A/c Hose Availability Snag
03-30-2007, 09:50 PM
#1
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A/c Hose Availability Snag
A highly recommended A/C specialist has a $900 pile of new A/C parts to go in the wife's Intercooled truck, new compressor and a bunch of stuff that I don't know anything about.
When he started taking off the old stuff, he discovered some reason that a hose assembly was no good.
This is a steel plate-thingie with two hoses hanging on it.
One hose has a tiny copper needle slid into a sleeve with an electrical gizmo made onto that copper needle, a thermostat---maybe??
I took the assembly to a very experienced retired A/C specialist (
THIS GUY IS GOOD--THE ONE EVERYONE ELSE RUNS TO WHEN THEY GET IN OVER THEIR HEADS) to see if he could cut away the bad and crimp on new hose to the old metal tubes.
No barbs on the metal tubes, meaning he could not crimp on the new hose; so, he started calling A/C parts suppliers, about a dozen of them.
This assembly for Non-Intercooled was easily available.
Not one of the distributers that he called listed the assembly for an Intercooled truck.
The one for Non-Intercooled is not even close to the assembly that I need.
I looked at NAPA, Advance, and a few others, with the same results; not available for Intercooled.
He sent off my hose assembly to a company that somehow creates barbs on the tube-ends and crimps on new hose; it will be gone for a few days.
Has anyone else ran against this situation??
I know hardly anything about A/C; but, I find it hard to believe that something as vital to A/C, as this hose assembly is, could be so impossible to find.
When he started taking off the old stuff, he discovered some reason that a hose assembly was no good.
This is a steel plate-thingie with two hoses hanging on it.
One hose has a tiny copper needle slid into a sleeve with an electrical gizmo made onto that copper needle, a thermostat---maybe??
I took the assembly to a very experienced retired A/C specialist (
THIS GUY IS GOOD--THE ONE EVERYONE ELSE RUNS TO WHEN THEY GET IN OVER THEIR HEADS) to see if he could cut away the bad and crimp on new hose to the old metal tubes.No barbs on the metal tubes, meaning he could not crimp on the new hose; so, he started calling A/C parts suppliers, about a dozen of them.
This assembly for Non-Intercooled was easily available.
Not one of the distributers that he called listed the assembly for an Intercooled truck.
The one for Non-Intercooled is not even close to the assembly that I need.
I looked at NAPA, Advance, and a few others, with the same results; not available for Intercooled.
He sent off my hose assembly to a company that somehow creates barbs on the tube-ends and crimps on new hose; it will be gone for a few days.
Has anyone else ran against this situation??
I know hardly anything about A/C; but, I find it hard to believe that something as vital to A/C, as this hose assembly is, could be so impossible to find.
03-31-2007, 02:13 AM
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Well I have not experienced your exact situation, but I have run into a variety of A/C parts that were unavailable. If it's a part like a condenser or dryer/receiver then I either have one built or find one thats close. A bit of time spent looking through the parts books will usually yield a usage part.
As far as any kind of plumbing goes, what I can't make myself I just go down to the local hose shop and have any kind of hose assembly built I need. If it's really an odd fitting I may have to wait for them to get the fitting in stock. I don't even bother trying to buy "OEM" A/C hoses anymore, just have the hose shop build 'em for me.
As far as any kind of plumbing goes, what I can't make myself I just go down to the local hose shop and have any kind of hose assembly built I need. If it's really an odd fitting I may have to wait for them to get the fitting in stock. I don't even bother trying to buy "OEM" A/C hoses anymore, just have the hose shop build 'em for me.
03-31-2007, 09:48 AM
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I think what you are describing is the expansion valve assembly. It is a metal block that both hoses to through at the firewall.
This really suprises me that it is not available. If you use all the complete assembly from the older truck I think it could be used though. Maybe not?
This really suprises me that it is not available. If you use all the complete assembly from the older truck I think it could be used though. Maybe not?
03-31-2007, 12:42 PM
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You're correct about one of the hoses not being available. There should be a sticky describing the parts I used during my conversion on my 91.5
I brought the hose assembly to a local shop and they put new hose on it without a problem. This is the line going from the evaporator (firewall) to both the back of the drier and the compressor. The line going to the compressor appears to have been cut and a slip fitting soldiered to it to provide the barbs for the new hose.
The other problem is the new line coming off the the front of the drier is now aluminum and doesn't like to stay flat and sealed on the drier because of the angle the hose hangs from it without support. If you can, see if you can have someone beef it up by making it thicker before assembly. I plan on taking mine off and welding a piece of aluminum flatbar on it to strengthen it.
Den
I brought the hose assembly to a local shop and they put new hose on it without a problem. This is the line going from the evaporator (firewall) to both the back of the drier and the compressor. The line going to the compressor appears to have been cut and a slip fitting soldiered to it to provide the barbs for the new hose.
The other problem is the new line coming off the the front of the drier is now aluminum and doesn't like to stay flat and sealed on the drier because of the angle the hose hangs from it without support. If you can, see if you can have someone beef it up by making it thicker before assembly. I plan on taking mine off and welding a piece of aluminum flatbar on it to strengthen it.
Den
03-31-2007, 11:22 PM
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Yep same type of problems i ran into when replacing the A/C on my 91.5. Ordered several non I/C parts 
. Then I learned to jsut order everything for a 93' luckily my hose assembly was good.
. Then I learned to jsut order everything for a 93' luckily my hose assembly was good.
03-31-2007, 11:40 PM
#6
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Spending Big Money Is Designed In
I know very little about A/C; but, in all honesty, most of the fittings, etc., are designed to force the sale of specific components.
Even in vehicles of the same manufacturer/year, A/C components will be completely different, with weird connections.
A good hydraulic hose maker, with a good knowledge of A/C, and a little machining ability, could do away with all that vehicle specific junk, and build a hose system that anyone could fix/replace.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if A/C fittings were standardized??
Of course, that would put a lot of A/C parts salesmen in the poorhouse; but, then again, better them than me.
Even in vehicles of the same manufacturer/year, A/C components will be completely different, with weird connections.
A good hydraulic hose maker, with a good knowledge of A/C, and a little machining ability, could do away with all that vehicle specific junk, and build a hose system that anyone could fix/replace.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if A/C fittings were standardized??
Of course, that would put a lot of A/C parts salesmen in the poorhouse; but, then again, better them than me.
04-01-2007, 05:41 PM
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Hey Bearkiller,
The hose with the probe in it I believe is called the suction hose, and the probe is a temperature sensor that cycles the compressor on and off depending on the freon temperature. The suction hose assembly is still available from dodge for approx. $75 the high pressure hose assem. is not. I would highly reccomend getting the new hose from dodge rather than having one rebuilt. Been there done that. They nicked the probe housing when they cut the old hose off(very common mistake) and crimped the new one on. I didn't find it upon putting a vacuum on the system because of the thermal paste used on the probe acted as a sealer. However, it started bubbling right away under pressure. I just replaced my entire HVAC system, so if you have any questions I can help.
Joseph
The hose with the probe in it I believe is called the suction hose, and the probe is a temperature sensor that cycles the compressor on and off depending on the freon temperature. The suction hose assembly is still available from dodge for approx. $75 the high pressure hose assem. is not. I would highly reccomend getting the new hose from dodge rather than having one rebuilt. Been there done that. They nicked the probe housing when they cut the old hose off(very common mistake) and crimped the new one on. I didn't find it upon putting a vacuum on the system because of the thermal paste used on the probe acted as a sealer. However, it started bubbling right away under pressure. I just replaced my entire HVAC system, so if you have any questions I can help.
Joseph
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