AC compressor pipe question

If I have a leak at back of compressor by the pipe with dent… see photo… Is that repairable or what… My sniffer tool sounded very lightly and I don’t know if it’s leaking for sure there…

Could be seals … repairable. Also could be Schrader valve. Are you saying the pipe is cracked?

It’s most likely the seals for the pipe connections to the back of the compressor. They are O-rings but installed in an unusual manner, against the rear face of the compressor. There’s a thick bar with a single bolt holding them in place, but that same bolt also holds the support bracket for that cruise control actuator. Obviously, you need to evacuate the system before meddling with this stuff.

The thick bar isn’t thick enough and sometimes gets bent. When I had mine apart, I replaced it with a thicker bar, just a short piece of thick steel bar with a hole in the middle so it wouldn’t get bent again.

Yes, many GM applications (they made the compressor) had a thicker bar; Jaguar’s was too thin. In this accessible area, a leak detected by a sniffer can easily be confirmed (or ruled out) by application of a “bubble” solution to suspected areas. There are some made for refrigeration that are very sensitive. IMHO.

Where the pipe curves into the piece on back it seemed like my sniffer gave a faint noise… That dent was made Years ago by a tech when he changed it to 134… it stuck up a little and he hit it with some thing to bend it down… I wondered… but it has worked fine for many years… Will try soapy water next for bubbles

Did your “tech” leave the area not long after, and move to Dallas to work for AttyDallas?

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Good one… Surprisingly I filled it yesterday and it’s working today… We’ll see for how long… No bubbles by pipe with soapy water… Here in Iowa we’ve been having 80-90 degree (F) weather… rather unusually early hot… usually mid July and August when the corn really grows.

Been that way for many years.

Then my money is on leaking seals

My jeep was treated with a sealer by a PO. for a couple of seasons, I used R134 with a sealer. Last two or three… no more leaks… And it works well.

Off to play with my newest toy. Amazon sourced Black and decker drill driver. Neat. Lithium ion battery. Much smaller and lighter than my other two. One of which now junk. Battery will not hold a charge… Joins anther with the same issue. why have I not tossed them???

A silly idea of using 12v battery and short leads??

I put a sealer in it last week… Thought it did not work because it lost pressure same day… then yesterday I decided to add a small can of 134… also tightened the hose clamps on hose over right side of engine… as stated before its on second day and doing okay…,.So maybe the seals swelled up after sealer had time to work… Could also have been hose clamps… Here’s hoping it continues to work… I’ll post results after a few days

The sealer chemicals for a/c don’t swell seals like those for trannies. They “clot” when they find themselves in contact with O2 in the air.

Ok interesting…but would it take a few days to work… when I put the 134 with sealer in it didn’t stay cooling the next day …then after about a week …yesterday.,. I put in one can of regular 134… Now working. And hopefully it will stay.

Possibly. I’ve used various leak sealers over the years and never got one to work. So I don’t know how long it takes. :slight_smile:

3 days again and air quit cooling… Stopping at this point until I get someone to check it out. Probably a leak and I don’t want to go to school and learn to be an ac specialist.

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Can that bar be reversed… My sniffer finally told me it’s leaking there… Will get help fixing it eventually