ac problems

[mtnhutt]

My daughter's 94 chevy pickup blew the high pressure hose on the ac. What all do I need to replace to make the system operational again, besides the hose.

[HanibalTheCannibal]

Definitely will need to have the system flushed, vaccumed, new oil added etc.
replace these:
1. Dryer/accumulator ($45-$50)
2. Orifice tube ($8-$15)
3. Hose ($??)

You can expect to pay $300-$500 at a shop for labor, unless you are handy, you can do it yourself. I would charge about $200 + parts.

I make a good living fixing auto ac's, and GM's are the easiest to work on. If you can get a hold of a vaccum pump to pull the system down after flush. Or you can make a vaccum pump out of a refrigerator motor and a few fittings(works just as good and costs $50 vs. $400+).
Is this going to be a shadetree job, or you going to let a shop do it?

I am wondering why your high side had too much pressure? COuld have been a bad crimp on the hose, or your compressor has issues? Or the orifice is plugged.

[mtnhutt]

Originally Posted by HanibalTheCannibal

Definitely will need to have the system flushed, vaccumed, new oil added etc.
replace these:
1. Dryer/accumulator ($45-$50)
2. Orifice tube ($8-$15)
3. Hose ($??)

You can expect to pay $300-$500 at a shop for labor, unless you are handy, you can do it yourself. I would charge about $200 + parts.

I make a good living fixing auto ac's, and GM's are the easiest to work on. If you can get a hold of a vaccum pump to pull the system down after flush. Or you can make a vaccum pump out of a refrigerator motor and a few fittings(works just as good and costs $50 vs. $400+).
Is this going to be a shadetree job, or you going to let a shop do it?

I am wondering why your high side had too much pressure? COuld have been a bad crimp on the hose, or your compressor has issues? Or the orifice is plugged.

I have no idea why it burst but it is the original hose so I'm sure age has some facture in it, my daughter is 16 and only knows how to put gas in it. I figured I would change all the parts myself and then take it to a garage to pull a vacum and charge it for me. I was told that I need to measure how much oil is in the accumulator and add that much back to it.

[2000CAYukon]

Originally Posted by mtnhutt

I have no idea why it burst but it is the original hose so I'm sure age has some facture in it, my daughter is 16 and only knows how to put gas in it. I figured I would change all the parts myself and then take it to a garage to pull a vacum and charge it for me. I was told that I need to measure how much oil is in the accumulator and add that much back to it.

Yes you need to measure how much oil comes out of the accumulator. There is a minimum that you must put back in for the accumulator but I don't know what that would be for the 94. I have the service manuals for 96.

They also recommend that you add some oil (again not sure how much) any time you have a pressure loss (like a blown hose).

I had the front seal blow out on my 96 Impala and replaced the compressor, accumulator and orifice tube. No oil came out of the compressor so I had to put the minumum back in. Oil was in the accumulator and I put the same back in. The compressor and accumulator came with directions on how much oil and what was the minimum.

Oil can also be added when the system is recharged. In my case, the tech added 2 oz since the front seal had blown and I had not taken that into consideration.

//2000CAYukon