A/C Condenser *high side* leak

Question for all 2nd gens, have any of you replaced a A/C condenser and have the high side hose connection start to leak due to improper seating? Could you/did you use a polyurethane condenser gasket or o-ring? (Low side has a O-ring in hose groove, but not the high side)

 

What is low side and high side on the condensor? The whole thing is "high side" as in high pressure, to force the R134a to condense as air extracts the excessive heat.

In any case, I am certain both sides should have an o-ring or seal, inlet (compressor side) and outlet (to evaporator). No way metal to metal will seal at those pressures...

 

When you took it apart do you remember if it had an o ring? Like you said, I would think it would have had one. If it is completely empty your going to have to take it to a hvac professional. ( pretty much any auto shop) and get them to pull a vacuum on it to properly recharge the system .

 

The low side (bottom hose, into the condenser) is fine and has a oring. The high side (out the condenser and to the Compressor, top hose) has no o-ring, but looks to be a gasket of some sort. There isn't any indication of any grooves to put a o-ring in, but a ring like gasket in a groove on the condenser itself.
When I removed it, I didn't come across a gasket on the hose. Im not sure if its the condenser I purchased may be a defective...

 

There are two types of seal systems when it comes to AC systems. I work on them everyday... You have your basic o-ring style and like you said a metal/rubber gasket.

 

There is an O-ring/seal in there. It looks like an aluminum washer with a green rubber center.
" Apply sufficient compressor oil to a new seal washer
and the fitting surface of the hose joint."

http://www.customtacos.com/tech.old.../06toyrm/06toypdf/06rmsrc/rm2006ta/046009.pdf

Pictars of said seal washer-http://www.customtacos.com/tech.old/files/05FSM/data/ileaf/06toyrm/06toypdf/06rmsrc/rm2006ta/04600810.pdf

 

Harbor Freight sells a vacuum pump for ac systems.

 

Awesome thanks guys! Appreciate all of your input!

 

That sounds more reasonable. Some use o-rings. Some use various other types of rubber-like material for gaskets. It just needs a really good seal. A typical paper-type gasket won't cut it.

BTW the harbor freight pumps can be pretty good. My old pump died last year, I bought a two-stage pump from HF and it will pull a sub-50 micron vacuum which is beyond stout. I was afraid it was going to suck the o-rings into the refrigerant lines for a bit. A good set of manifold gauges and you won't have to visit an A/C shop again and pay ultra-high wages or ultra-high prices for R134a which you can find for sub-$10 all day long, and if you order in advance you can find even better deals. I've seen it for sub $10 prices at Home Depot for unknown reasons...

 

You have to be careful with the box store cans of R134a. Most of it has PAG oil and sealant mixed in, which is great if you are trying to top off grandmas 1987 buick with a slow leak, not so great on a new pump and condenser. Will it blow cold air? Yeah, till the pump squeeks. (I know you know this)

 

None I have bought has PAG included. Nor dye or leak sealant. I agree that adding crap to an A/C system is likely going to do more harm than good (although the dye is pretty benign overall). If you replace parts, you need a good manual anyway to tell you how much PAG to add per component replaced. A little too much is not so bad. Too little can be catastrophic.

 

The refrigerant leaves the compressor as a high temperature/high pressure vapor. It "Condenses" in the condenser to a "Sub-Cooled" liquid ready to be fed to the metering device where it is flashed to a 80% liquid/20% vapor as it enters the evaporator (further cooling the liquid). It then continues to evaporate to (hopefully) 100% vapor with a 10-12F "SuperHeat" added to the vapor to ensure only vapor enters the compressor. It is a Low Temperature/Low Pressure Vapor at this point. The "Accumulator" is a bandaid added to help assure only vapor enters the compressor where it starts the whole cycle over.