Makeshift Aircon Pipe

[marinabrid]

hi all, i know this is clutching at straws, but you have to try ,, the small diameter airconpipe that runs from the dryer round the inner wing and into the bulkheadfixing with the fatter pipe, of course its rotted under the car near the dryer.

new pipe

[seatkid]

Don't think you should use any plastic piping, R134A would probably attack it in the way many solvents attack plastic - you then might have a sticky mess both inside and outside your a/c.

 

Maybe you can get copper pipe of same dimensions, 8mm central heating pipe is easy to bend etc. They use copper in fridges, but you will have to watch copper/aluminium electroytic corrossion at the joint. If you can find the correct copper, theres gonna be compression fittings that size....

 

The other option is flexi piping, a specialist hydraulic or cooling supplier might help (it has to be R134A compatible).

[Masked Marauder]

Aye, phone your local Pirtek guy and speak to him!

[marinabrid]

spoke to pitek siad they dont have any hose that is resistant to the gas .if i get some copper will that weld ok to the ali pipe ?

[seatkid]

if i get some copper will that weld ok to the ali pipe ?

 

No, aluminium is very difficult to weld, requires special gear. Can't weld ali to copper AFAIK, maybe solder though. Why not replace all the ali pipe run with copper?

[bus_boy]

I think SeatKid is right. Copper also sounds like a bad idea.

 

Given that you only have a small hole in one section(?) why not just cut out that bit and 'sleeve' the break with some reinforced rubber hose and 4 jubilee clips? Is all aircon auto pipe the same size? Could a length of rubber sourced from a scrap yard do the trick?

 

I also have a broken pipe, below the compressor on the upsweeping section just before a rubber joint. Likewise I am willing to spend only a little time/effort/money to ensure that this is the only fault in the system.

 

I spoke to an air conditioning engineer at work and he seemed think what I proposed wasnt too bad. He went on to suggest using one of those 'chemical metals in a tube' to repair small holes. Not sure myself about this one <_<

 

Goodluck Martin with the bodge (er I mean fix) - if i get mine in before you I'll post back.

[marinabrid]

hi it seems different air con men have different ideas, mine said not to use fuel type pipe as the clips wont hold thegas and the gas willl eat the pipe also i found on the web someone selling proper air con tubing that has a special lining to resist the gas, he also said it needs to be ferulled and clamped on, i spoke to mend a hose

[bus_boy]

..oh well. I was off Friday afternoon from work - so missed your post.

 

In the meantime I have 'bodged' it with reinforced heater hose. I'm getting the thing vacuumed out later this week and pressure tested. If it holds the pressure I may risk a gas job to at least test the rest of the system.

 

By the way Martin - do you have any AC hose left over there?? :rolleyes: And what's the address of the website you mentioned?

[Alhambra]

 

I also have a broken pipe, below the compressor on the upsweeping section just before a rubber joint. Likewise I am willing to spend only a little time/effort/money to ensure that this is the only fault in the system.

 

 

I discovered this evening that my Alhambra's a/c pipe is leaking at the same point as yours:

 

http://www.serviceengineer.utvinternet.com/images/leaking-pipe.jpg

 

Did you ever get it successfully repaired?

 

I was wondering could it be braised? or can i remove it from the a/c pump/dryer & get just the metal part replaced?

 

The thoughts of ripping out that long pipe & replacing it, is too much hassle imo.

[Ogben Schmutzel]

Araldite???

 

Just a suggestion. Try Google on Araldite + Aluminium

 

Oggy.

[bigdaddy]

There is an air con pipe on ebay just now,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,it maybe want you need???????????????

[Alhambra]

There is an air con pipe on ebay just now,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,it maybe want you need???????????????

 

 

link?