Community Forums

Rwpeters · 04-12-2018, 08:27 AM

Wonder the best way to repaire refrigerant leak at crimp fitting on discharge line @ compressor. 2014 Cornerstone. Changed compressor found leak at pressure test.

1doodadd · 04-12-2018, 08:31 AM

A quality class 8 truck repair shop can cut and replace the fitting right on the coach. Mine was leaking and the shop I use did that very same thing, fixed my problem

DENSHER · 04-12-2018, 09:09 AM

If you are the DIY type, which sounds like you are from previous posts, check with local NAPA stores to see if they have these same style fittings as truck shop uses. My local NAPA carries them or can special order if not stocked.

Also after reading you previous posts about the compressor and flushing system, did you replace the expansion valve? I have had 2 different compressor failures on 2 motor homes and both had stuck expansion valve. Expansion valve has smallest opening of any in the system and seems to be first place any debris catches.

Ivylog · 04-14-2018, 06:17 AM

You should be able to find a portable crimping tool. I would try recrimping first. X2 on expansion valve.

Dutch Star Don · 04-14-2018, 05:26 PM

Double check that it's the crimp and not the o-ring on the fitting. I had a similar issue at the connection to the condenser. Always wet at the fitting, but the crimp was dry. Freightliner pulled the connection and replaced the o-ring. Next trip, it leaked again and burned up my clutch. Not trusting Freightliner, I removed the line, (condenser to compressor) and took it to an A/C shop. He pressure tested the line and it was good. He had a bin of assorted O-rings and gave me the ones I needed. Checked connection and there was a secondary nut, connected to the condenser and then the hose to the nut. I pulled the nut and found another o-ring. This one didn't look good. I carefully replaced all O-rings and so far, problem solved.

Quincy · 04-14-2018, 06:45 PM

If you want to put a bandaid on it and it is accessible a hose clamp and some duct tape might work if it is in the low side.

Problem with expansion valves is they open and close according to the evaporator temp and when they go bad, they sometimes close allowing the compressor to overheat until it fails and then the expansion valve opens when the evaporator warms up and appears to be ok. The tech puts a new compressor in and the system starts and runs fine until the expansion valve closes again and again causing another compressor failure.

One reason they are not used like they used to be.

Mageksl · 04-14-2018, 11:23 PM

It may not be the crimp at fault. It could be the hose has failed under the crimp due to heat or vibration. Instead of taking the chance of having to do this over, I would replace the hose or as 1doodadd said, the whole connector.

Roy1 · 04-15-2018, 12:18 PM

My discharge line was leaking at the crimp . I removed the hose from the compressor and the condenser then I cut the crimp off about a half an inch back from the leak. I took the hose to an auto repair shop that repairs a/c units . It cost $10 for a new fitting and another $10 to crimp it on.