A/C lines - how to disconnect?

Hi,
I'm replacing the heater core in my 1988 Sable 3.0L.
I have the dashboard out. I have the heater core bypassed since early last summer and now I'm in the final stage of pulling the heater core.
Before I can do that though I have to disconnect the A/C lines on the firewall side.
I bought the spring lock coupling tool set.
I managed the top line.
But the lower line (condenser line) just will not disconnect. I struggled with it almost two hours yesterday and it will not go.
I used the 5/8" spring lock tool which seems like the only size that fits.
I push it into that doughnut thing from the firewall side in the dirrection outward and then I pull the line toward me to disconnect but it will not move.
Anyone has any tips, advice?
Also I found a doughnut shapped spring under my car after disconnecting the top line? Is that from the spring lock doughnut thing?
Is the lower line the same mechanism as the top line?
I'm stuck with this and my fingers are hurting from working the spring lock tool and pulling the line.
Any help, pointers, pictures or anything at all much appreciated.
Sorry for the long post.

Anyone has any tips, advice?

-(Placement of those hoses are a "bear" and Ford could have allowed another 1"-2" inches, but they didn't, so I used a pair of large "bent-nose" needle nose plyers to fit behind the spring lock tool so I could pull "out" while I pushed in on the hose coupler, and after five to six minutes of pushing and pulling, it came loose.)

Also I found a doughnut shapped spring under my car after disconnecting the top line? Is that from the spring lock doughnut thing?

-( Yes it is and you have to put it back. But, even better, go on-line and buy a set of new O-rings and springs for that Mercury, about $8.00. You should replace older O-rings and springs whenever you disconnect AC lines. Thats where the most leaks happen anyway, and $120 to $140 a year for a garage to re-charge the system get to be very expensive.)

Is the lower line the same mechanism as the top line?

-(Yes they are, but AC fittings are different sizes. Buy a "disconnect" kit that has about six adapters. I bought a set at Sears, on-line, for about $11.00.

I'm stuck with this and my fingers are hurting from working the spring lock tool and pulling the line.
Any help, pointers, pictures or anything at all much appreciated.
Sorry for the long post.[/QUOTE]

Anyone has any tips, advice?

-(Placement of those hoses are a "bear" and Ford could have allowed another 1"-2" inches, but they didn't, so I used a pair of large "bent-nose" needle nose plyers to fit behind the spring lock tool so I could pull "out" while I pushed in on the hose coupler, and after five to six minutes of pushing and pulling, it came loose.)

Also I found a doughnut shapped spring under my car after disconnecting the top line? Is that from the spring lock doughnut thing?

-( Yes it is and you have to put it back. But, even better, go on-line and buy a set of new O-rings and springs for that Mercury, about $8.00. You should replace older O-rings and springs whenever you disconnect AC lines. Thats where the most leaks happen anyway, and $120 to $140 a year for a garage to re-charge the system get to be very expensive.)

Is the lower line the same mechanism as the top line?

-(Yes they are, but AC fittings are different sizes. Buy a "disconnect" kit that has about six adapters. I bought a set at Sears, on-line, for about $11.00.

I'm stuck with this and my fingers are hurting from working the spring lock tool and pulling the line.
Any help, pointers, pictures or anything at all much appreciated.
Sorry for the long post.[/QUOTE]

Thanks you burrelld for your help.
I did manage to undo the A/C lines after a big struggle.
I got the spring coupler disconnect set form local Nappa and although at first I couldn't get the lower line to disconnect, it finally worked.
I got some good tips from the Taurus Club board. They recommende to heat up the doughnut thing, to push the line in and then out a few times.
I did all that and also lubricated the coupling with WD40 first, then heated it up with a cigarret lighter for about a minute and then pushing in and out repeatedly it finally came loose.
Phhh, what a nasty job.
Thanks again for taking the time to help.

Anyone has any tips, advice?

-(Placement of those hoses are a "bear" and Ford could have allowed another 1"-2" inches, but they didn't, so I used a pair of large "bent-nose" needle nose plyers to fit behind the spring lock tool so I could pull "out" while I pushed in on the hose coupler, and after five to six minutes of pushing and pulling, it came loose.)

Also I found a doughnut shapped spring under my car after disconnecting the top line? Is that from the spring lock doughnut thing?

-( Yes it is and you have to put it back. But, even better, go on-line and buy a set of new O-rings and springs for that Mercury, about $8.00. You should replace older O-rings and springs whenever you disconnect AC lines. Thats where the most leaks happen anyway, and $120 to $140 a year for a garage to re-charge the system get to be very expensive.)

Is the lower line the same mechanism as the top line?

-(Yes they are, but AC fittings are different sizes. Buy a "disconnect" kit that has about six adapters. I bought a set at Sears, on-line, for about $11.00.

I'm stuck with this and my fingers are hurting from working the spring lock tool and pulling the line.
Any help, pointers, pictures or anything at all much appreciated.
Sorry for the long post.[/QUOTE]


Oh yeah, forgot about your advice to replace the O-rings and springs.
Yes, I'll definitely do that before I have the A/C recharged.
But it's not going to happen for a while since it's running the old system - R12 is it? - and I don't think they recharge those here in Canada any more. I heard it's illegal to recharge them.
So I'l either have to go down across the border or have it converted to the new system, which is rather expensive.
I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet, but I think I'll deal with it in late spring before it gets hot here in BC.
Meanwhile I'll have more urgent repairs to take care of, like the rear breaks and the struts need replacing too.
Thanks for the tip though.

.......also lubricated the coupling with WD40 first, then heated it up with a cigarret lighter.....[/QUOTE]

Well,

I'm glad that you still have your eyebrows and face intact. Spraying WD-40 inside of an enclosed engine compartment and lighting it with an open flame is not something I would do. It is an oil based slovent.

As for the heat, that makes sense because the ring springs are tempered steel while the outside of the spring fitting is a milder steel that would expand under heat, making the spring looser.

But too much heat would distort or melt the O-rings at the end of the tubing, causing leaks even if you didn't have them before. Now you really must replace the O-rings to insure no leaks.

[/QUOTE]

It occurred to me, later this evening, that you had posted.........since it's running the old system - R12.............., AND since you have been using an open flame to loosen your fittings, I just had to add the following.....

On many older automobile R12 AC units, people, instead of converting to an R34a system, have been using after-market "R-12" replacement refrigerants, bought on-line, which are not approved because they are mainly propane gas.

In other words they will, and have blown up and burned cars down to the ground when a leak developed at any of the fittings or in any of the hoses.

Converting an R12 to a R34a system is not cheap, if you have it done properly. Old R12 hoses do not hold R34a in and leak it badly. Also, R34a is not as good as the older R12 and does not cool as well. For that reason many have bought these R12 substitutes on-line and re-charged their auto AC systems themselves.

I wouldn't advise it.