anyone ever use copper tubing and compression fittings on a/c plumbing. Installing a vintage air unit in a model a coupe for a guy , super tight install and wants it real clean.Want to run from the condenser back to the firewall then back up to the compressor .
I doubt compression fittings would hold 134a refrigerant. Especially on the high pressure side. I've done a couple A's and a 32 where we ran the Vintage Air hose kit so the hoses go down and run along the top of the p***enger side frame rail. This keeps the engine compartment a little less cluttered, and seems to work well. VA also sells a line kit that is hard lines coming out of the compressor, and tucks them toght against the side of the compressor housing, then shoots the fitting for the hoses straight down.
Hey thanks, we are keeping the stock dash, cut the tank out so we can mount the unit as high as possible. Using the combination radiator / condenser with the stock grill shell, but what i don't like are the lines which come off the condenser are about 6" above the frame rail on the p***enger side. This is a full fender car it just really "clutters up" the engine compartment . I would like to run off the compressor , straight back to the firewall, down to the frame rail then back to the condenser.
If ya gotta run copper or just want to get hard copper some refrigeration fittings to go with it and braze 'em with silfoss. Problem with doing it that way is you'll need to put a vibration damper or two in there somewhere. Well I guess if you use a flexable line somewhere in the application maybe that'll compensate for the vibration damper.
I'd worry about fatigue cracks, using copper, with the movement & vibration from the compressor. I'm not sure how long it would last...
Flexible line from the compressor to the fenderwell (or wherever is closest 'solid' mount point, then soldered copper from there - like Porkn****** says - the copper is used in refrigeration all the time - plus you can polish it up and clear-coat it if you want shiny, or plate it, or even let it get a nice green oxidation going on.... If he's going to be putting a ton of miles on it anually I'd worry about stress cracks, but if it's like most hot rods that rarely get driven then it'll probably last years.
I would hesitate to use copper, I know hard copper is used in refrigeration but not running down the road with an internal combustion engine buzzing and shaking. Fatigue and cracking would be my concern. I just finished an A/C install in my '35 sedan and I tried very hard to provide strain relief and keep vibration from buzzing the thing to pieces.
Stainless works best but is pricey and hard to work with. If you have a hose making shop close by they can bend steel or aluminum for you, and flare the ends for the proper O ring fittings. You have to have some hose between the engine and frame but it only needs to be a few inches.
You can get pre made lengths of aluminum from suppliers, like Doc's BLocks, and use tubing benders to make nice hardlines. They have the correct springlock, or male/female O-ring fittings on each end. You can buy ends separately, with swaged fittings you can solder (they sell alum. solder as well) on, as well. I do 2 hoses off the compressor, and then try to do the rest of the system in aluminum. Nice, neat, smaller than rubber, and tighter bends.
here is some pictures of stainless lines.maybe these will help on the design of your copper lines. -danny http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bruce.../detail?.dir=8f67re2&.dnm=9ac7re2.jpg&.src=ph http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bruce.../detail?.dir=8f67re2&.dnm=2d43re2.jpg&.src=ph http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bruce.../detail?.dir=8f67re2&.dnm=cac9re2.jpg&.src=ph http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bruce.../detail?.dir=8f67re2&.dnm=fb69re2.jpg&.src=ph http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bruce.../detail?.dir=8f67re2&.dnm=92b1re2.jpg&.src=ph
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