Which pipes were hot? Where were your gauges attached?
Also I have seen a system operate without a piston or txv before. Pressures and temps look like crap but it will cool. There is enough pressure drop across the distributor tubes and through the coil to get refrigeration.
Sometimes if you get a strong enough magnet you can force that valve to shift. You also might try stopping the fans to get your pressure up and force that valve to seat on its own. I don't know your experience level, but are you familiar with the internals of these valves and how they function?