A/C leak detector,,,?
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Topic: A/C leak detector,,,?
Posted By: desertjoe
Subject: A/C leak detector,,,?
Date Posted: 27 Apr 2018 at 10:43am
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Howdy,,,,,,I got a very small leak on the A/C on the 92 Ranger that I just cannot find to repair it. It will take bout a week to leak bout a can of the R134. What is puzzling is,, I evacuated the system to 10" and it held there for bout 3 hours before I added 1 1/2 cans of Freon. It leaked out after a week. I have added 2 different kinds of detector but it never shows up where I can see it. What do others use for detecting,,,??? Thanks 
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Replies:
Posted By: Stan IL&TN
Date Posted: 27 Apr 2018 at 11:58am
Push it in the river and look for bubbles? Sorry I could not help myself. I'll sit on my hands now. ------------- 1957 WD45 dad's first AC 1968 one-seventy 1956 F40 Ferguson |
Posted By: sho-man1
Date Posted: 27 Apr 2018 at 1:05pm
| Schrader valve leaking? |
Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 27 Apr 2018 at 1:13pm
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I have bought a couple cans for Freon with the SEALER mixed into it... Im not a believer in SNAKE OIL, but was at a loss of what to do next when in your situation.. Now I add 1 can per year.. Seemed to help quite a bit in MY situation. ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: desertjoe
Date Posted: 27 Apr 2018 at 5:57pm
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OK,,Stan,,,,,,Say,,,you got an idee where I might rent a scuba outfit,,,,???  Hey Sho-Man1 that's a great idea,,!!! Actually,,,there is a shraeder valve on the high side that points straight up and was full of gookies and I dug around it with my knife,,chit,,I mighta messed it up,,?? Gonna go put another can of Freon in the trk and check Both of the shraeder valves. I wonder if those are the same as the valves on trk tubes,,?? Hey Steve,,you remember what brand of leak sealer you used?? |
Posted By: Brian Jasper co. Ia
Date Posted: 27 Apr 2018 at 7:08pm
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Don't do the sealer. It's all done if you ever open it up. A system out in a week has a pretty big leak. Any halogen style detector should find that one. As someone else said, you can get a can of 134 at Wal-Mart or any parts store with UV dye in it. After it's leaked down, go over it with a black light. It will show up bright yellow with a black light. ------------- "Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian." Henry Ford |
Posted By: shameless dude
Date Posted: 27 Apr 2018 at 9:18pm
| I agree with Stan's idea! I drove my 3/4 Chevy today, hit the AC button and was basking in nice cold air all day. I haven't touched the AC since I bought it 3-4 years ago. (it's a '98). (poke,poke,poke) |
Posted By: desertjoe
Date Posted: 27 Apr 2018 at 9:43pm
UMMmmmm,,,,Shameless,,,,how long did you have to leave your trk in the river before the leaks sealed up,,,????? poke (back), poke (back), poke (back),,,,,  Naw,,Brian,,I wasn't really wantin to use any of thet sealant stuff cause I've heard lots of bad chit bout thet stuff even pluggin up the orifice tube,,, But ole Sho-man1 may have just figured this out for me with the low side shraeder valve being the culprit. I went out there and sure enough the top of the accumulator has that wet gritty look to it from the Freon leakin down on it. Hooked up the vacuum pump back up and it pulled system down to 15" vacuum before quick could get ready. Gonna leave it there til in the morn and see what I got. |
shameless dude wrote:Posted By: shameless dude
Date Posted: 27 Apr 2018 at 9:51pm
| I gots a sharp corn knife, I could trim up some of them hoses for you! |
Posted By: HudCo
Date Posted: 27 Apr 2018 at 10:18pm
| if you cant pull a vacuum down to 24 inches and hold it for 24 hours you have a leak. 10 inches for three hours is a bad leak should not be hard to find with a shot of dye and a uv light or just a leak detector |
Posted By: shameless dude
Date Posted: 28 Apr 2018 at 1:21am
| my mechanic has a little beeper thingy he checks lines and the system with |
Posted By: desertjoe
Date Posted: 28 Apr 2018 at 2:51am
 uploads/10257/Screenshot_109_2018-04-28_02-48-19.png" />Hey Guys,,I've read about this type testors and wonder if they are worth spending money on,,,? What ya'll think,,?? You'ld almost have to be inside a shop as I think any wind would not allow good results,,?? |
Posted By: Dipstick In
Date Posted: 28 Apr 2018 at 5:30am
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Joey those valves ARE regular Schrader valves from tire valves! ------------- You don't really have to be smart if you know who is! |
Posted By: fixer1958
Date Posted: 28 Apr 2018 at 6:51am
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Is your accumulator made out of steel Joe. If it is it may have some rubber type insulation crap covering the majority of. Peel it back and look at it. The accumulator may be rusted and full of holes. I use UV dye myself. |
Posted By: JW in MO
Date Posted: 28 Apr 2018 at 2:52pm
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That sealant stuff WILL eventually plug up the screen or orifice in the expansion valve. If air gets in the system I have seen that stuff build up, get hard and at first I thought it was a pencil in the system, not to mention stink to high heaven. The only leak detector I use or recommend is a H10, made by Mars, Bacharach, or GE. I personally use the 110 volt version, but they also have battery ones. For leak checking, I use Nitrogen at a pressure of 110 to 119lbs for a minimum of 3 hours, these pressures are much easier to see a leak on the low side gauge. If the leak is hard to find you can split the system and start checking each section by sealing it off. Now for vacuum, inches of vacuum = spit. I change oil in my vacuum pump after every evacuation, I spend a lot on oil but I also pull my systems down to 50 to 100 microns. For automotive I would recommend 350 to 400 microns, bear in mind, atmospheric pressure is 760,000 microns, at 10" vacuum, you are still at 760,000. ------------- Maximum use of available resources! |
Posted By: LouSWPA
Date Posted: 28 Apr 2018 at 3:01pm
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JW is spot on! for what its worth, the more common leak is Schrader valve, and the O ring seals between connections. ------------- I am still confident of this; I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Ps 27 |
Posted By: shameless dude
Date Posted: 28 Apr 2018 at 9:09pm
| don't you have a big ole nose? gits down there and sniff! (poke,poke) |
Posted By: desertjoe
Date Posted: 28 Apr 2018 at 10:48pm
Hear,,,Hear,,,that's enough of thet chit,,,,(I done tried thet chit),,,,,
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Posted By: LeonR2013
Date Posted: 29 Apr 2018 at 7:56am
| Joe the easiest way to find the leak is to pressurize the system, then spray everything in sight with Dawn dish soap and water. Of course there will be some places you can't get to so it might be you would need a tester in those cases The schraeder valves are different. They will physically fit but the little piece that sticks out of the middle is shorter on the valve stem ones, so your gauges will not depress them, not will anything else using this kind of port. You need to pick up the special tool to remove or tighten them because one that fits a car tire for instance isn't long enough to reach the valve. |
Posted By: Dakota Dave
Date Posted: 30 Apr 2018 at 9:19am
| J use the florescent die and a black light. If you can't find it with that I change the compressor dehydrator and expansion valve. It's sometimes hard to find a leak at the ompresspor shaft seal and the other arts are required any time you change it |
Posted By: jaybmiller
Date Posted: 30 Apr 2018 at 2:27pm
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Did you test WITH the engine RUNNING ??? OK, maybe that sounds daft BUT vibration can 'loosen' up and O-ring seal and pisssst , there goes $100 of freon. I learned that on an 88 Aerostar, idiot engineers at Ford replaced GOOD fittings with cheap aluminum and 2 o-rings...only took 1 to fail to lose the gas... ------------- 3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112 Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor) Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water |
Posted By: Brian Jasper co. Ia
Date Posted: 30 Apr 2018 at 9:28pm
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Those spring lock connectors weren't the smartest idea. They did make them easy to assemble on the line, but like you said Jay, they leak. The green rings helped but those systems weren't long term leak free no matter what. ------------- "Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian." Henry Ford |
Posted By: copyrite1972
Date Posted: 02 May 2018 at 9:50pm
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When I wants to check my AC for leaks, I parks it onna' clean concrete slab, and come back inna mornin'! ------------- D15 Series II |