Air Conditioner Manifold or Snipe Hunt?

[BHernandez]

Hi guys (and girls), I'm back.

Anybody ever heard of an air conditioner manifold? I took my car in last summer for A/C service. They told me then that the compressor was leaking at the clutch. The car is over 20 years old and rather than nickel and dime the A/c system I'd just replace it all with new. The bill came to $1800 installed, and I had a completely new air conditioning system. Shortly after (about 3 months) it stopped working. I brought it back and they said a high-pressure switch had failed. They fixed it and I was on my way. A month later it stopped working again. This time a leaking O-ring seal. Two weeks after that, again. And three weeks after that one. In the past 9 months it's been back five times for A/C repair. This time they say it's an "A/C manifold" and one can't be found anywhere. It's been sitting there for two weeks, and they say they can't find parts. Has anybody ever heard of an A/C manifold? I haven't. I've looked online and can't find one anywhere. Not a picture or anything. I've found several diagrams of the A/C system in its entirety, and no part called an A/C manifold exists. Any thoughts?

 

[RAU03MACH]

I have never heard
But I would Google search it by make model

 

[RAU03MACH]

I call it different
But there talking about the compressor hoses off the back
Of A/c compressor

 

[RAU03MACH]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.amazon.com/UAC-10409C-Manifold-Hose-Assembly/dp/B00M48LIDO&ved=2ahUKEwj8j4244rT3AhU0lmoFHa2tA3IQFnoECAQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0T975qu-oG3G3yHIcjZWrj

Not the one for your car
Sample

 

[07GtS197]

I’d ask them to clarify what they’re talking about. Most parts should be readily available.

 

[BHernandez]

Great advice. Went to pick it up and asked him to show me what part he was referring to. It looks very similar to the photo provided by RAU03MACH. It attaches two lines to the back of the compressor. Apparently the "supply chain" issues have made finding a new one very difficult. The part only costs $85 when they're available.

 

[RAU03MACH]

Try a place called car parts
Auto parts warehouse
Auto any thing

And if they don't have it
Take it to a place that will repair it
A tube and hoses kind of place

 

[Adfalenski]

A lot of the tube and hose suppliers have the parts to make you a complete new manifold assembly.

 

[BHernandez]

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Pallgor]

Dude. It sounds like you’re rebuilding a new ac system

 

[BHernandez]

Right? That's exactly how I feel. I'm doubting the decision to replace everything when all I really needed was a clutch rebuild kit. Life! It bites you one way or another. Still love the car as much as the day I brought it home. So fix it, I will. Again. And again. And yet again.

 

[BHernandez]

I think I may have found the right part. It looks like the same duck but goes by a different name. Can anyone say with certainty that the "manifold" and the factory name refrigerant discharge line are the same part? It connects from the compressor to the evaporator.

 

[BHernandez]

Oops, not evaporator, but the condenser.

 

[RAU03MACH]

high pressure side

 

[BHernandez]

I'm assuming it is the high pressure because the low pressure tube is called the refrigerant siphon tube. I only know that from the part description AKA "Low Pressure Line. The fact that my part connects directly to the compressor, leads me to believe it is high pressure. But, I'm no a/c tech. I'm just working off of common sense here. If I could find some literature calling my part a manifold I'd feel more confident they're the same part. But everything I've seen simply calls it a discharge tube. There's no description calling it a manifold or stating it as high pressure.