heyma

Hi:

The refridgerant in my a/c system has leaked out and I would like to repair it - properly. I will open all the connections to replace the o-rings, flush the compressor and some lines, and seal everything back up with Nylog.

Some questions:

- Does anyone know what is involved to remove the compressor?
- Are there any o-ring connections besides those in the front of the car?
- Does the a/c system use an o-tube or expansion valve?

Please post your information and experiences.

Thanks.

Zoonwen

Im in the process of replacing a timing belt and would like to know how to remove the as also =D The Hydro pump dosnt seem to want to come off with the AC on.

heyma

Here's what I found so far:

http://www.lextreme.com/ac.html

Jewcano

iTrader: (4)

^Good find. It was a PITA to take off the AC Compressor. Took my pops and I a good 4-5 hours to get it out, in, and recharged.

MJHSC400

Have you heard of 406a? It's a direct replacement of R12-- but a little colder, and much colder than R134 yet around the same price--

This means, you keep all hoses, etc-- without need for barrier hoses or different condenser--

I'm working on this issue myself-- after I swapped the steering rack the refrigerant was mysteriously gone--

Should be a fun job --

Also-- autofrost/406a is MUCH cheaper when leak testing your system than R12-- AND -- it's environmentally friendly-

There's actually a very interesting story behind why the auto repair industry chose not to use 406a and went to R134 instead when environmental regulations tightened up-- The stuff was designed to work better than r12 in the same system-- Retrofits to r134 meant huge $$$$ for the company selling it -- (Dupont anyone??) -- Such a massive company surely couldn't have any leverage with the EPA now could they??


A side note:
ACKITS.com -- a very very good place to buy seals, compressors, condensors, hoses, driers, and all your other needs for very inexpensive-- Their forum is also a WEALTH of information--

na4now

Where can you buy this 406a? Does it use r12 fittings? Can it be mixed with r12?

MJHSC400

autofrost.com is a good starting point-

It can be mixed-- but has retrofit fittings and different can taps that work together with special fittings for gauges-- something like that--

I don't understand why you couldn't just use a std. can tap for r12/r134 and std. gauges though--

So I guess it seems it would be totally possible to use all original parts and just use a clamp style can tap that punctures the side of the can-- seems like that would get around using special fittings and such-

I've also seen 406a on ebay from time to time--

I think you need a license to buy it, but surely you can find a shop to buy some for you-- That's what I'll try to do when I get to that point...

I just havent ran across the time or money to tackle this job and I definitely don't want to use R12 to find this monster leak I've got-- That crap is $20 per can!!

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

so use air... just normal, compressed air... you have to have a drier on the feed, but we use compressed air to find leaks in R-12 a/c systems...

if you replace with 406, you will have troubles finding a reputable shop to work on your a/c system... problem is, you have to have a gauge set for each type of refrigerant that you use - r-12 and hcf-134a are the most common, so they are what you'll find in the repair industry... we carry R-12 in stock... I had a leaky gasket on the manifold set, and we were able to find it with compressed air (100 psi), repair, then evac / recharge...

MJHSC400

Yeah, I'll try that-- so when you rebuild and reseal, you just can't cut corners- you have to nylog all your seals and double check everything-- The good thing is you don't have to totally clean every orifice of the whole system with denatured alcohol to retrofit-- That's the primary reason I don't want to mess with anything but either r12 or 406a--

If a system is done right it should work for 10+ years with very little maintenance--

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

our systems were just not meant for 134... 134 requires a bigger condenser for one, not to mention barrier hoses, different oil, etc...

never used Nylog - never had to... OE systems don't have it... I'm sure it doesn't hurt, but I wouldn't consider it a necessity...

heyma

When you said your's was leaking at the "manifold set", is that the plate on top of the compressor that has the fittings for the low and high sides?

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

correct... it was easy to remove, and the seal cost like $3...

evidently it's a common problem on the older toyotas / lexus, as my more experienced A/C guy wanted to bet me $50 he knew where the leak was even without looking

heyma

Thanks! I'll check there next. So where did you get the seal from? I want OE if possible.

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

hmmm, mine came from carquest... I think Lexus tried to sell me the whole compressor (of course)

looking at my old invoice, I think it was part number 207193 through carquest

heyma

Hey,

I did a search on Carquest and couldn't come up with that part...but I had an "Asian" o-ring kit from ACkits and they said the gasket for the compressor manifold should be in it.

I snapped a picture of what I thought could be the possible gaskets needed. Do any of these look like the right one(s)?