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Metal Air Con pipes.?

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Old Jun 9th, 2021, 08:28   #11
woodways3
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There. I knew it !!
I`ve talked you out of it.
The Drier is really more important than the Expansion Valve but if you don`t fancy it - fair enough. A good Air-con Co. will replace the Drier for you - at a cost of course.
When you take it to be re-gassed they must pressure test first and then vacuum down the system for at least 45 mins. Again you can ask them to put some lubricant in.
A good Co. will tell you how much Refrigerant has gone in. Volvo specify 1Kg . They will probably not get that amount in but should go as close as possible.
I will try and force myself to have a go at the drier !!!!.Re the pipe seals ,are they fitted dry ie nothing add on them ? Thanks so much for your time.
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Old Jun 9th, 2021, 19:10   #12
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Aircon seals generally don`t have anything on them but a little silicon grease or silicon lubricant if you have some is a great help. Don`t use anything else as it will ruin the seal.
It`s worth having a go at taking off the front bumper. The first time is a learning curve and will seem worse than it really is.
There are two types of Drier ( early and late versions) so be sure to get the right one.
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Old Jun 10th, 2021, 15:37   #13
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First of all, if the system has been leaking, you will need to have it vacuumed down and leak tested prior to refilling the system with gas. From you comment about being new to air con i suspect that firstly this will be news to you and secondly you won't have the equipment to do it or know how to use said equipment.

With this in mind, i would suggest the following :

Do what you can in terms of fitting new parts but don't fit the new dryer yet. Find a good air con specialist (not the likes of Fik Wit and similar "high street" places") that knows what they're actually doing, phone up and explain you've had a leak, the system emptied itself and you've replaced the leaky pipe so you need it vacuumed down, leak tested and then regassed with new oil and leak dye.

That way the specialist can advise you of the costs of the individual parts of the procedure and the total cost of the new oil (it's mainly the compressor that needs the oil, you don't want that contaminating the silica crystals in the dryer! ), leak detector dye and importantly, the gas.

As i'm sure you'll agree, there's no point regassing it if you haven't got it leak-free, only way to be sure is to vac it down and leak test it. If all is well then, the dryer can be fitted (again, no point opening the new dryer until you know the system is leak-free), vac down again, add oil, leak-dye and gas and get it working again.

One important safety tip - no smoking while working on the system! Some refrigerants can react with tobacco smoke to creat cyanide gas. It could be an old wives tale but i've never fancied putting it to the test! You may think the system is empty but it won't be truly empty until it is vacuumed down to nothing.
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Old Jul 16th, 2021, 11:46   #14
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Thats great news,for a moment i thought the only access was from within the car.I guess the skuttle cover clips will all break upon removal?
I asked if the two air con pipes can be accessed from the engine bay ,you appeared to say yes !!!!!!! After a lot of hassle removing the engine bay scuttle cover wipers arms etc ,There is no access the the pipes ,only the wiper motor.So it appears the only access is from within the car ,which i was dreading as it looks a real hassle.
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Old Jul 16th, 2021, 23:31   #15
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Hi.
You asked if the pipes are accessible from the engine bay and the answer is yes.
They are removed by taking off the small cover ON THE BULKHEAD and not by removing the scuttle panel.
Look to the right of the Brake Servo and you will see the two pipes passing through a plate secured by two nut-type fixings. Remove that plate and you will see the two pipes attached to the Expansion Valve.
You will also need to raise up and move aside the Coolant and Steering Reservoirs to give access to the rest of the pipework.

The only pipework the other side of the Expansion Valve is on the Evaporator itself and you won`t want to go there.
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Old Jul 27th, 2021, 11:11   #16
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Thats great news,for a moment i thought the only access was from within the car.I guess the skuttle cover clips will all break upon removal?
Appologies,I was convinced the two air con pipes could only be accessed from inside the car .The two bolt threads sticking out in the engine bay threw me .I now see the two strange looking hollow nuts undo. One pi of a job to replace the bigger of the two pipes,without taking any other pipes apart,but im getting there.
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Old Jul 27th, 2021, 16:35   #17
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" Good on you for having a go !! "
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Old Aug 15th, 2021, 10:50   #18
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Hi.
If i understand you correctly by removing the cover plate on the bulkhead you will see the Expansion Valve. Both large and small aircon pipes are connected to this by a holding plate and O-rings. Very simple to remove both pipes and worth changing the Expansion Valve at the same time.
Replaced the larger pipe ,expansion valve + drier ,big job .Pleased to say air con is working great.Thanks.
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Old Aug 15th, 2021, 11:59   #19
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Hi.
Expansion Valve is fixed by 2 cap head screws. A new part will come with new O-Rings. Two Rings seal under the valve against the Evaporator and two rings seat against your pipes. This job is simple but just a bit fiddly making sure not to drop anything.
There are two more O-Rings ( one on each pipe) that you need to inspect. They should be replaced usually but you can re-use if they are not deformed or hardened.
The main reason why these systems leak (apart from punctured condensers) is the ageing of the sealing rings so it makes sense to change what you can whilst you can.
As the system is open to air you should really replace the Receiver/Drier as a service item and put some lubricant in.
I don`t want to over blow any of this and put you off but the more you do now the better the system will be once you have it re-gassed. All the parts are simple bolt-on , bolt-off items.
Remember it has been illegal for the last 11 years for any un-licenced person to tamper with Air Conditioning systems , a fine of up to £40000 is applicable . If he was going to cut and join AC pipes he obviously is not aware of the consequences when something goes wrong ..
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Old Aug 15th, 2021, 12:03   #20
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Originally Posted by VOLVOBOY View Post
There. I knew it !!
I`ve talked you out of it.
The Drier is really more important than the Expansion Valve but if you don`t fancy it - fair enough. A good Air-con Co. will replace the Drier for you - at a cost of course.
When you take it to be re-gassed they must pressure test first and then vacuum down the system for at least 45 mins. Again you can ask them to put some lubricant in.
A good Co. will tell you how much Refrigerant has gone in. Volvo specify 1Kg . They will probably not get that amount in but should go as close as possible.
No that has been illegal for the last 11 years , it MUST be pressure checked with Oxygen-free Nitrogen at the working pressure of over 200 psi .. The vacuum test was very unreliable as the suction would draw a crack together and not show a leak .
Remember Only a licensed professional is allowed to work on AC systems now ..
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