Good point on that. Both Copper and Aluminum lines exist on other cars in various forms (Mini's have copper brake lines) and there are short aluminum fitting lines on the vans around the engine. Two potential trubba spots: Wearing a hole in the line from rubbing/vibration, and fatigue of metal from unusual vibrations. Copper can be silver brazed (oxy acetylene), but the Alumiminum is best Tig welded. Pressures can get pretty high, in the mid to high 300's of psi before the safety plug blows out or the high limit switch shuts the system down (I don't have exact numbers on this). I s'pose you could mount the tubes in rubber clamps every so often, and make sure that the suction line is insulated (there's really not much length there, from condensor to compressor), but you'd be dealing with some custom fittings and hoses in spots. In our business, we manage apartments and see older A/C condensors and evaporators fail by developing pinholes in the aluminum coil material, often at bends where the material is stretched thinner. You can weld it back up, but conventional wisdom says to buy a new one at that point, since the thing is apart anyway. You really need the flexible hoses at moving assemblies: front condensor, compressor, evaporator. Randy Bergum 1990 Carat
> [Original Message] > From: Scott Norville <kr2no@EARTHLINK.NET> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Date: 6/21/2004 3:31:14 PM > Subject: Air conditioner--hard lines? > > Since the Vanagon has several meters more of A/C lines than most vehicles, > has any used copper or aluminum tubing for the long front/back run to reduce > the leak potential? Why not? |
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