AC System Slow Leak (1 Viewer)

[MTrun]

@MTrun Where did you end up on this project?

Success! Thanks for asking Red Beard. I put in new hard lines to the rear, drilled out & replaced the corroded rear bolt, new front evaporator, o-rings, and dessicant. After a full afternoon or two of working the hard lines (and lightly bending & swearing at them) to get them in place - the whole system has been working like a champ ever since last summer.

 

[MTrun]

PS - I did update post #7 to reflect all the final parts I used.

There were a couple rusted clamps or bolts I replaced while in there for the hard lines, but those are completely optional and would be on a case by case basis. I looked those up on the partsouq parts diagram whenever I found one that didn't look like it would make it another 10 years.

 

[danimal24]

Success! Thanks for asking Red Beard. I put in new hard lines to the rear, drilled out & replaced the corroded rear bolt, new front evaporator, o-rings, and dessicant. After a full afternoon or two of working the hard lines (and lightly bending & swearing at them) to get them in place - the whole system has been working like a champ ever since last summer.

Hey MTrun. Thanks for the motivation!!!

I am in the same boat... attempting to replace the rear high pressure line. What was the best way of installing? From rear (fight the bumper and tire holder) or from front (fight the muffler in the way)?? I spent an hour in the dark with head lamp last night and just couldn't figure the best way...if I could remove the body mount...I would be golden.

My old line broke when removing...holes in the support locations as typical.

Thanks!!!

Dan

 

[MTrun]

Hey MTrun. Thanks for the motivation!!!

I am in the same boat... attempting to replace the rear high pressure line. What was the best way of installing? From rear (fight the bumper and tire holder) or from front (fight the muffler in the way)?? I spent an hour in the dark with head lamp last night and just couldn't figure the best way...if I could remove the body mount...I would be golden.

My old line broke when removing...holes in the support locations as typical.

Thanks!!!

Dan

Good luck Dan!!! You can do it.

Not a job I would want to do often. Realistically if I did it again I would be very tempted to get the flexible rubber aftermarket ones for easier install - but that is another research project to find something non oem you trust.

Yep - one shop quoted me several thousand(s) of dollars to replace the line because they said they would remove the whole body for install. I can't even explain how I got it in there, poking it through one opening, left, right, forward back only to find I could not get it over some support bracket, swore, spent a while trying to figure out how to remove it then tried again from another angle, and another, and another. I finally found a series of movements that got it CLOSE and did some light bending to get it the rest of the way.

I can only advise PATIENCE. If you try to force it right away you will end of with a ball of mangled aluminum that really won't fit in anywhere. Use a light touch at first to see what your options are. Get it above a bracket or muffler - feed it one direction then try to feed it back through or above the next problem. When it doesn't go, see what it is hitting, take a deep breath, take a break, crack a beer and try again. If anyone finds a better method - I would love to hear as well!! You got this!

 

[Red Beard]

Good luck Dan!!! You can do it.

Not a job I would want to do often. Realistically if I did it again I would be very tempted to get the flexible rubber aftermarket ones for easier install - but that is another research project to find something non oem you trust.

Yep - one shop quoted me several thousand(s) of dollars to replace the line because they said they would remove the whole body for install. I can't even explain how I got it in there, poking it through one opening, left, right, forward back only to find I could not get it over some support bracket, swore, spent a while trying to figure out how to remove it then tried again from another angle, and another, and another. I finally found a series of movements that got it CLOSE and did some light bending to get it the rest of the way.

I can only advise PATIENCE. If you try to force it right away you will end of with a ball of mangled aluminum that really won't fit in anywhere. Use a light touch at first to see what your options are. Get it above a bracket or muffler - feed it one direction then try to feed it back through or above the next problem. When it doesn't go, see what it is hitting, take a deep breath, take a break, crack a beer and try again. If anyone finds a better method - I would love to hear as well!! You got this!

I'm looking into getting flexible hoses made by coldhose.com someday. I haven't gotten the courage to remove the rear hoses from the rear unit yet based on @MTrun's broken bolt experience. I'm sure mine will snap as well. Once I figure that out, I will need to measure how long the hoses need to be and send them the ends for them to use for the flex hoses. I'll be reporting back when I decide to do it.

 

[Red Beard]

@MTrun yep, snapped the head right off that bolt. Will attempt to drill it out like you did with the 13/16 drill bit. If you have any other advice on that part, lemme know.

 

[MTrun]

Don't despair! I doubt many of those aluminum on aluminum bolts exposed to the elements stand a change of coming out in one piece. If you look closely at the second picture in post #31, you will see that the bolt does not actually 'hold' the high pressure line in place -- it is the rotating diamond shaped piece that does that -- the bolt just keeps the diamond shaped piece from rotating. Meaning: this gives you a little wiggle room if there is a mistake, need to change bolt size or need to helicoil etc.

Take your time, go slow and keep the drill at a carefully held right angle. I chose to go with a small diameter pilot hold first making sure I was as centered as I could get. Pause, every so often, back out the drill and ensure you are tracking center, especially on the large drill bit. If you need to correct you can -- again it is not a high strength bolt under tension, if you lose a few threads you just need to maintain enough threads to securely engage. I was amazed how much corrosion was around the threads on my bolt, it actually gave a bit of a buffer between the male and female threads with the white chalky crap.

After you drill it out -- or at least some of it, you can rotate the diamond shaped plate that holds the end of the line in place, and then just pull down on the end of the line to remove it.

 

[flintknapper]

I'm looking into getting flexible hoses made by coldhose.com someday. I haven't gotten the courage to remove the rear hoses from the rear unit yet based on @MTrun's broken bolt experience. I'm sure mine will snap as well. Once I figure that out, I will need to measure how long the hoses need to be and send them the ends for them to use for the flex hoses. I'll be reporting back when I decide to do it.

^^^^^

That would be a good plan IMO. There are Small Diameter flexible hoses available these days for A/C work and connectors of sorts.

 

[Red Beard]

^^^^^

That would be a good plan IMO. There are Small Diameter flexible hoses available these days for A/C work and connectors of sorts.

Yeah and my hoses have been semi open to the elements for and indeterminate amount of time. PO blocked off the rear lines and covered up the hoses with some foam and zip ties. So all the lines should be replaced.

 

[flintknapper]

Yeah and my hoses have been semi open to the elements for and indeterminate amount of time. PO blocked off the rear lines and covered up the hoses with some foam and zip ties. So all the lines should be replaced.

Agreed.

 

[danimal24]

Good luck Dan!!! You can do it.

Not a job I would want to do often. Realistically if I did it again I would be very tempted to get the flexible rubber aftermarket ones for easier install - but that is another research project to find something non oem you trust.

Yep - one shop quoted me several thousand(s) of dollars to replace the line because they said they would remove the whole body for install. I can't even explain how I got it in there, poking it through one opening, left, right, forward back only to find I could not get it over some support bracket, swore, spent a while trying to figure out how to remove it then tried again from another angle, and another, and another. I finally found a series of movements that got it CLOSE and did some light bending to get it the rest of the way.

I can only advise PATIENCE. If you try to force it right away you will end of with a ball of mangled aluminum that really won't fit in anywhere. Use a light touch at first to see what your options are. Get it above a bracket or muffler - feed it one direction then try to feed it back through or above the next problem. When it doesn't go, see what it is hitting, take a deep breath, take a break, crack a beer and try again. If anyone finds a better method - I would love to hear as well!! You got this!

Thanks MTrun!!

Quick update. After studying the undercarriage this is what I did (note this only applies to the small diameter high pressure tube in the rear most portion).

Step one: removed the wheel carrier (I have a swing out...so wasted weight!)

Step two: use a Toyota scissor jack (used the wife's sienna jack) and Jack up the body from the frame...just a little bit.

Step three: after feeding the front portion of tube as far as possible from the rear...slide the right angle portion under the body mount that you just increased the gap by jacking up the frame.

This took me 5 minutes... probably won't work on the larger diameter suction line...but works for the smaller diameter line. Have cold air for now...will check for leaks. Some pics attached.

Thanks guys!!

 

[MTrun]

That is awesome -- great work Danimal!

 

[FlammableFishie]

Finally narrowed down a couple locations my system is leaking. I think these are the only two spots:

Right at the outlet of the compressor, seems to be a leak at the joint of the hard line and soft line on the hard line side of the joint

The connection of the line that feeds into the condenser looks way worse, I'm going to try o-rings here first

After evacuating the system, will I need to add any oil back in if I am not replacing the compressor, condenser, evaporator, or anything but hard lines and o-rings?

Bonus pic of the front of the compressor that leads me to believe it's not a source of leak:

 

[MTrun]

Not saying every shop will do this, but I found a place with decent reviews that evacuated my system for me, I took it home, broke the lines, replaced the pieces then brought it back and they recharged the system (I did add some PAG oil to the dessicant). It was not as expensive as i thought for them to evacuate and recharge and their system automatically adds the correct amount of refrigerant and oil....if that helps any!