AC hoses

[Lotus54]

I just had an odd experience (with a Lotus?)

I had pulled the inner fender plastic off to do some suspension work a couple of weeks ago. No big deal, and just screwed it back on using the same screws.

Well, I'm getting ready to replace all the coolant hoses, do the timing belt/ water pump and a few other things.
So I start to remove the inner fender and when I begin to loosen one of the bottom screws I hear a loud 'HISSS' and see the telltale sign of frozen air.
Not good.
I turned it back in and it quit.
After looking, someone had tie-wrapped the AC hose right along the body- where the screws go into hold the inner fender. Why it hit it now and not before I have no idea.

Anyway, looking at the hose (I think low pressure one, but I haven't followed it all the way to make sure) the darn thing takes the move convoluted route possible. Flex out of the compressor, then a weird loop to over by the condenser (I"m not certain if it enters it there or not yet).

Anyway, does the stock (federal) AC hose take a really strange route? Or did someone put some different hoses on it. The connectors are R134 (I understand it came with R12?) so perhaps someone swapped the hoses and just made something fit?

The local hose shop can make new ones (at least I'm pretty certain) but I'd like to if this is normal.
Anyone know?

Mark

[Brit-Car-Nut]

Originally, all Fed M100s were R12. Maybe someone installed R134 adapters on the original fittings?

[Lotus54]

It didn't look like adapters, but I'll look closer.

thanks
Mark

[Brit-Car-Nut]

I have the inner fender skirts off my car. I will look tomorrow and see if my A/C hoses run close to the mountings.

[Lotus54]

Thanks, I appreciate that.

I just evacuated the system, so I'll pull off the hose and get it repaired/replaced.

Having fun trying to get the bottom water pump screw now...
Mark

[JonT]

How do R134 connectors differ from R12?

[HJ2]

More important... Where to obtain R12 !

[JonT]

More important... Where to obtain R12 !

You can't (legally in the UK anyway). The guy who was going to regas mine until we found the cracked hose uses RS24 which is mainly R134a with some additives to keep the oil in suspension better.

[Lotus54]

It is around and I understand the price has come down a bit. Still way more than 134, but works better.

[Brit-Car-Nut]

How do R134 connectors differ from R12?

R12 charging fittings are threaded shrader valves, R134 are snap lock shraders.

[lotusgirlmarie]

Some knob did a hack job on my AC system before I bought my car. They also tried the 134 route and cocked up all of the hoses. I crazed on a connector to the long Haskins that goes around the engine and built a new short hard line that does the curly que behind the oil cooler. I also build all new braided stainless soft lines from the compressor to their respective limes. I now use freeze 12 instead of R12. Works quite well and readily available here in the states.

[Brit-Car-Nut]

Mark:

I looked at my car and my A/C line runs around the fiberglass housing for the oil cooler, but not so close as to be able to be pierced by a mounting screw.

The steel line section is held in place by a strap further forward. The wheel arch liner is held in place by thin head machine bolts that go through the liner and into captive nuts slipped into place in the fiberglass housing for the oil cooler. There are no sheet metal screws used.

Here is a picture: A/C Line in Wheel Arch

[Lotus54]

Thanks,
Looks like somebody switched the screws at some point. A machine screw may have hit the hose, but not pierced it.
Either way it shouldn't have been right at the bottom.
I still don't know why they went all the way around..
Mark