Frame rust from AC drip hose?

Hey guys —

Anyone else experiencing frame rust from the constant drip from the AC condenser drip hose through the firewall? I’ve known about a spot of rust on the frame for a while (I plan to cover with POR-15 soon), but today I realized it sits directly in the runoff path of the little drip hose from the AC condenser.

Anyone else seen this? I live in CO where AC is used constantly throughout the summer..

 

Yes, it is a known issue for some.
You can extend the hose. Here is a link to some ideas.

Try post #12

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/air-conditioning-drain-hose.172179/

 

I put an extension on mine and routed it around and exited it below the frame.

 

Great, thanks guys!

 

that's the evaporator drain, but yes, extend it out of the way with some vacuum or coolant hose. I had planned to do that 10 years ago and still haven't gotten around to it. Don't think it really causes a problem but it's more a peace of mind thing. That is some of the cleanest water your frame would ever be exposed to, should not cause any corrosion.

 

Well rust in the area where the water is dripping is exponentially worse than anywhere else on the frame so it’s definitely not helping..

Here’s a pic of the affected area:



Followup question: how bad is this and can it be repaired by a qualified welder?

 

tap with a ball peen hammer and see. Should be able to get a patch there. I would also check the driver side. That is the common area where the frame rusted through (right by the catalytic converters)

 

This is wrong water, steel and oxygen will most definitely cause rust .I used in old garden hose with stainless steel clamps and extended the hose outside the frame by the passenger front tire.

 

I also used a garden hose with clamps. It was all removed when my frame was just replaced, so I need to do it again.

 

Mine creates a drip in exactly two spots and in those two exact spots, two holes have formed in the frame.

 

4 year old thread revival. I dig it.

I patched mine up in this spot last year.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...l-and-b-s-thread.356319/page-36#post-29087242

 

Look into the A/C drain mod, just need a piece of 5/8in id hose and you can route it wherever you wish away from the frame.

 

Thanks. I will. Problem is that now I need a new frame.

 

I highly doubt you need a new frame. It can be patched. Take a look at the link to my thread. My guy cut out about a 4x6 section of the frame, cut a piece to fill it, and plated over.

 

When was that done? It’s held up well? I found a guy here in San Diego who will cut it out and cover it with a plate for $1000 and another guy in Orange County will swap the whole frame with a used one for $4000.

 

That patch was just done in August 2023ish, so only a year old. The plate he welded on was 3/8" on top of the filler plate. That's likely the strongest, stiffest section of my entire frame now and I have no concerns about that spot failing. Likely my truck will rust to pieces and that part of the frame will still survive.

$1000 seems pretty steep. Figure thats like 10 hours of welding at $100 an hour, which is kinda my benchmark.

I paid little over half that amount for my frame patch and also got some heavy duty dual battery cages welded into the engine bay that day. For the patch he spent a lot of time grinding and welding and grinding and welding to make sure he removed all the shit steel and had good contact for his reinforcement plate. still didn't come out to that much time. In my pics you might even be able to see where he stitched his welds all the way back into the cross member. He was super thorough.

That said, in your last picture it looks like your frame cancer has worked back further than mine and you've got a hole also on the outside of the frame behind the cross member. I can't tell if that's where the cab mount meets the frame, but if it is, a cab mount relocate might be worth looking into.

Whatever it looks like on the surface, it's probably worse underneath, so keep in mind the price could go up depending on how bad things are when they start trying to weld and theres no contact. I still thinks it's patchable, but hard to say I am no expert.

 

Gosh, I need to get this drain hose extension done myself sooner than later.

 

garden hose attached with hose clamp... put screen on end to keep the critters out.

 

Yeah I hear ya. He’s the only guy I’ve been able to find in San Diego who will even touch it so it’s not like I have options. If it’s more than $1000 because he can’t find a good contact point, I might as well replace it, which is what everyone has been saying.