Redneck AC vacuum for charging
#1
12-19-2015, 01:58 PM
Redneck AC vacuum for charging
I had to swap my air conditioner compressor for a spare after the clutch fell off in my hands (rusted... I paid 29 bucks for it and it lasted three years so okay). I hate shops for the most part but obviously I needed to get the air out in order to charge it with freon/r134.
So in the hope that someone else might find this useful...
I used an extra cheapo freon charger hose. Chopped it as long from the connector as I could, ran a dollar worth of vacuum hose to the bottom, capped nipple on the passenger side of the intake, and started the engine. The hose that fits over the little nipple fits inside of the cheapo freon hose if you cut it at an angle and shove it in. Start the engine. If you hear air being sucked through the low pressure fitting on the cheapo freon hose, you are in business. Turn the engine off, connect the cheapo hose to the low pressure outlet on your ac system on the driver side of the engine bay (front one). Start the engine and let it run for about fifteen minutes. Be sure the ac is off. After fifteen minutes, with the engine still running, pull the cheapo hose connector off. You have a vacuum. Now hook up your freon can with its new hose and gauge, follow the instructions, and you are in business.
Obviously, don't do this is you have freon in the system because it will be sucked into the engine and I don't know whether that's a good or bad thing. So let's assume bad... but I did it and nothing bad happened.
So in the hope that someone else might find this useful...
I used an extra cheapo freon charger hose. Chopped it as long from the connector as I could, ran a dollar worth of vacuum hose to the bottom, capped nipple on the passenger side of the intake, and started the engine. The hose that fits over the little nipple fits inside of the cheapo freon hose if you cut it at an angle and shove it in. Start the engine. If you hear air being sucked through the low pressure fitting on the cheapo freon hose, you are in business. Turn the engine off, connect the cheapo hose to the low pressure outlet on your ac system on the driver side of the engine bay (front one). Start the engine and let it run for about fifteen minutes. Be sure the ac is off. After fifteen minutes, with the engine still running, pull the cheapo hose connector off. You have a vacuum. Now hook up your freon can with its new hose and gauge, follow the instructions, and you are in business.
Obviously, don't do this is you have freon in the system because it will be sucked into the engine and I don't know whether that's a good or bad thing. So let's assume bad... but I did it and nothing bad happened.
Last edited by Charlie_V; 12-19-2015 at 02:17 PM.
The following 2 users liked this post by Charlie_V:
Discoaddictnorth (12-19-2015),
JUKE179r (11-12-2017)
#4
12-20-2015, 02:59 PM
#6
12-21-2015, 06:10 AM
Thanks, Mordo. I used the same trick on my very old Mercedes by hooking it up to the vacuum pump (it is a diesel so it doesn't make its own vacuum). That was so long ago, I don't think r13 or 134 had been invented yet. Like so many things, I'd just forgotten and I was chasing down a vacuum leaks on my Rover last week when I remembered. A happy coincidence. I should have added in my original post that this trick did work, my low side pressure was close to zero with the compressor off, and I was able to charge up my newish compressor and get very cold air with just a plain can and gauge combo. Since it has almost touched 80 degrees here this month I decided to not wait until spring.
I was being glib when I said I don't like to wait. Most of the shops within an hour and half front my home won't work on a rover or charge a huge sum (I was quoted 5000 for just the labor to swap my engine, years ago... I did it myself. 2000 for head gaskets... Learned to do it myself) and I have had my truck for sixteen years, so basically I am conditioned to avoid shops for anything other than tires. My Disco has only been to the dealership one time, for an oil change on 9/11/01; and speaking of a wait, my truck spent two weeks at the dealership for that oil change. The only time it was in a local shop I spent thousands on their recommendation for a new transmission, only to find later that the problem had been my battery. I have post traumatic rover syndrome from that one.
I was being glib when I said I don't like to wait. Most of the shops within an hour and half front my home won't work on a rover or charge a huge sum (I was quoted 5000 for just the labor to swap my engine, years ago... I did it myself. 2000 for head gaskets... Learned to do it myself) and I have had my truck for sixteen years, so basically I am conditioned to avoid shops for anything other than tires. My Disco has only been to the dealership one time, for an oil change on 9/11/01; and speaking of a wait, my truck spent two weeks at the dealership for that oil change. The only time it was in a local shop I spent thousands on their recommendation for a new transmission, only to find later that the problem had been my battery. I have post traumatic rover syndrome from that one.
Last edited by Charlie_V; 12-21-2015 at 06:18 AM.
#8
02-09-2018, 04:27 PM
You can go to a scrap yard and tear apart a old refrigerator or freezer and get the compressor out of it. I just cut the lines with side cuts. Take it home and wire it up to a cord and switch. Turn it on and locate a line that has suction on it and a line that pushes air out. I just fold over the other lines with pliers twice and crush them, it seals them off. Connect a hose to the suction side and the other end to the valve and A/C fitting. Your in business.I made one 17 years ago and used it up until a few years ago. I made it up when I was broke and didn't have a lot of extra money. I opened my shop in 2005 and now I have 2 A/C machines and a fully equipped shop. But even said that old Freezer compressor got used a ton LOL
