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I just ran accross a write up on a BMW site about buying bulk AC hose at NAPA and making DIY AC hoses using the original fittings and hose clamps rather than the crimp style.
I did a search and did not find any threads here so I am sceptical about the process. Not sure there is room for clamps in some of the locations on a 928.
Thoughts or experience with this greatly appreciated.
I've seen it tried a few different times and that is usually where the leaks are when I am searching for them. I suppose it might work but remember you have 300+psi on the high side.
+1. I have seen hose clamps leak. I don't believe a hose clamp can properly seal evenly 360 degrees around the fitting. Also, if you tighten them too much, you may damage the barrier layer of barrier hose. An economy crimper is less than $200...
My local AC place rebuilt my hoses with barrier and crimp sleeves. The look original and work a lot better than original. Part of my R-134a conversion a dozen years ago soon after I bought the car. Greg Brown does some really nice hose work if you want something a little dressier. Otherwise a good auto AC shop should be able to handle your needs. Let your fingers do the walking...
Hi everyone, can I tag into this with what I think is a related questions as opposed to starting a new thread. These photos are taken straight down towards the compressor. I have noticed a hose that has the start of a split in it. Its in a really awkward place and I just cant get to easily and dont have access my hoist so I cant look from underneath to see what it is. It also looks very stretched around the air con tap points. I think its an aircon hose which could explain why I have suddenly lost all my gas. You can just see the the split starting on the outside of the bend. This is on my 1987 S4 and I cant compare it to my S2 as the piping is different. It just seems a really weird way to orientate a hose as its very tight around that bend.So, firstly, is this an air con hose ?, secondly, is this the normal orientation. If its some kind of coolant hose i think im in trouble as it looks like it could blow at any point. !!
Hi, Just trying to work out if it was my post you replied to. Is this hose ( in my previous picture ) going over the air con tap point one of the two main hoses from the compressor ?? Im still waiting to get it on the hoist to see properly and I just cant get in there to see what it is and where is goes. Its a really awkward routing around that air con tap point though, thoughts ???
Hi, Just trying to work out if it was my post you replied to. Is this hose ( in my previous picture ) going over the air con tap point one of the two main hoses from the compressor ?? Im still waiting to get it on the hoist to see properly and I just cant get in there to see what it is and where is goes. Its a really awkward routing around that air con tap point though, thoughts ???
That line is probably the high side discharge line- it routes round the side of the condenser high up and then does a 180 into the top of the condenser- easily seen from the front. If it is the originl hose it may have a protective rubber sheath around it but not at all sure on that one.
The routing of that hose looks a bit suspect to me but then the earlier S4's have a different compressor to the later models and I cannot really comment on such. It just looks wrong sat on top of the LP port like that..
Hi, Just trying to work out if it was my post you replied to. Is this hose ( in my previous picture ) going over the air con tap point one of the two main hoses from the compressor ?? Im still waiting to get it on the hoist to see properly and I just cant get in there to see what it is and where is goes. Its a really awkward routing around that air con tap point though, thoughts ???
I can't tell what is going on in that picture and it does not look consistent to what I had on my car. Whatever the setup, just remove the old lines and take them to a good hose shop and they can replicate using new barrier hose.
For the hard ends that are custom to the 928, they cut them off and simply braze them onto the new hose. If you look at my pic below (new on left / old on right) you can see the fitting on the top was just a standard 90deg so that was replaced, but the fitting on the bottom was specific to the 928. They simply cut it off the old hose and brazed it to the new crimp end and then crimp onto the new barrier hose. Make sense?