Air conditioner pipe repair

jon f mn

Well-known Member
The air system in my truck developed a leak. The tube corroded under the clamps that held it on. A new tube was not available and would have to be ordered from the factory. Luckily I was in Mn. anyway so I just went home and welded it up. The tube runs from the engine compartment to the sleeper, over the step and muffler. Was a real bear to get out because there was no room to work.


<image src="http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/photos/mvphoto25122.png"/>

<image src="http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/photos/mvphoto25123.png"/>

The line is about 8' long and was corroded in 4 places.


<image src="http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/photos/mvphoto25124.png"/>

<image src="http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/photos/mvphoto25125.png"/>

<image src="http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/photos/mvphoto25126.png"/>

<image src="http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/photos/mvphoto25127.png"/>

Welding corroded aluminum is alway hard, but this thin tube really tested my skills. I had to start at the edges and lay new aluminum over the top, the heat it to cook the corrosion out which floats to the top but leaves pin holes behind. Then I brush off the junk and do it again. You just keep doing that til stuff quits coming out, or you get the pipe sealed up. Here is what they looked like done.


<image src="http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/photos/mvphoto25128.png"/>

<image src="http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/photos/mvphoto25129.png"/>

<image src="http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/photos/mvphoto25130.png"/>
 
Nice job. I'd like to be able to weld aluminum for just such repairs. Isn't your truck only a couple years old? Would seem that would have lasted longer than that...
 
It's just 30 months old now. I was peeved when I saw it. Volvo will be getting a call too.
 
Seems like a better option would be to "get shed of" the aluminum line and replace it with somthing less prone to corrosion.
 
(quoted from post at 13:59:37 07/28/15) Caused by that liquid brine the states use to pretreat the hiways in the winter before a storm.

I notice people blaming rust on the pretreat brine. I see it in use a lot here in NH and I can see that it dries very quickly. We have always had rust and corrosion due to the salt which lasts for hours if not days. So how can the pretreat be a significant factor compared to the salt? Unless you are driving around following the pretreat truck.
 
That is because even though the pretreat dries on the road quickly, it re-dissolves when the snow/ice/rain hits it and again becomes a WET solution. This gets all over EVERYTHING, and is near to impossible to clean off your windshield. During the winter months, I used to get about the same mileage out of washer fluid as diesel fuel whenever it snowed.
 

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