Is this a fair price to refurbish AC hoses.

-
twister360

twister360

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2008
Messages
274
Reaction score
5
Location
Houma, La.
I posted an earlier thread about where to get hoses rebuilt and exhausted all local vendors. I sent my 3 hoses to Classic Air and they quoted $354. This quote is for the 3 lines/hoses for a 74 Duster V-8. They plan to replace the all metal line, replace the rubber portion of the other 2 hoses. They will be using MY original end fittings and these pieces are not going to be replated.
I am not looking for a 100 point resto, only functional hoses for 134.

Is this reasonable?

Anyone on this forum do this type of work?

Thanks. Gary
 
don' you have a tractor / industrial hydraulics supply house somewhere around there? those kind of people should be able to do that. that to me sounds like a lot of money.

and, guess it depends on whether you just want function or "restore look correct" type thing
 
It sounds like a lot of money to me too for the amount of work they are doing. I suspect if you can find someone locally it will be a lot less expensive.
 
It sounds high to me too, but I had a local place quote me close to $200 to do two 3.5 ft oil lines for me.I thought that was crazy. My ends, their crimps, so much hose at $ per inch and labor at $ per hr. Granted I spec'd quality hose.
 
GeorgeH said:
It sounds high to me too, but I had a local place quote me close to $200 to do two 3.5 ft oil lines for me.I thought that was crazy. My ends, their crimps, so much hose at $ per inch and labor at $ per hr. Granted I spec'd quality hose.
Click to expand...

I agree it is high, but I guess I'll bite the bullet and have them do it. I've seen videos and it looks to be an easy and rather quick process. They charge $90.00 per hour for labor and I assume the hoses are lined with rare earth materials.

Thanks, Gary
 
I believe member Charrlie_S rebuilds hoses and does AC work too
 
That is way high Do you have a 4x4 places around you they make hydralic hoses for plows and can do a/c hoses too. Also take measurements and go to the junk yard most hoses use the same ends just look for length
 
Why do you want to rebuild them, just curious, did they leak? You don't have to rebuild if your just changing to 134.
 
R-134A tends to run higher discharge pressures than R-12. Rebuilding 40+ year old A/C lines doesn't sound like a bad idea to me. Especially since the original condensers aren't quite as efficient with R-134A and the discharge pressures go up.
 
I understand that, but if it aint broke etc. Myself and many others out there have done a successful 134 conversion using all stock components. The OP was concerned about the cost, myself I would try them first unless there's an obvious problem.
 
If they are in good shape use them. A 74 should have a manifold type condenser which is more efficient. Make sure you run a shroud and good clutch fan. Using 134 you only need 75% of the R12 charge. A lot of people think more gas = more cooling. I slowly add 134 until the low side hose at the firewall starts to get really cold. I'm in FL and on a hot 90* day my high side pressure runs 250.
 
I had one of those local hose shops do a motorcycle clutch line for me- $45 versus the factory $130.

End was slightly different, but you couldn't see it and it worked.
 
mderoy340 said:
If they are in good shape use them. A 74 should have a manifold type condenser which is more efficient. Make sure you run a shroud and good clutch fan. Using 134 you only need 75% of the R12 charge. A lot of people think more gas = more cooling. I slowly add 134 until the low side hose at the firewall starts to get really cold. I'm in FL and on a hot 90* day my high side pressure runs 250.
Click to expand...

I got a revised quote and it is now 539.99. Now the decision will be very easy, I will have them send them back to me and take a chance that they are in good condition.
My AC system is totally original and I want to go with 134. I've been told to keep the original compressor as they are built like a tank. I will have the compressor rebuilt and have my AC guy put it all together with 134 and hope for the best.
Thanks for all the comments. Gary
 
I hope you know that R-134A is soon to be outlawed. It is a very potent green-house gas and overheating the world is now more a concern than the ozone hole which seems to have always been there before we started looking for it. I have HC refrigerant in all but 1 of my cars now (Duracool or Envirosafe) and works fine. After decades fighting it, the EPA now seems to be coming on board, though they still make it hard for shops to use it (must first convert to R-134A, such nonsense!). Whatever refrigerant you use, look at PAO 68 oil since it works better and doesn't absorb moisture like PAG does.

If your "AC guy" can't make hoses, you might consider another. I am just a home hack and have an AC hose crimper, bags of fittings, and hose. I bought it since I have several cars to install AC, and I can then sell it without much loss when done. You could do the same for much less than $540.
 
Maybe we should go back to ammonia, methyl chloride, or sulfur dioxide, LOL
 
I don't think R-134A is going away anytime soon. New cars in the US are still being produced with it. The replacement is r1234yf that is quite expensive and as far as I know is only being produced by a joint venture Dupont/ Honeywell plant in China. Some German carmakers switched over to it as the Europeans have definite phase out plans for R-134A. Mercedes recalled there r1234yf cars and replaced the r1234yf with, you guessed it, R-134A, citing safety issues since under some conditions r1234yf is flammable and gives off toxic fumes.

I have yet to see a defined phase out plan in the US for R-134A. I suspect what will eventually happen is if r1234yf starts to really come in there will be a tax put on R-134A to bring its price up to that of r1234yf to discourage R-134A use. I suspect all this will be at least several years away and we should have time to stock up on R-134A.
 
My bone stock 73 RV2 system (except for fittings) has been running 134a for at least three years.
 
BillGrissom said:
I hope you know that R-134A is soon to be outlawed. It is a very potent green-house gas and overheating the world is now more a concern than the ozone hole which seems to have always been there before we started looking for it. I have HC refrigerant in all but 1 of my cars now (Duracool or Envirosafe) and works fine. After decades fighting it, the EPA now seems to be coming on board, though they still make it hard for shops to use it (must first convert to R-134A, such nonsense!). Whatever refrigerant you use, look at PAO 68 oil since it works better and doesn't absorb moisture like PAG does.

If your "AC guy" can't make hoses, you might consider another. I am just a home hack and have an AC hose crimper, bags of fittings, and hose. I bought it since I have several cars to install AC, and I can then sell it without much loss when done. You could do the same for much less than $540.
Click to expand...


Bill

Would you refurbish my hoses? Do you cut the factory crimp off and reuse my fittings?

Another question, my liquid line is all steel and rusty in appearance. Should I treat with a rust converter and spray on a zinc coating?

Thanks. Gary
 
Sorry twister360, I am not yet competent in AC hose crimping. I just have the parts and tools. Plus, too many "in work" projects already, and trying to keep the wife from fussing. My point was that any full-time AC Guy should have such tools. Used to be you could take them to a hydraulic shop, even NAPA, and get new hoses made fast & cheap. Some still find that locally.

I only use rust converter when I have pits you can't sand out. Most steel tubes can be sanded to bright steel by hand w/ sandpaper, or worst-case w/ a wire brush on a drill (wear glasses!). Then, primer and top-coat. Since that tube gets hot, perhaps use 500 F engine paint. I have used Rust Destroyer since claims 800 F and both etches and converts rust if any small pits left. Seems to work, but Home Depot and Ace stopped carrying it.
 
Try Vintage air they make a kit where you can make your own lines and i know they are not $500
[ame]http://www.vintageair.com/2014catalog/Pages%20from%202014%20VintageAir%20Cat%20rev%208-15%2078.pdf[/ame]
 
Charrlie_S said:
Got twister360 all squared away.
Click to expand...


And the work he does would surpass what classic air would have done!! And he did it at a very, very reasonable price. It's people on this forum like Charlie that allow us to continue the MoPar experience.

Thanks, Gary
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top