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Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 4:16 pm Post subject: Braided Ac hoses for 5th gen
Has anybody out there used or seen a setup to use braided ac hoses off the back of a stock R4 compressor ? If so do you know who has it and how much it cost ? I was thinking about the upgrade since mine popped yesterday and getting enough braided line to run along the core support to the accumalator instead of crossing over the motor.
You should to and talk to a local AC shop and see if they can crimp lines or can do this sort of thing. It may even be cheeper than buying a custom set. _________________ 1976 GMC Sprint with a 400sb
I haven't seen anything you could buy that would adapt the Aeroquip hose to a stock compressor.
As mentioned, a good AC shop can repair what you have and change the hose to run where you want it to. The shop that did mine used the new and smaller od barrier hose and it was easy to run out of sight. _________________ Ol Paint and me
454/700R4/3.31 posi
8.30 @ 82.23 / 60ft @ 1.82
AND
14.5 mpg average on HRPT 2006
Necoa #: 2314
Location: 20(HI)
Joined: Jan 29, 2004
Posts: 3653
Year: 1979
Model: El Camino
Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2006 2:11 am Post subject:
Hmmm...they don't tell you what size the fitting is; I wonder how you can find out? _________________ 1979 El Camino\r\n1955 Chevrolet Del Ray\r\n1962 Corvette\r\n1966 Corvette Coupe
They also don't give the pressure rating for the hose they are using. R134a high side pressure can reach 400 psi. I would imagine you would need at least a 1200 psi rated hose to be safe.
Then there is leak through. Factory A/C hose are thick since they have many layers to prevent leak through. R134a molecules are very small and can penetrate hose that are not specific for this use. _________________ "That the automobile has practically reached the limit of its development is suggested by the fact that during the past year no improvements of a radical nature have been introduced." (Scientific American January 2, 1909).
They also don't give the pressure rating for the hose they are using. R134a high side pressure can reach 400 psi. I would imagine you would need at least a 1200 psi rated hose to be safe.
Then there is leak through. Factory A/C hose are thick since they have many layers to prevent leak through. R134a molecules are very small and can penetrate hose that are not specific for this use.
The Aeroquip hose has a teflon coating and is well suited for R134 systems. A friend of mine used it on his elky and it looked and worked great. I was going to use it when I upgraded my AC system a while back but the fittings are very pricey. After talking with a local AC shop they showed me some of the small od barrier hose and black fittings. Still pricey but the smaller od hose made it easier to route into a stealthier configuration so that's what I used. The cost of that, with the shop making/installing the hose and charging the system came to about the same as the Aeroquip hose and fittings alone, which I would still have to cut/fit/install and charge the system. _________________ Ol Paint and me
454/700R4/3.31 posi
8.30 @ 82.23 / 60ft @ 1.82
AND
14.5 mpg average on HRPT 2006
Hmmm...they don't tell you what size the fitting is; I wonder how you can find out?
Here's a link to the hose and fittings I have copied. I made a few notes here and there on the page but you can still see the data. 1/2= -10, 13/32= -08, 5/16= -06. The fittings are female O-ring(AC type)
The hose is rated at 500psi and is compatable with R134.
I also seem to remember seeing in a Summit catalog the Aeroquip (or similar) hose with fittings already attached. Maybe call them and they can advise. _________________ Leo
1986 El Camino
1997 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC
"Randy! He drives an El Freakin' Camino! That's like the Cadillac of cars!"
Earl Hickey
Necoa #: 2314
Location: 20(HI)
Joined: Jan 29, 2004
Posts: 3653
Year: 1979
Model: El Camino
Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2006 12:58 pm Post subject:
I understand the relationship between AN hose size and nominal fitting size but the chart doesn't indicate what the size is of the connection to the comppressor or receiver/drier or condenser. If you look at the AC system you will notice different size connections. _________________ 1979 El Camino\r\n1955 Chevrolet Del Ray\r\n1962 Corvette\r\n1966 Corvette Coupe
Big James , I am not famalier with the barrier hose is it rated the same pressure wise as the standard hose ? How did you run yours to the accumalator ? Do you remember the cost of just getting the hose made ? Thanks for everybodys responses.
I understand the relationship between AN hose size and nominal fitting size but the chart doesn't indicate what the size is of the connection to the comppressor or receiver/drier or condenser. If you look at the AC system you will notice different size connections.
The difference is in the type of fitting. Most AC fittings are the O-ring type, they look bigger than say standard inverted flare. The hose size still dictates the fitting size. Notice they only have the 3 sizes, the smallest -06 will be the pressure line and the largest, 10, will be the suction side of the compressor(larger for stock GM compressors which will have to have an adaptor).
As for the thread size, the suction side of my Seltec compressor is 7/8-14UNF male, which takes the AN 10 hose with the female o-ring fitting. The discharge side threads are 3/4-16UNF male, which takes the -08 AN female o-ring fitting. It stays -08 to the condensor and drier. I think it changes to the smaller -06 after the drier. I don't know the thread size for the -06 o-ring fitting but it is a standard AC size.
I know I'm leaving out something here but I hope I've explained it to some degree. _________________ Ol Paint and me
454/700R4/3.31 posi
8.30 @ 82.23 / 60ft @ 1.82
AND
14.5 mpg average on HRPT 2006
Big James , I am not famalier with the barrier hose is it rated the same pressure wise as the standard hose ? How did you run yours to the accumalator ? Do you remember the cost of just getting the hose made ? Thanks for everybodys responses.
It is rated for R134 specifically so it's well within that spec. The total cost for all the hoses/vacuming down the sytem/charging the system was about $325.
BTW, I had already mounted the compressor/condensor/fans had them wired and ready to run before I took Ol Paint to the shop to get the lines run and the system charged. The AC guy said the system charged right up and it's been spittin out ice cubes since.This is the second season it's been in use, works way better than the stock stuff did.
Ok, got some new pics, should show a little detail
This one shows the Seltec compressor I'm using
compressor
This shows the suction and discharge, I may be mistaken on the hose size I noted earlier looks like 12 suction and 10 discharge
Compressor end
From the condensor to the drier to the high pressure side of the evaporator, it's run under the header panel to and from the drier. I use hood pins so I tossed the hood latch to make this mod and allow for the electric fans. the fans work as a condensor fan and help cool the engine.
drier 1 drier 2 drier 3
the suction line runs into the area behind the fender well and across the core support into the compressor
suction line _________________ Ol Paint and me
454/700R4/3.31 posi
8.30 @ 82.23 / 60ft @ 1.82
AND
14.5 mpg average on HRPT 2006
Last edited by bigjames4xl on Sun Jul 23, 2006 3:51 pm; edited 1 time in total
Necoa #: 2314
Location: 20(HI)
Joined: Jan 29, 2004
Posts: 3653
Year: 1979
Model: El Camino
Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2006 3:10 pm Post subject:
Since the chart makes no mention what-so-ever of the UNF sizes how do we know what they are for each of the fittings? _________________ 1979 El Camino\r\n1955 Chevrolet Del Ray\r\n1962 Corvette\r\n1966 Corvette Coupe
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