Can I remove the A/C Refrigerant Lines/Condenser myself?

[Pink_Floyd]

I'm in the process of stripping out everything inside my engine bay so I can paint it. I've pretty much got everything unclipped and unbolted and removed except for the A/C Refrigerant Lines. I would like to know if I can simply unbolt these, plug, the holes, paint and then put them back with new o-rings. The car has been off for more than a week being worked on and I was wondering if the A/C system still holds pressure when the car is off or not. My system has been converted to R134a if that makes any difference. Idealy I would like to replace my condenser as well since it has a small leak but I'm not sure if I can do that either!!!

I love doing EVERYTHING on my car myself and it really pisses me off about all the stupid regulations about freon and such so that I'm afraid to work on it myself. I hate the thought of taking it someone to get the condenser fixed. The part alone is pretty expensive, PLUS I already have everything out of my engine bay so it would be a great time to replace it.

Ok - your thoughts, please.

 

[VtecTurbo]

yes the a/c system still holds pressure when its off, soon as you disconnect the pipe from the a/c unit it will leak out the gas from the unit, its nothing major, all you do i disconnect it n quickly block the hole off where its coming from, or if you cant manage that then what you will have to do is let it all leak out once you have put the a/c back in you will have to refill with gas which costs about £40 in the u.k, no need to worry its not a major problem, i hope my post will be of some use

 

[epj3]

Watch out - that shit is pretty fragile. You could mess something expensive up.

 

[Ghost]

I agree with Eric. If it's not broken don't fix it. You can take it off and put it back on but will it work when you do so and will it be worth the cost of trying to get it working again. If you really want (need) to change it then fine. If not, I would try leaving everything connected, unbolt the parts (if any) connected to the engine bay and tape up everything that’s exposed. It may seem like more work but at least the A/C will be operation when you’re done.

 

[Pink_Floyd]

Thanks for all the replies so far! Well, if it's not going to kill me, I guess I'm going to give it a shot. The A/C lines are pressed right up against the part of the engine bay that I really wanted to paint and there's no way to get around it. Also, I figured that if I'm going to lose A/C pressure that it might be a good time to replace the leaking condenser though I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to replace the Reciever/Dryer as well, but they aren't too expensive.

 

[Kirby]

STOP - Not recommended!! It CAN damage your system. You live in Jersey? Nice warm, moist ocean air.....

After the freon leaks out, something has to replace it, and of course that will be atmospheric air. MOIST atmospheric air. The moisture in the air combines with remnants of freon still in the system and forms an ACID. The acid condenses on the inside of all the components and corrodes the entire A/C system.

I suspect that some people will question this (I did years ago when I was told this), so here is an excerpt and a link from a Google search:

http://www.familycar.com/Classroom/ac1.htm

Accumulators are used on systems that accommodate an orifice tube to meter refrigerants into the evaporator. It is connected directly to the evaporator outlet and stores excess liquid refrigerant. Introduction of liquid refrigerant into a compressor can do serious damage. Compressors are designed to compress gas not liquid. The chief role of the accumulator is to isolate the compressor from any damaging liquid refrigerant. Accumulators, like receiver-driers, also remove debris and moisture from a system. It is a good idea to replace the accumulator each time the system is opened up for major repair and anytime moisture and/or debris is of concern. Moisture is enemy number one for your A/C system. Moisture in a system mixes with refrigerant and forms a corrosive acid. When in doubt, it may be to your advantage to change the Accumulator or receiver in your system. While this may be a temporary discomfort for your wallet, it is of long term benefit to your air conditioning system.

 

[Pink_Floyd]

Ok, so I think you may have convinced me that I shouldn't do this. But I absolutely hate taking my car to a shop for ANY reason, so I think I'm going to purchase a refrigerant recovery system to use on my car so I can do this the safe way. Using one of these I should be able to take out all the freon, do the work I need to do, create a vacuum in the system to boil off all the moisture and recharge the system. I'd rather spend the money on the device than take it and have someone else do it.

 

[Kirby]

That's exactly what the "A/C pros" do when they clean, mothball, change equipment, etc. They pull a vacuum on the lines and then seal it to keep air/moisture out. At least, that's what I have been told....