is, lucky you! use it to put the gasket back on. If not? Get out your cut-off tool and cut the shelves off, saving the "frame" to be used as the gasket retainer.

Are you planning on putting a beer tower on top? Or serving out of the front of the door?

I would like to put a draft tower on top eventually, but right now i'll just use picnic taps to serve... just really wanted to get my homebrew in a fridge 0_0

Ok, check this thread out:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/mini-fridge-conversion-corny-kegerator-110039/

Several guys have bent the freezer to the back of the fridge successfully. But to repeat myself and them: Don't kink or break the lines!

Good luck boss!

OK, any tips about removing the door shelves but leaving the sealing strip?

You have to remove it first and see what you have got. Like I said, there may be a metal frame, or you may have to cut the plastic shelves off to fashion a plastic frame. Either way there will need to be some retainer to hold the gasket in place

OK, got the "flap" out easily, and took a little longer to move the thermostat (stupid screw...) but now I think all I need to do is bend the cooling line to the back. any tips on doing this and not kinking/breaking the lines? or just go slooowwww?

Well, maybe read through that thread, but I didn't see anybody give specific advice on my glance-over. Have you ever worked with a tubing bender? I would suggest using a wooden dowel, or like 3/8" extension or something held under the tube while you bend the evaporator downwards. This should prevent kinking. Otherwise just cross your fingers; good luck!

tjpfeister said:

You have to remove it first and see what you have got. Like I said, there may be a metal frame, or you may have to cut the plastic shelves off to fashion a plastic frame. Either way there will need to be some retainer to hold the gasket in place

Click to expand...

on 2 different model mini-fridges i've had very good success with taking a really strong utility knife and pretty much carving through the plastic on the shelving. then, it will peel off. you'll have to muscle it and it will be a messy job but after carving through it you don't risk pulling the gasket off.

well guys, im pretty sure i just made a $45 paper weight... starting bending the coil, and a hissing noise comes out... immediately i go for the duct tape, but idk how that'll fare

jgoette said:

well guys, im pretty sure i just made a $45 paper weight... starting bending the coil, and a hissing noise comes out... immediately i go for the duct tape, but idk how that'll fare

Click to expand...

unfortunately, i think you're screwed. plug it in and turn it on, if the cools don't become very cold within a few minutes then it's probably ruined.

they got cool, but the hissing started back up... not sure if there is anyway to stop it... also, hope that gas isn't toxic X_X

It's not toxic. I'm sorry to hear about your bad luck. My epic stubbornness at this point would not allow it to become a paperweight. Theres a chance the tube could be repaired, the bigger problem for you is recharging the refrigerant. There are no service ports like there are on a car (though I think there are tubes found on the compressor that are used for the factory fill. Anywho, you might find a repair facility capable of fixing and/or recharging it. I mean if you just dropped 2-hundies, it's worth spending a little more to try and recover your investment.

But wait... is it continuously hissing? Because I can't believe the thing would have enough charge to leak for very long. (A Dodge Caravan with rear A/C will empty itself quite quickly with a pinhole leak, and this ain't no Dodge Caravan) Could it just be kinked? Give us a 20 minute update!

I mean I think it is cracked... although I couldn't pinpoint a hole. But I'll plug it in and see if it gets cool... how would I tell the difference b/w a kink and a crack??? they sound similar?

Well an external leak will hiss, but so will an internal orifice caused by a kink.. but in a muffled sort of fashion. The shape of the tube is sort of the give away, does it look kinked? Or does it look stressed?

meh, it didn't look like either to me, but then it went HISSSSSSSSSSS

lol, idk. i think i just blew $45

also, i think it is cracked b/c i was inhaling all those smell goods...

Just curious, where you able to find a repair facility or did you make junk?
Again, sorry it didn't work out!

trying to get my HVAC friend out to check it out...