AC line replacement - 68 Newport

[Mike McGuire]

Hello Chrysler Fans,

Working on an original AC car, but I'm missing the AC line/hose from the compressor over the radiator to condenser coil.
So, I do not have the fittings to add a new hose to, and am looking for a source where I can press a button and buy it complete.

Any worthy sources out there?

thanks a heap.

Mike

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

Having just had a hose made using my original, leaking discharge line (compressor to condenser) at a cost of a mere $80, my advice is to find ANY old Mopar discharge line. The compressor outlet flange and condenser inlet fitting is the virtually same on any of our cars. The other stuff like the discharge muffler and tubing to it can be dealt with as needed, but having those two key connectors allows for any good AC shop to make up a hose for you.

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

Just to further explain, here's both ends of my "new" old discharge hose. The shop removes the existing brazed on crimp fitting (ferrule) and brazes on a new one (everything inside the yellow markings in the pics below), and then crimps that onto a new hose. So again, if you have just about ANY discharge hose from a junkyard that has the two necessary ends, a shop can make you a new one. The configuration of the bracket and the muffler certainly varies by car and engine, but having a muffler isn't mandatory for the operation of getting cold air. It's there to dampen the pulsations/noise of the Freon coming out of the compressor. But having a bracket to support the hose near the compressor is very important, so try to find something that has the bracket and points in the general direction that you want the hose to go.

Some other bits of advice: 1. Make sure the compressor flange is dead flat using a steel ruler as a gage, as the ears tend to get distorted towards the compressor and you won't get a seal. If you don't have the means to straighten the flange, your shop certainly does. 2. Even with a flat flange, I had bad luck with the metal gasket and the fiber gasket. I had success using an A/C o-ring in the groove in the flange. 3. The bolt torque for that flange is 8-12 foot pounds. Don't go crazy and bend the flange again with too much tightening.


Condenser end: [Both ends have been repainted after the brazing/crimping operation. I choose to leave the crimps unpainted just like my original suction side hose assemblies]

Compressor end: