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Air Conditioning Hose Maker?

Birken Vogt

Charter Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2003
Messages
5,305
Location
Grass Valley, Ca
I have this AC hose on my service truck that leaks every year.

Had the local yokel make a new one twice but he just uses a hand hydraulic crimper, not very impressive.

This is an aftermarket AC so it will have to be built to spec, or reuse the original ends I think I still have in the junk pile.

Is there somebody out there that can make a hose for me with real hydraulic crimp rings? This is the compressor discharge so it gets high heat and high pressure.
 

Ct Farmer

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2016
Messages
322
Location
Connecticut
Try Parker. Their 26 series fittings are steel and crimped on their big machines. They have quite a wide selection of fittings and several refrigerant hoses available. Parker 285 has constant 500psi rating.

Most others I checked Gates, Dayco etc. has A/C lines that use that wrinkle crimp hand thing. Or a tiny hydraulic unit.
 

hosspuller

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2014
Messages
1,869
Location
North Carolina
Who knew there are so many different refrigeration fittings and different crimps. :rolleyes: I wondered about the different crimp in the car ... bubble or "beadlock"

Seems like a hydraulic fitting and crimp is not enough for refrigeration. Second Page (333) of this link explains fittings and crimps for refrigeration. See their recommendation for 134b systems at the bottom of page.

http://www.meicorporation.com/pdfs/Fitt_Barb_Burga09.pdf
 

Ct Farmer

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2016
Messages
322
Location
Connecticut
Interesting link. Parker clearly states that the 26 series is compatable with their refrigerant hoses. Perhaps they are different than the standard hydraulic.

I don't have any 26 series on hand so can't look at them but I would trust that Parker knows their stuff. The dies they recommend are straight sided not a bubble crimp.
 

Birken Vogt

Charter Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2003
Messages
5,305
Location
Grass Valley, Ca
Does anybody know of a local shop anywhere in the country that they can trust to do this? With the straight hydraulic type crimp not the bubble crimp.

Everybody around here seems to want to use the hand held tool.
 

Cmark

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2009
Messages
3,176
Location
Australia
We have a hand-over-hydraulic crimper. We use Goodyear reduced diameter hose and steel fittings, NOT aluminium, and have no problems.

Are you sure you don't have some underlying problem? Intermittent condenser fan for example?
 

4x4ford

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2007
Messages
237
Location
Las Vegas Nevada
Occupation
aunts on the strip Currently drive a 1951 chevy pa
There is a speed shop in Las Vegas that makes them and also a shop that specializes in tour bus ac systems that does them but I can’t remember the name of either been a few years since I was working out there
 

Skeans1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2018
Messages
82
Location
Rainier, OR
Does anybody know of a local shop anywhere in the country that they can trust to do this? With the straight hydraulic type crimp not the bubble crimp.

Everybody around here seems to want to use the hand held tool.
Woods Logging Longview, Wa might try Motion & Flow Control Products they’re a large national chain.
 

Mike4799

Active Member
Joined
May 28, 2015
Messages
41
Location
Texas
I have not used them before but coldhose.com is an online retailer that custom makes hoses. Go to custom hose on their site and specify the ends, hoses, fitting clocking etc and it is made and crimped and shipped to you.
 

Steve Bowman

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2018
Messages
194
Location
Southern Ohio
Occupation
Maintenance
If you can locate some ends, or crimp sleves, a Gates Omnicrimp would be the best type of crimper for something like this. I used to make hoses on one all the time.

Sadly, no longer have access.
 

old and slow

Active Member
Joined
May 31, 2019
Messages
40
Location
Satellite beach
We were frustrated with local shops making ac hoses, bought the hose , fittings, crimp tool from coldhose.com the tool is simple think it was 125.00 or so, we have installed ac on 3 truck cranes.
 

Birken Vogt

Charter Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2003
Messages
5,305
Location
Grass Valley, Ca
I got one from Coldhose.com, ordered it on their web form. It looks like a more substantial crimp than the ones I had been getting locally from the hand tool. But one end of the hose is a 90° and the other is a straight with service port. They assembled it 180° out of time so now the service port points down. Usable but annoying. So I just put it in anyway and it works.

When I questioned them on it by email their only response was that since it was a straight fitting I was not able to specify clocking. So I guess the hose builder just installs the clocking randomly on a port fitting even when the order comes through with a clocking spec.

I guess that is what you get for customer service and common sense these days.

To their credit, they did offer to make a new one, but it is hot and I wanted my AC so I just used it.
 
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