A/C Charge port leaking. How to fix?

[joefriday]

I decided to tackle the no a/c problem my 94 SHO has had since I purchased it in November. Upon trouble shooting, I've determined that the system is simply low on charge. After attempting a quick charge, I noticed that the new charge was escaping out the low side port! It'll slowly leak out. I licked my finger and put it over the port, and sure enough, bubbles galore were made. Is there a simple fix for this? I attempted reseating the little rubber valve in the port by quickly pushing down on it, but so far have been unsuccessful in stopping the leak. Is this valve replaceable? If not, I know retrofit kits come with those adapter ports, is there anything like that to place on top of a current r-134a port to stop a leaky valve? Do I have to replace the entire line just to fix the stupid leaky low side valve? This rubber ball valve design doesn't look too serviceable. Damn I wish these were simple valves like tires and shrader ports, then I'd just replace the core. Please help me, anyone.

Joe

 

[SHOtimer]

The part needs to be replaced. When I had A/C work I asked the guy what happenes when that part leaks, b/c it is in the hard line. He said that sometimes if you work the port in and out it will seal again ( the rubber hardens, which is why it leaks) - other than that you have to replace the line.

Is this an ATX or MTX?

Doug

 

[shoon]

if all else falls you could always butcher it a little

fill / block the low side port with some JB engine weld (or other reliable means), then charge the AC through the high side.

your ac will work fine provided you don't have anymore leaks. It's highly recommend you charge the system while its under vacuum pressure; meaning have it purged, see if it holds vacuum pressure.. if all is well add refrigerant (and a can of sealer if you are skeptical about the condition of the rest of the AC system.)

I just finished replacing my low side port / accumulator assembly and its a pain. its one huge part, and you gotta remove a lot of stuff to get it to fit in.. and the new ones are aluminum so they kink easily so you have to be careful.

 

[projectSHO89]

then charge the AC through the high side.

Very BAD advice unless you have highly specialized equipment..... I hope you were kidding.

 

[ManySHOs]

Bubblegum.

Ian

 

[shoon]

Very BAD advice unless you have highly specialized equipment..... I hope you were kidding.

My mistake, should have explained more before posting.
glad you caught it and mentioned it; was under the assumption he had access to a machine; Joe seems to know what he is talking about.

to clarify it's NOT possible to charge the high side using those store bought aerosol cans... you WILL need a decent machine to attempt this... and if you do attempt it, it must be charged into a vacuum. The high side operates at over 100 PSI (@ 85 F = 95 PSI) which is dangerous unless you know what your doing.

Also it is not possible to charge the high side using the aerosol cans because the fittings simply wont fit... so DONT try to jimmy rig it!

 

[joefriday]

Watchful Waiting

Since the leak is quite slow, I've decided to cap it tight and hope the cap holds the pressure. No, it's not ideal, but it just might work. I'll give it a try through the summer. If it doesn't work, I'll find out shortly! I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

BTW, the car is an MTX.

 

[Off Road SHO]

Buy a new valve stem.

Tom

 

[shoon]

Buy a new valve stem.

Tom

Was thinking the same thing, but I think the low side charge port has a ball bearing valve, not a schrader style; so it's non-serviceable.

 

[itwonder]

Since the leak is quite slow, I've decided to cap it tight and hope the cap holds the pressure. No, it's not ideal, but it just might work. I'll give it a try through the summer. If it doesn't work, I'll find out shortly! I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

BTW, the car is an MTX.

I doubt if it is a big deal. A cap is the right thing to try. On home HVAC, it is very common for the service ports to leak slightly, even with a new stem installed. The techs just cap them and move on.

 

[Sheldonsmith]

This is a common problem, and I just had this repaired a few months ago. The seal inside the schrader valve ages and rots out. Yes, you can replace the valve core with an $8 kit, but you're better off replacing the whole accumulator. I recommend this because the system has already been exposed to outside air (is now contaminated), and it's had one of those do-it-yourself kits put into it. If you run your A/C for too long with contaminated refrigerant, more expensive components, such as the compressor, can be damaged. It cost me around $180 to have my accumulator replaced, the system vacuumed, and recharged. It's been cold enough to cause a headache ever since.Then one of my friend suggest me to hire AIR CONDITIONING REPAIR CYPRESS.They so commendable work and get me rid of headache.

 

[sperold]

Go to the vintageair website and browse through their offerings, they seem to have everything associated with an air conditioning system.

 

[pjtoledo]

Drat, I should have done that 8 years ago