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Aircon Pipe Replacement Advice

moorhouse

Well-known member
Joined
15 Apr 2013
Messages
569
Hi folks
Looking for some advice on replacing the fatter aircon pipe on my 40th AE which is leaking around the clip holding it to the underbody just behind the front wheel. Quoted over £500 by Newcastle OPC so thought I wold have a look myself.

Having taken off all the plastic covers front and rear can see both joints, the front one being up under one of the plastic. covers in the frunk. Because of the very convoluted route of the pipe it bends around several angles under the wheel arch and is also clamped there to the body before it goes through the inner wing and into the frunk where the actual joint is.. Basically the only way I can see to get it out and then back in again is to remove the black plastic box (see photo) which sits just under the fuel filler pipe inside the wing. If this is the case can anyone advise how to get this box out - can only see one fixing for it and even with this removed it feels like there is something else holding it. Anyone taken one of these off and knows how it comes out?? Can't understand why they didn't put a joint further down in the same place as the thinner pipe has one - would have been straightforward then!! Also not entirely sure what the black box is - answers on a post card.

Cheers.......Ian
 

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I replaced my A/C pipe front to rear after it had been jacked up on and split, it took a couple of hours to do.

The black box is the carbon canister and does come out reasonably easy, I can't remember exactly where the fixings are but I seem to remember you undo some parts and wiggle the rest out. I'm not sure if I removed/moved the fuel filler pipe also. The A/C pipe eventually comes out by twisting it to get it out of the inner wing IIRC.
 
Thanks for the quick reply infrasilver - now I know its the carbon cannister have looked a bit further and seems from a post on a 986 forum that it is held at the back by a couple of rubber grommets so should pull out with a bit of persuasion one all the various pipes etc are removed. Assume the 996 will be pretty much the same.

Does that ring a bell?? Was bit concerned to keep pulling in case there was another solid fixing |I wasn't aware of.

Cheers.........Ian
 
Yeah its a bit of a pain to change that A/C pipe. I've done it a few times on the different 9*6's i've owned.

I always needed to grind the bolt off the rearmost connector of the a/c pipe due to the dissimilar metal corrosion. Then I cut the pipe into sections with a dremel to make it easier to remove.

The carbon canister has several plastic pipes connected to it but they all pretty much stay in place when you remove the canister so you know where to re-connect them when you put it back.

There is a big rubber grommet at the back but a good tug will unseat it.

When putting the new a/c pipe in pay attention to the black plastic pipes running next to the fuel filler neck. Twice I thought I had it in but the plastic pipes were the wrong side of the a/c pipe and the bloody thing had to be removed and wangled around again!
 
Brilliant, thanks for the help. Going to take it to my local classic friendly garage tomorrow just to get the system pressurised to make 100% sure that's where the leak is - if so then between us we will strip out, replace and then they will regas etc. At least I know roughly what to do now. Still looks like a pig to get the pipe threaded through to where it needs to go - all they needed was an extra joint further back before all those bends and it would save a bunch of time. At least if the thinner one goes sometime it will be a lot simpler.
Again thanks for the help..Ian
 
Just to report full A/C has been restored. Bit of a puzzle initially as the vacuum check and also a nitrogen pressure check at the garage showed no leak, even though we had found oil etc at the suspect point. Anyway, they left it overnight, ran it again for 30 mins in the morning and leak re-appeared. New return pipe approx. £110 from OPC. Bit of a wrangle getting pipe into position even after carbon canister removed and fuel filler neck loosened and dropped down. As expected rear union bolt was a sod. Thanks for your input on this folks - gave us the right idea for how best to go about it.

Cheers...Ian
 
Small leaks are a pain to find a leak down will not find them and a nitrogen pressure test doesn,t always find them .. you are after all trying to hear a leak or watch the pressure drop which with a small leak it doesn,t.

I tend to find the old ways are best , experience of knowing the obvious places and looking for dye / oil residue.

Pipe clamps are areas becoming more often places for small leaks these days .
 
Looking for traces of oil and UV is the first step nitrogen and a bubble spray then confirms or finds most leak. It's surprising how small a leak a bubble spray will pick up. Product knowledge is also very helpful. We do a lot of AC work in the summer and find most leaks this way. We regularly find leaks others don't. :dont know: :eek:
 
Replaced mine this afternoon. Thanks to everyone on this thread for the help and advice. Would've definitely struggled without it :thumbs:
 
alex yates said:
Replaced mine this afternoon. Thanks to everyone on this thread for the help and advice. Would've definitely struggled without it :thumbs:

If you ever want help young man ill happily pm you my home number .. i cant visit but will do my best on the phone :D
 
Cheers mate - that's very kind :thumb:
 

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