reinstalling aircon, o-rings?

[vinnY]

took out my air con about 8 months ago now, looking to reinstall it

is it okay to just reassemble it with the current o-rings?
should i lightly grease up the o-ring pre-assembly to help it seal or should i just put it together and hope for the best?
the o-rings look in decent condition, no dried o-rings or cracks in the rubber

[ECU-MAN]

replace all the orings.

never put grease on them, only use compressor oil.

it only takes 1 nipped or cracked O ring to cause premeture failure.

since its out of the car, take off all the O rings and go to an AC repair place and get the replacment O rings,

they are not normal O rings either

[vinnY]

thanks for that ecu man, will do :)

anything else i should do before reassembling everything?

[dsp26]

yeah replace all of em and locktite the banjo bolts.

i got mine regassed on another car a few years ago... drove out, enjoying the new cold... as soon as i planted it all of it blew out :( what a way to waste $80.

[FAT VTI]

bit off topic, I need a new a/c compressor for a 94-97 honda accord.

what is the best way to source this product?

wreckers?

[outatime]

where are the o-rings located? i'm trying to source a/c parts. i didnt know that o-rings are needed.

[vinnY]

wherever the pipes connect to something, there are orings there

[destrukshn]

all together there should be 8.
2 on the condensor
2 on the compressor
2 on the reciever dryer
2 on the firewall.

i think. lol.

[EGJOE]

replace all the orings.

never put grease on them, only use compressor oil.

it only takes 1 nipped or cracked O ring to cause premeture failure.

since its out of the car, take off all the O rings and go to an AC repair place and get the replacment O rings,

they are not normal O rings either

spot on! Dont try to use regular o rings. Usually most common after market ac o rings are green. Only use compatable refrigerant oil on o rings. Most modern cars run R134a refrigerant which use a polyester oil. You can buy a spray can suitable for 134a. When ever pulling ac hoses apart keep all dirt dust and ecspecially water out of pipes compressor all components.


This is a little of topic but all ac that require a so called regas only need so because there is a leak!!! Have them fix leak before regas, a regas on its own is pointless. Also you should replace your drier reciever if you've had a leak or had system open/apart for and extended period.
Trust me im a commercial fridgee mechanic :thumbsup:

[vinnY]

heard about the dryer unit needing to be changed.. got a pic?

well my a/c seemed to run out of gas after about 2 years so that probably means theres a leak somewhere :( can i get my lines tested somewhere?

[EGJOE]

the dryer unit cylinder shape some have a sight glass on top. Best modern method of leak detection is uv dye.

[vinnY]

ah damn.. i can feel it's gonna cost me a shitload for a new dryer unit :(

yeah heard about the uv stuff, mixed in with the gas right?
guess i gotta stop going to asians that have nfi cause they said they used the stuff but didn't even bother checking to see if there were any leaks with the uv light :\

[EGJOE]

google images receiver dryer you will get an idea what your looking for in you engine bay

[vinnY]

nah i know exactly what you're talking about(located behind the passenger headlight down in the gap near the windscreen washer reservoir)
would i have to hit up honda for a replacement?
mines been out of the car for a good 6 months now, no doubt it's all crapped up by now

[EGJOE]

there are universal items out there that fit perfect you can try a mob called HEATCRAFT i think there are some outlets in sydney or even repco.

[vinnY]

awesome they're somewhat nearby, thanks joe :thumbsup:

if anyone's interested clicky here (http://www.heatcraft.com.au/products/auto/) for their auto products lists

[vinnY]

just got word from mocci that the dryer receivers are <$40 so no biggie there
washers are under $2/ea which isn't too bad for a couple
though the oil only comes in 1L tubs and $50 :O

any suggestions on where we can get smaller amounts of the oil?

preinstallation, is there perhaps a way i can sort of 'clean out' the pipes and air con compressor etc ? been sitting around for a couple months, don't really live in a dusty environment here but the compressors been sitting in a crate on the floor for a while :(

[EGJOE]

jayair products do an aerosol spray
I have bought from refrigeration wholesalers 'actron' before, heatcraft may stock this item as well.

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn264/coldasjoe/OG6012.jpg

part no. OG6012
Description. OIL SPRAY 300ml CAN REFRIGERANT OIL

[vinnY]

any idea on the cost joe?
if it's like ~$30/can i may as well get the 1L tub and share it with mocci since he's doing the running around work lately :p

[EGJOE]

yeah i thinks its around thirty a can its less messy and easier to use then oil though. There are diff grades for oil the wholesaler will point you in right direction

[vinnY]

cool as joe, i'd rep you again but it won't let me ;)

will see what happens, 1L is gonna be a hell of a lot of lube for one air con system

[EGJOE]

yep one litre heaps but who ever gas your car can top up oil in system if low.

[vinnY]

now before i go ahead with everything, are my current lines and compressor actually safe to use at the moment? they're sorta been sitting around for a while in the back yard :(
is there a way to clean them out to make sure i can still use them? or do i have to buy brand new lines from honda or something?

[EGJOE]

hmm well in comercial systems i use shellite to clean out lines im not sure about the rubber hoses on automotive ac.
As long as there is no dust dirt or foriegn objects inside lines it should be fine. Who ever is regasing the system will pull a vaccum on the system to remove the air/moisture and it should also give a good indication if there are any leaks.
If the system can hold a vaccum then it is leak free, the tech should know what he is doing.

EGJOE:thumbsup:

[vinnY]

ah sweet as, wasn't too sure what the process was :) will probably give everything a blast of compressed air to make sure the joints will be relatively clean
need other people to see this thread to rep you because i'm all out of reps :p