Now that winter is coming to an end, I am thinking of trying to get my a/c working again. I have a 91 3l. and the mechanic tells me the condensor has a bad leak. It was causing a funny noise so I have unplugged the a/c. I thought it would be an easy job to just pull out the old condensor and replace it with a good used one but when I tried this I discovered that there are hoses attached to the condensor that do not seem to come apart, as far as I could discover. There was some strange looking clips which I popped off but this didn't get me anywhere. What am I doing wrong? I have found a place that will recharge the a/c with the proper fluid. Thanks for your help. again.

 

Hose barb and clamp fittings are available if you have hose and fitting problems. Hose to hose.

Ken

 

These are the special spring-lock coupling that Ford uses on their vehicles. You need to buy a set of tools, and they are available from any auto part stores. The cost is under $10 for a complete set of 4 sizes.

Make sure your system is completely discharged before you even attempt to open these couplings. The system is under high pressure and the refrigerant will freeze and burn anything it comes in contact with: skin, eyeballs, etc...

 

Even with the release tools, those spring lock connectors can be buggars to get off. Grimey connections should be cleaned up with WD-40 to try and wash away as much grit and grime as possible. You may need to rig up a method to push off the lower connections where tight space prevents large hands from getting a good angle to pull. They go back on so easy you'll think they can't possibly seal correctly but they do. Good luck!

 

I dont see how a bad leak in the condenser would cause a noise? A bad leak would mean rapid pressure loss in the system and with no pressure the kompressor shouldnt operate. That being said, with no moving parts in the A/C system what would cause the noise? Another thing to keep in mind is that if the system has been open to the elements, there will be some degree of moisture contamination inside and I read somwhere that R12 refrigerant and water vapour when mixed create some sort of acidic reaction. Dont want to be the bearer of bad news, but I would hate to see you spend a bundle of money replacing the condensed and recharging the system to find out that there are bigger and more expensive problems.

 

R12 mixes with water well, but under pressure it will destroy your system. R-134a will produce hydrochloric acid when exposed to water. If the condensor is in fact leaking, then replace it with a new one, don't bother with used. Replace all O-rings you come across, and any older hoses that look questionable. Also replace the orfice tube (requires a special tool available at most auto parts stores), and the accumulator must be replaced.

 

Aerocook has a good point. Tell us about the noise in great detail. Never throw money at a problem. He is right, a leaky condenser would make one hisssss and then silence.

If the connectors are wierd, just hose barb the hoses together. Air conditioning is great fun to work on. It is about the easiest system to work on.

Ken

Ken

 

Easiest to work on if you have the proper tools, which as much cheaper than other specialty tools. If you have any noise other than a hiss, I would suspect some other part may be the culprit.

 

This all started last fall when I put the heater defrost A/C control on the defrost or mix setting there and was a clicking noise coming from under the hood. I was finally told that it was caused by the leak in the condensor which caused a lack of pressure which caused the a/c clutch to cycle on too often, if i remember right. I pulled the plug on the compressor and the noise stopped.

 

You might simply have a low ref charge. find a shrader valve on the system and carefully depress it slightly. If it is obvious that there is pressure within, you don't have a leak of significance. If there is no significant pressure you have a leak. the condenser leak will manifest itself as an oily spot. If the compressor was cycling at all, I doubt you have a leak.

Ken

 

It's pretty easy to see if there's a leak in your A/C system. The refrigerant carries with it an oily lubricant. Where ever it leaks, it will leave a fine layer of oily residue. Then dust collects, then more oil, then more dirt, and eventually, you have a greasy mess around the leak. So look for that sign around all the A/C parts.

I recently pulled off the condenser without taking the hoses off; it's not all that hard.

The most common points of A/C leakage is around those spring lock fittings. Like the heater core fittings, they use two O-rings to make the seals, but they have no structural stability by themselves, and it doesn't take long of vibrations and cycling through 150 psi before they start leaking. This is why Ford put some of those spring clips around them, but they're not all that useful.

I used these machined aluminum clamps around the fittings in my 87 Mustang. They prevent the two tubes from moving relative to each other, so they don't bugger those O-ring seals. That was in 1993, and it's still working fine.

In 1996 I tried to make the same repairs on my Aero, but the only clamps that were available by that time were black plastic things. My Mustang only had 3 fittings I had to fix. The Aero, because of the secondary HVAC, had a lot more, and a lot more places to leak. I tried 3 times, but I never got the repairs on the Aero to last more than a few months each time. I recently discovered what may have been another leak, and fixed it. I'll have to wait until the weather gets hot to recharge it to see if it holds.

Believe me, even with a slow leak, the system will empty out sooner than you expect; the compressor will first start cycling, then cycling more often, then finally stop. If you let it cycle too often for too long, it will wear out the magnetic clutch. That's a more costly replacement.

 

Remember, the system is supposed to cycle, quite a lot. If it does not cycle off, there is an overcharge.

Ken

 

Clicking is not the sound of refrigerant release. That sounds more like the compressor bearing starting to go or the clutch. I would hate to see you replace the condensor only to find out it is the compressor.

 

Before you spend a ton of money on an old R-12 system, go to Wal-Mart, spend $30 to $35 for an R134 change over kit. Takes no more than 20 to 30 minutes to install 2 fittings and charge the system with the 3 cans. I did my Fords 2 years ago, and they still blow ice cold. Also, run your AC periodiclly year round to keep the oil flowing.

 

No, do not go and get any changeover first, until to problem is fixed. Second, a changeover costs a minimum of $150 dollars to do yourself. Simply putting R-134a fittings and adding R-134a is not enough. The old accumulator must be removed, and replaced with one that is compatible with R-134a. If you don't the R-134a will draw the moisture out of the old dessicant, and turn the water into hydrochloric acid, quickly destroying your entire system. It may not show itself for a while, but the internal parts will start corrodeing, and will eventualy destroy every component. Also, unless you use high efficiency condensors, the performance of R-134a will be lower, unless you have a model where the possible conversion was taken into consideration. If you switch to a new coolant, and have to open the system for any kind of component replacement, the system should be flushed as well. Also be advised, I am an EPA authorized service agent. I can buy any refrigerant, and work on any mobile AC system. I know what I am talking about. There are also perfect R-12 replacements, that require no more part or preparation than R-134a, and they work better, and help all your parts last longer. It is called Freezone, and I have used it, and prefer it to R-134a conversions. Also, before you get it at evilmart, ask them if they have a one year warranty on the entire AC system, includeing the compressor. Also ask them if they have a vaccum pump, because you are going to need to get all the air out of your system after it has been opened.