Moving the AC Receiver

[crash]

Has anyone successfully relocated the air conditioning receiver (R134) from the ridiculous place Toyota put it - behind bumper that bends, in the way of big rocks, etc.?

I know that Slee sells the skid plate for it, but I would just rather get it out of the way in the first place.


Since it has been over 110 all week in Phoenix, I need some work done on my Air Conditioning. I was hoping to find a reasonable approach to moving the receiver, since I will probably be purchasing a new one and opening the system.

Thanks,
Tim

 

[Junk]

I am in the process of doing this right now. This morning I took off the front bumper and plan on getting this done in the next week to two. I will post pics and any related part numbers when I'm done.

 

[mabrodis]

Cool...Junk keep us posted on this. My a/c system is trashed, I smahed the hell out of the receiver, so still piecing it all together. The problem is the aluminum hoses coming to the receiver don't have any play in them, you could ofcourse bend them differently but the short one that goes to the condenser (I think that's it, the radiator looking thing) is only about 6" long, so re-doing that one could be a bit tough...unless you just had a custom made hose with those ends on it.

Later..
Mark Brodis

 

[crash]

Junk,

Where are you planning on putting the receiver?

 

[Junk]

Some place else on the truck

I'll give all the details when I'm done. Otherwise if I tell you one place and change it, it won't help you much.

 

[alia176]

Mark,

It wouldn't be very difficult to have an a/c shop make up two pieces of flexible a/c hoses. Just take the old hard pipes off, take it over to them and have them make up a set per your length. They'll need to see the ends to match them. Or am I just missing something?

 

[clownmidget]

Is it possible to use the oem pieces from the a/c setup that had the drier up in the battery tray? I've wondered if the drier is even the same just different hard lines. With the smaller size batteries (eg, Optima) there's more than enough room there for the drier. I do know this thread was beat before because there was mention of having the drier being the lowest part of the system. I don't remember how that played out though...
Mike R.

Uh, I meant receiver, yeah that's it...

 

[crash]

clownmidget,

Are you talking about the 93 and older R12 systems? I think the receiver is different, but maybe the hard lines would mount up to the 94+ receiver.

I looked last night, and the only place I could find anywhere close to the ac lines is the front of the battery tray. Maybe just a couple of flex hoses???

 

[cruiserdan]

R12 and R134 components are deliberately different to prevent installation of one type in place of the other. The fittings are not the same. You would have to graft fittings.

 

[clownmidget]

Dan, I know what you are talking about but I've done a couple of "adapter" kit installs on 1990-1993 Toyotas to update their a/c systems to the R134 coolant. It was really nothing more than fittings that were swapped in order to accept the newer refrigerant charging fittings. That was it, no change in drier, receiver, compressor, etc. And they all worked as well as any other a/c system. I've still got the Corolla with this done and it works better than the a/c in my "climate controlled" 80.

At any rate, I think you hit the nail on the head - it was to keep folks from mixing the refrigerants or using the cheaper one while the old R12 was being phased out. But I really don't think now that everything is R134 there is any real functional difference in that receiver or hard lines.

My plan had been to at least try it with the older hard lines and receiver and if it didn't work put the original stuff back in. But are you saying that the actual hard line fittings going to the receiver are different as well to prevent numbskulls from mixing and matching parts? Parts is parts right
Mike

 

[NovaFZJ80]

Dan, I know what you are talking about but I've done a couple of "adapter" kit installs on 1990-1993 Toyotas to update their a/c systems to the R134 coolant. It was really nothing more than fittings that were swapped in order to accept the newer refrigerant charging fittings. That was it, no change in drier, receiver, compressor, etc. And they all worked as well as any other a/c system. I've still got the Corolla with this done and it works better than the a/c in my "climate controlled" 80.

Mike

But you did have to change the O ring fittings for the receiver and compressor ?? if thats the case in addition to a retrofit kit, i should be good to go ???

 

[clownmidget]

Well I guess this is a bit more interesting. I found a conversion kit on CCOT for the 60 and it does have a different receiver, a few replacement o-rings and the fittings w/caps. There are no different hard lines though so I'm still not certain what the risk of using the R12 hardlines with the R134 receiver relocated up to the battery tray would be.
Mike

 

[cruiserdan]

Dan, I know what you are talking about but I've done a couple of "adapter" kit installs on 1990-1993 Toyotas to update their a/c systems to the R134 coolant. <SNIP> But are you saying that the actual hard line fittings going to the receiver are different as well to prevent numbskulls from mixing and matching parts?
Mike

That is exactly correct.

 

[alia176]

The receiver/drier, along with O rings, should be replaced when doing the R12 to R134a conversion.

 

[Junk]

I'm a tad behind now. Kind of lost the temper today and went at things with the BFH :whoops:

It's amazing the reaction you can get out of neighbors when swinging the BFH and cursing at the top of your lungs.

 

[alia176]

I forgot to mention that you can buy the R134a O rings in any auto parts store for around couple of bucks. Usally they come in a package of assortment sizes.

Ali

 

[Dan_J-spec_fj62]

junk!

do your neighbors ever video any of these tantrums????? if so they might get rich off one of those damn funny vidoe shows.....


that or use it as grounds for a restraining order

dan

 

[Bob_Garrett]

Heck, I'm amazed Junk still has neighbors