One of the members on the UK site has done a repair, see here 100 Series - 100 series Air Con pipe repair • Land Cruiser Club and Forum
Rear AC Line caps
- Thread starter FOPLawyer
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
Swagelok is probably the most reputable brand of compression fittings for industrial uses. All of their compression fittings are two-ferrule. The come in both fractional and metric tubing sizes.
Swagelok Cap Link
Swagelok Cap Link
I just went out and pulled the protective cover over the rear line connections right behind the passenger wheel and did my best to take measurements.
I came up with 3/4" and 5/16" O.D. using a small metal ruler that goes to 64ths and using a flashlight and one eye closed and the other in a squinty fashion. The best I could do with what I have on hand.
If this is as easy as undoing the connector, putting this piece in and reconnecting, its exactly what I am looking for.
I came up with 3/4" and 5/16" O.D. using a small metal ruler that goes to 64ths and using a flashlight and one eye closed and the other in a squinty fashion. The best I could do with what I have on hand.
If this is as easy as undoing the connector, putting this piece in and reconnecting, its exactly what I am looking for.
- Thread starter
- #24
IIRC 6 and 12 MM. But I will try to get a micrometer on the lines. I will also take some pics of the block on mine. They are not nearly that pretty.
- Thread starter
- #25
fyi. the bill for blocking off the rear lines was 120 or so, there was another 80-90 for refilling the system and balancing the oil level or some such etc. Total bill for this was under 250 with $80 worth of 134a included.
I would gladly pay that just not confident I'll find a shop that will do it. I also hate taking my truck in for any reason would rather do myself. If I can just cap these off I can just have them fill and hopefully be done with it. Would be weird to have air again
Looks like about $50 total for the 2 caps once I confirm sizes. From what understand that they can always be removed if i choose to fix the lines or not happy with just front air
Time to start working on this again spring is coming. I just need to confirm sizes. They offer 1/2 3/8 5/16 5/8 3/4 10mm 12mm and 16mm. Less than $20 each and removable if I want to fix the lines.
I came up with 19mm and 8mm with a caliper. Converted the closest are 5/16 and 3/4. Ordered from action-AC.com just under $50 shipped. Should be able to install and test soon.
Installed the caps this weekend and just charged the system and so far so good.
Install was fairly straightforward but you do have to cut the lines. For the larger pipe installed just past front tire after first connector. For the high pressure line I capped right next to my battery.
I actually found the damaged spot on the high pressure line just after I cut the low pressure line. It was damaged on a near 90 just past the front tire pretty decent size hole/tear. Going to check for leaks later and keep testing this week. Will try to post some pics too.
Install was fairly straightforward but you do have to cut the lines. For the larger pipe installed just past front tire after first connector. For the high pressure line I capped right next to my battery.
I actually found the damaged spot on the high pressure line just after I cut the low pressure line. It was damaged on a near 90 just past the front tire pretty decent size hole/tear. Going to check for leaks later and keep testing this week. Will try to post some pics too.
- Thread starter
- #31
I was happy to find that my system started right back pumping cold air when it hit 80 degrees this weekend. So far so good on the caps.
Scott,
My A/C was shot last year so I put in some Red Angel Seal and conditioner and some r134a. It lasted all summer and deep into the fall working perfectly. The other day I thought I'd test mine to see how if it lasted over the winter and nothing! I think I have the same problem as you. Maybe I could have you help me with mine? Let me know. I work in Madison so I could swing by sometime. Thanks, Musky.
Heck yeah. Glad to help. I work in Fitchburg and live in sun prairie. Pics will help too I'll try to post soon. Scott. I'll attempt to pm you my email address
Damaged spot
Cut low pressure line
can someone tell me why you would block off the lines rather than repairing/replacing them if the cost is similar for a quality job on either approach? Do you gain something by capping the lines if they start leaking?
I can only speak for myself but I went 4 years w/o a/c and about 90% of the time I didn't care I really don't like to use a/c and drive my truck mostly for Wisconsin winters. After driving some friends to dinner on a hot day and getting trapped in traffic one day home from work in dress clothes, I decided to take it in. My local mechanic which is normally awesome said rear lines needed to be replaced $400 in parts and ? Labor and said he couldn't guarantee it would fix the problem and had not pinpointed the leak. I assumed it was of the many connectors under the truck getting beat up from Wisconsin winters and salt and if i replaced them same thing would happen again. If i had found the damaged line prior to cutting and capping i may have tried a repair. Capping was the perfect solution for me but to each is own. Probably not a good fix for people in a different environment.
- Thread starter
- #38
I capped mine as opposed to repairing because the local mechanics could not do the patch job. They wanted to replace the whole rear system at about $1600. The fact is that the idea of rear ac is pagued with problems. The lines are delicate and they have to stretch the length of the car. They end up flexing and are under significant pressure. Living in Ohio, the road salt was a significant issue (not sure if soemone does corrosion resistant lines, but I suspect that even high quality materials may be overstressed by the requirements in this case. Add the spongy insulation on the lines and the whole idea seems to be really bad. Capping them off cost little and losing the rear AC affects only the third row and I have never had my third row seats in.
I just fixed this a few days ago, but did know where the leak was.
It was in the liquid (small) line that runs from the front mud flap area all the way back above the muffler. Had to drop the muffler but was able to leave the rear tail pipe attached to the muffler. Did it in my driveway in 2 hours. Would have been much faster if I didn't have to cut off the old muffler bolts. $70 for the part, $125 for a/c service. Back in business.
The line brackets caused the corrosion. Toyota should have made brackets out of aluminum and we wouldn't have this problem.
It was in the liquid (small) line that runs from the front mud flap area all the way back above the muffler. Had to drop the muffler but was able to leave the rear tail pipe attached to the muffler. Did it in my driveway in 2 hours. Would have been much faster if I didn't have to cut off the old muffler bolts. $70 for the part, $125 for a/c service. Back in business.
The line brackets caused the corrosion. Toyota should have made brackets out of aluminum and we wouldn't have this problem.
My A/C is also fixed!! It's been 100 degrees here for the last week and I'm loving the cold air in the cruiser. I worked with OGSUV and we cut my lines and last night my parts came in and I capped them. For $50 in parts and $40 for the r134a I'm right back in it. The guy who invented the air conditioner needs to be knighted. 
