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Trying to identify a hose... AC issue, freon leak. MGM98LS

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    Trying to identify a hose... AC issue, freon leak. MGM98LS

    Trying to identify a hose.
    Long story short, cold air stopped flowing and I took it to the A/C shop, they pointed this hose out and told me I might need a new compressor.

    Now, I did see a coolant droplet on the bottom of the bend of the hose, and coolant on other areas of the hose previously, I thought it was a small coolant leak and have kept a watch on coolant levels.

    The hose is connected to the underside of that small drum thing, goes down, bends and then goes up and connects horizontally to somewhere under where the battery is. Pictured attached*Click image for larger version

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    Questions...
    Has anyone done this kind of repair?
    Could that hose have anything to do with a freon leak?
    What is that hose anyway?

    #2
    That is the hose between your A/C compressor and the condenser. It carries R12 refrigerant (or R134a if the car has been converted; it looks likeyours has an R134a type fitting).

    If that line is bad, your refrigerant has leaked out and you will need to have the system flushed out and the line replaced; there is also a device called the Dryer which should be replaced every time the system is opened.

    If it were my car, I would have the 3 lines and the dryer replaced for sure, given that they are probably 30 years old now. I would have the evaporator (under the dash) flushed, and have the shop check the condition of the compressor and condenser (the piece that sits in front of the radiator). There is also a piece called the orifice tube that should be replaced when they do the lines (it's like 5 bucks).

    In my case, I chose to keep only the evaporator under the dash; everything else is new. It was a bit expensive, but it removed the possibility that the compressor fails and all this work needs to be done again; and my condenser was not in good enough condition to be sure it was going to last (it's an '86; 30 years is a good life for these parts but I wasn't going to count on 30 more years when the part itself is fairly inexpensive--the most expensive part is the compressor).

    The repair requires special equipment to do properly, as far as removing the air from the lines, testing that they are airtight, and replacing the freon inside.
    However, the physical removal of the compressor is not that hard, and if all the freon has leaked out, you can use a line disconnecting tool to remove the old compressor and lines, remove the old condenser, and put them all physically in place. Leave the little plastic seals in place when you do this, and leave the electric wires to the compressor clutch removed.

    Drive to the shop and have them flush the evaporator, replace the orifice tube, install the lines (they are on quick connects so it's literally minutes of labor) and test the system. You'll save hours of labor and parts costs, and you won't have to buy any special tools (which would cost probably as much as the labor they'd charge you).

    ALSO: If you have a coolant leak, that is a separate system. If you're seeing liquid running down those lines, check to be sure it's not condensation or "sweating" of moisture on the line. If it's actually antifreeze, you have a leak, most likely in the lines running to your heater.

    Comment


      #3
      You misread that it’s a 98, I did the same thing last night lol. I read 89 for some reason.

      I agree with him but I’d like to add that most likely it’s dye that was added to the system and not coolant. The hose itself is probably leaking and needs to be replaced.


      Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

      Comment


        #4
        If the hose is bad, its probably leaking at a crimp from the rubber to metal part, unless it just got sliced or damaged otherwise. That kind of thing would be pretty obvious, but leaks at the crimp might leave an oil film or dye trail if there is dye in the system. The drop of green may have been oil/dye mix leaking from wherever the hose failed. If it was leaking oil, it was definitely leaking refrigerant.

        A bad hose would not mean a bad compressor, and a bad compressor wouldn't mean a bad hose. If the leak was bad enough you got drips of oil I'd expect it to have lost refrigerant fast enough that the low pressure switch shut things down before it did any damage to the compressor.

        but yeah, sounds like the discharge hose is the one you're talking about. It runs from the compressor to the condenser in the front and it has the high side service fitting on it.
        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


          #5
          D'oh! 89, 98. I get a little lysdexic smoetimes.

          So it's already R134a (I was thinking that the R12-R134a conversion fitting looked pretty neatly done, and the coolant reservoir had changed a bit since '86...) and a decade newer.

          Since the compressor is newer and built for R134a it might be possible to save it; but being 2 decades old and living in a fairly hot climate I would just replace the whole set of hoses, compressor and condenser and be cool for the next couple decades. I don't know if Rock Auto ships to PR for a reasonable price but they do sell complete sets of hoses and compressor; and as before, you can do all the labor of installation and let the shop use their special tools to complete the install and add the refrigerant.

          Just don't break the seal on the dryer before the shop has it; it's designed to absorb any moisture that gets into the system and if you take the seals off it will eventually lose that ability (which is why the service manuals say to replace it every time the system is exposed to atmosphere because of a leak or major service).

          Comment


            #6
            Thanks for all the answers!

            Since then, I managed to get the part from Amazon. Was the cheapest I could find, around 36 dollars with Prime shipping.
            The gas was refilled around 2 months ago. Still blowing cold... For now.

            I plan on changing the part myself, but there's a concern I have... When working on something like this, is the A/C system pressurized? Is something going to blow up on my face when I take the old part off?

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by LibertyAddict View Post
              I plan on changing the part myself, but there's a concern I have... When working on something like this, is the A/C system pressurized? Is something going to blow up on my face when I take the old part off?
              System is always pressurized. Do not remove the hoses unless you've had the refrigerant recovered from the system. Most shops can handle the recovery aspect if you're not comfortable doing that. Also, after replacing the hose, the system will need to be vacuumed down before attempting to recharge it.


              My Cars:
              -1964 Comet 202 (116K Miles) - Long Term Project
              -1986 Dodge D-150 Royale SE (112K Miles) - Slowly Getting Put Back Together
              -1987 Grand Marquis Colony Park LS (325K Miles) - April 2017 + September 2019 POTM Winner
              -1997 Grand Marquis LS (240K Miles) - The Daily Workhorse & March 2015 + January 2019 POTM Winner

              Comment


                #8
                FIXED

                Ended up paying 80 bucks for the repair(here in PR) and I provided the part which I bought from Amazon for $36 including shipping.
                A/C has been running like it should for a month so far. No more leaks.
                Thanks again for all the help!

                The part: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
                Last edited by LibertyAddict; 04-22-2021, 02:17 PM.

                Comment


                  #9
                  good deal. AC work isn't the big scary demon people make it out to be. Needs some special equipment and knowledge but it usually only gets real expensive when people who don't know what they are doing mess with it.
                  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


                    #10
                    Originally posted by gadget73 View Post
                    good deal. AC work isn't the big scary demon people make it out to be. Needs some special equipment and knowledge but it usually only gets real expensive when people who don't know what they are doing mess with it.
                    Seconded. Really all you need is a set of gauges for routine maintenance and topping off, and if you want to fix stuff, a flush kit (like fifty bucks, you'll need a source of compressed air) and a vacuum pump (a decent homeowner grade one about $300, or check the pawn shops).

                    Don't tell Al Gore, but many times, a very small leak can be ignored with just an occasional top off. I have beaters that I'll shoot a can of "stop leak" in on occasion. Slows or stops the leak 75% of the time. The air works in EVERYTHING I own - it's a must where I live. Hell, Quincy (my '79 LTD wag) was INOP A/C when I got him for $200. GM Harrison compressor was locked up tight. A $40 junkyard compressor (I scored a recent reman), a couple quarts of flush, deep vacuum for about 24 hours (it was too expensive and a huge PITA to change the filter/dryer!), add ester oil and r134 refrigerant and it has cooled like a mo-fo for 17 years!!! I have to shoot about one can of 134 in each season to keep it good and cold.

                    Before any nay-saying starts, I also know the proper procedures for doing a/c work "right". My point is, as gadget73 has stated, it's not a big scary demon, it's just a pump, some hoses, an orifice where the high pressure liquid refrigerant sprays metered droplets into the evaporator where the heat is absorbed (the cold thing under the dash from which the cool, comfy air is blown onto the appreciative driver and passengers), and transitioned into a low-pressure gas and back to the pump (compressor) where it gets compressed back into a hot liquid to complete the endless cycle. A measured amount of oil (must be the proper type for a given refrigerant) is put in the system to keep the compressor and any other moving parts lubed up. No black magic at all!!! All common refrigeration systems work on this same basic principle, your home a/c, your fridge, dehumidifiers, etc.
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                    United Socialist States of America
                    (occupation government)

                    Comment


                      #11
                      My Conti has enough of a leak that it needs a top-up twice a year. Someone had hoses made, and those are the leak. I'll probably pull those this weekend and drop them at NAPA for replacements to be made up. I'll "seal" it with fingers from a rubber glove while its apart.



                      The Mark VII supposedly had a bad evaporator but I found one of the connections finger tight. I tightened it down and put some propane in there for a leak check. That was a year ago and the AC is still cold. I'm fine with that.

                      A lot of times people get the "AC broken, you have to replace every single part" thing. Sometimes that is true, but I'd bet a lot of perfectly good parts have been replaced because of poor diagnosis.
                      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


                        #12
                        Originally posted by gadget73 View Post
                        A lot of times people get the "AC broken, you have to replace every single part" thing.
                        Spot on. I saved my neighbor and beer-drinking buddy a ton of money fixing the a/c on his '87 Dodge (Mitsubishi) D50. The shop he took it to told him it needed "everything" (it was working right up until the day a high-side hose burst due to a rub-through condition). We made him a hose with a universal kit w/ compression fittings (the nearest place to us that assembles hoses to us is 30 miles away), evacuated it and even reinstalled R12 that we "sourced somewhere"... ICE COLD. Nothing to be afraid of. Home HVAC guys are even worse. You can't blame them, really, their goal is to hustle, sell stuff and make money. I've been maintaining my 30 year-old central A/C for years after I realized it's not any more "black magic" than auto A/C. They use a bunch more lingo to confuse folks, and there are a few more variables, but still the same basic principles.
                        sigpic
                        United Socialist States of America
                        (occupation government)

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