Rust on Frame with A/C drain mod fix

So when you do this mod do you have to jack up the truck and remove the tire or is there enough access if you turn the wheel?

 

Tons of access, it was my first mod, I'm not mechanically experienced with autos in any way, from what I know of your skills, Mike, you'll be done before the first beer. Hardest part is deciding exactly what color and length of zip tie to use.

I will add, though, that I avoided them for a long time but when doing my diff fluid I finally bought some rhino ramps. They are just right for getting a bit more space under the front or back of the truck as needed. Definitely not necessary but certainly nice to have.

 

Nice I have an old set of metal ramps I use for oil changes. That should work. Weather resistant Ties only come in black so that's a simple decision.

 

Out of curiosity, when you did your diff fluid using your ramps did you have the truck level ?
In other words if the front was up on ramps, was the rear raised up to the same height ?

 

My driveway is sloped to the point that the ramps made my truck close to level.

However I did most of the changes with the nose / arse hanging just outside the garage door. Only the last rear diff topoff was with the ramps.

 

As many know the AC condensate hose drips onto the frame. I've seen many versions of this mod but thought I'd share my experience in completing this mod.
I used a 5/8" ID clear reinforced tubing, it's what I had. Videos I watched said to watch you do not crush the stock tube when tightening. This gave me an idea. I've used brass sleeve bushings on plastic pipe being used on compression fittings. I bought a 7/16" sleeve at a local hardware store for $1.89

I used this inside the end of the stock drip tube to keep the tube from collapsing when I tightened the hose clamp around the extension hose. It was a snug fit but that's what you want.

Once the sleeve was in the tube, I had to heat the extension tube to flare the end a bit so it would fit easier over the stock tube. I used a propane torch and and a pair of long nose pliers to stretch the 5/8" ID tube slightly. Once this was done, the new tube fit over the stock tube. The hose clamp was placed so that it was over the area of the brass sleeve and tightened.

The hose was routed through the brake hard line loop. I fastened it to the hard line with a zip tie. I used a heat gun to soften the tube so I could form it to the shape I wanted. I ran it on the outside of the frame as shown. I installed a hose / cable clamp with rubber insert to hold the end of the new drip hose.

To fasten the clamp I used a 1/8" x 1/2" hex head self drilling screw into the frame. The hole was drilled and sprayed with undercoating before and after the installation of the clamp. Hose was cut below the frame to finish the job.

Here is the final end result.


I know it's a bit long winded but anytime someone has an idea, it pays to read several listings on it and it helps you form your own conclusion and sometimes improve on the idea.

 

I normally go over areas that I see rust developing with some good ole Rustoleum and move on!
I'm sure a bit of water dripping from the AC hose isn't any worse than driving in the rain or in puddles.

 

These people should be more worried about driving around in acid rain or through salted or brined roads, instead they are worried about pretty clean condensed water, that’s better than the drinking water in third world countries.

Maybe we should tell them that driving around in the rain or having your truck outside in a rain storm is doing more harm to their frames than the drain tube is.

 

that brass adapter is a great idea

 

That part certainly is pretty ingenious , and extending the hose may keep ac drips off frame when parked. But how does this help when you are driving? Water is still going to splash all over the frame the same as the stock drain. The moving air pressure assures that. Am I missing something?

 

The drain can drip water for quite a bit after you stop driving. With the stock drain it will just pool on top of the frame and sit there. Sure it may eventually evaporate, but if you're in a humid climate that may take a while. With the drain mod, any water that blows around on the undercarriage is also being blown off or more quickly evaporated with the airflow from driving. The undercarriage is much less enclosed than the stock drain area. FWIW, after I did the mod I checked around underneath the first few times after driving and didn't see any residual water on the undercarriage.

 

Also when you’re driving the hot exhaust system is right there inches away and it’s a drip hose not a garden hose so “splashing” might be more like light spatter spread over a larger area, some of which is SS , some painted underbody, and yes some frame but much less concentrated than before the mod.

 

There's overkill and then there's this guy looks clean though!

 

Used this idea to extend my drain line past the frame rail. Not as fancy but it works. Used a modified .45ACP casing as the ferrule. Tygon tubing connected to the factory line then run down rail and zip-tied in place. Will eventually get the black hose as it should last longer than tygon.

 

This is why you do the mod.

 

about to do mine. there is a puddle under my truck like that every time i park.

 

Was not able to post the raw video so here it is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtZ3RQDwJ14

 

Looking into this mod, would spraying that part of the frame with undercoating serve the same purpose?

 

I did this mod the other week when I reapplied fluid film. I really liked the brass insert idea but I wasn't able to find it at my local Lowe's. None of the old guys were working in plumbing that day and you can't ask the kids anything hard.

 

Yes, that's what I've done and it works without issue. Just make sure you have decent coverage.