A/C condensation drain line Mod

It is like fishing with dynamite.... I put oil change, PCV catch, raptor lights and T-rex lights in there. So this isn't a complete shit post...

@Txtacomuscle58 go with your gut here... the mod doesn't need to make sense to others, just to you. I am in favor of anything that gets you under the truck looking at how things work. People here replace the stock starter button for a red TRD starter button because "TRD" and "it's red" so in my book a mod that gives water from the condenser a clear, unobstructed path to the ground makes sense to me. Get under your truck and do the mod if it pleases you.

 

Yep. Living semi close to the beach my truck is rusting like a mother. My AC drain valve mid fell off years ago. It’s also one of the few places my truck isn’t rusting.

 

Sweet, glad you liked the kit brother.

 

If you just spray that area with cosmoline, there's no need for any extra parts unless you need a tin foil hat to go with it.

 

Thanks for the assessment. Detailed, in depth posts like yours contribute to the discussion and offer valuable insight. I particularly like the "if you do a modification other than the one I have chosen you are a tin-foil hat wearing conspiracy theorist."

I have gutters to direct rain water down into french drains, I have 5 feet of pipe to get ~5 gallons of water / day coming from my house AC condensers away from the foundation, and I have a hose and adapter extending the factory drain so condensation drips below my frame rail. You may be noticing a pattern here: where I can I like water to go where I direct it. I'm not sure where your tin foil hat comment is coming from.... maybe if I said the lizard overlords only consume water that has touched a Toyota frame rail and that is why the AC drain mod makes sense and is necessary to save humanity.

 

The frame rail has a down slop and rounded. The water is not pooling on the top of the frame. It makes it wet like the rest of the frame. On 6th year of the ownership in PNW with AC running year round. There is no rust

 

Nor does water pool on my roof, yet I have gutters so it goes where I want it to go so it hits the ground where I want it to hit the ground. Please note there are zero attributes on the Tacoma you can bring up that will get around my quote below.

 

Cause the roof has a slope??

 

No point in doing this. This ranks up there with the rear differential breather mod = worthless

 

As I recall, there were pics of rust forming under the outlet. Maybe it was deceptive or coincidental? My own reasoning is that there are concentrated salts coming out. We have a solid stain on our garage floor from what my wife's car kicks out. No other permanent stains from other wetness due to rain / wet roads.


In the end it was an easy mod that resembles a good fraction of my mods. Either just something fun to do or of particularly questionable value.

 

Or weekly oil changes.

 

i would've done this mod, but a rat chewed the little hose off right at the wall

 

Rust forms at the transition where metal is wet/dry. If it’s all wet or all dry it’s less of a problem unless there’s a corrosive present like acid or salt and both of those still need the water. Sure your frame gets wet in the rain and dries out but this is a preventative measure for year round exposure not just rainy season. It’s also not going to be necessary everywhere or even useful everywhere but it’s an easy mod with no downside. My truck is now 8 years old with no frame rust anywhere so I haven’t done it but science and anecdotal evidence tells me that won’t be the case for everyone. If you have any rust problems where you live this is likely to be a good idea.

 

Alright. All the answers have been good and actually made me look up stuff and learn things. For that I thank everyone! I quoted these two as examples.
So, I understand that you cannot have rust without water at ambient temps, so yes, running a drain could help a bit.
I also found....
Mods are fun even if they make not a bit of difference lol.
Seriously, thank you guys.

 

Taco without the AC drain mod be like:

 

Whoa. That last bit adds some words that I didn't fully say. Lemme say it another way. It was an easy mod that could end up being preventative. Kinda like other routine chores. We don't know if they really matter at all, but they make some sense.

 

Stress the “might not”. Not the same thing as saying “does” or “does not”. For some it’ll help, for others not so much. Each of us has to decide how much benefit to expect or assurance it gives.

 

Exactly.

 

Bottom line is it you live in the rust belt, you should have the entire under carriage rust protected. Just doing this worthless drain mod is a joke.

 

I don't live in the rust belt, but I do live where the AC is run nearly every single time the truck is running.

There's a difference in the occasional rain storm that wets the truck then dries off, versus a constant drip on a piece of untreated metal that doesn't exactly drain well. Especially when the line will be dripping for a bit after the truck is shut down and parked.

I suppose I could've spent $13 for a can of Cosmoline coating and hit the affected areas. I also had extra tubing and clamps in my garage and a few minutes of free time. Maybe a waste of time, maybe helpful, but definitely entertaining.