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    Bulging A/C line

    Hey everyone, I noticed this on my car today. It's the line that connects to the bottom of the black metal cylinder that has the low pressure switch attached to it. This might explain why my air conditioning doesn't work. Thoughts on what caused this?

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    1989 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series | 249k miles, current project car
    2018 BMW 430i xDrive M-Sport | 50k miles
    2018 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport | 97k miles

    #2
    Probably the internal rubber cracked and it leaked through to the outer portion. THose are built kind of like tires, inner rubber core, a woven braid, then rubber over that. When it bulges, the inner rubber has failed. That should be fairly near to the crimp connection, so my guess is that it leaked around the end of the crimp or maybe the line was damaged by being bent against the metal bit that it crimps over. Thats the suction hose, it runs at the lowest pressure in the system when the AC is on.


    I do see a missing vacuum line down there at the TAB valve on the smog pump. Can't recall if thats the black or white line, but its one of the two.
    86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
    5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

    91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

    1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

    Originally posted by phayzer5
    I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

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      #3
      the missing line on the TAB valve is resting on the left edge of it (or so it looks like)

      Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
      rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
      Originally posted by gadget73
      ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
      Originally posted by dmccaig
      Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

      Comment


        #4
        Thanks guys! Looks like I'll have to replace that line then. Would this cause the a/c to not work? The compressor doesn't engage but there is pressure in the system.

        1989 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series | 249k miles, current project car
        2018 BMW 430i xDrive M-Sport | 50k miles
        2018 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport | 97k miles

        Comment


          #5
          You can briefly bypass or jump the pressure switch to see if the charge is too low for the system to operate.
          sigpic
          89 LTC 429>557 Cobrajet stroker
          13 F-150 XLT 6.2 l
          "If I could separate what's real from what I've been dreaming I could live to fight another day"

          Comment


            #6
            I doubt it. If there is enough pressure in the system, the compressor will run no matter what shape the lines are in. It does need I think 45 psi minimum to close though. Bad pressure switch is fairly common.
            86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
            5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

            91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

            1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

            Originally posted by phayzer5
            I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

            Comment


              #7
              mine closes around 28-30 psi and opens below 15.

              Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
              rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
              Originally posted by gadget73
              ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
              Originally posted by dmccaig
              Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

              Comment


                #8
                Sounds like its been re-tweaked for R134a. The stock R12 switch ran a little higher pressure, but R134a performs better if you adjust it to cut out somewhere in the 15-20 psi range. Have to be careful with that, too low and the evaporator can freeze and thats not good. If it freezes and does not cut out, liquid can get back into the compressor and thats pretty much instant death on the pump. I think mine is set to 20.

                Either way, if its not enough the switch will not close and it won't compress. Dinked switch acts the same, but pressure gauges will tell you its full of crap.
                86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                Originally posted by phayzer5
                I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                Comment


                  #9
                  I don't have a set of pressure gauges handy, but I pressed the shrader valve on the low pressure side with a screwdriver and refrigerant came out. How do I go about bypassing the pressure switch to see if the compressor will engage?

                  1989 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series | 249k miles, current project car
                  2018 BMW 430i xDrive M-Sport | 50k miles
                  2018 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport | 97k miles

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by L1011tristar17 View Post
                    I don't have a set of pressure gauges handy, but I pressed the shrader valve on the low pressure side with a screwdriver and refrigerant came out. How do I go about bypassing the pressure switch to see if the compressor will engage?
                    Jumper wire in the pressure switch connector.
                    1990 Country Squire - weekend cruiser, next project
                    1988 Crown Vic LTD Wagon - waiting in the wings

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