So I have a thick low pressure/suction AC line that goes "STRAIGHT" into one of the compressor ports. I need to bend it like 45 degrees to clear the frame. Else new custom line. Before I just have at it and see if I bend it around a piece of round tubing ...... anyone got any tips or if it can be done. Its pretty large diameter ... might be 3/8". I fully expect it will "crimp" and be trash ....... but figured I would give it a shot before I go buy a $200 crimping tool. Tips like Cant be done. Preheat. Fill with water and freeze first. etc
Depends on the alloy. The Vintage air lines I purchased bend easily with a tubing bender. The OEM style lines are much harder and I suspect will crack or crimp easily.
When I was working in refrigeration, we had some sort of spring to make serpentine conduit out of copper line .........don't know if it will work with aluminium......
You're over thinking it and scaring yourself. It doesn't take a special skill only learned by trial and error over many attempts. Years ago, as my initiation into bending, I bent a very tricky brake line out of straight tubing with a cheap tool from someplace like Harbor Freight. Most auto parts stores have a tool lending program or, since you only need to make one 45° dogleg, they may bend it for you while you wait. If you want to go it yourself, don't try to bend it over something flat, like a beer bottle. You need a "tool" with a groove that supports the tube at 3 and 9 o:clock so it doesn't spread out and flatten. In a pinch, you could use a grooved pulley wheel for a simple task like you have. The deeper and acute the angle of the groove, the better.
3/8 isn't very big, I use it for fuel line in stainless. It fits common brake line benders.If you are worried about it bending or kinking, check out youtube videos about bending copper coils with water inside them. Might give you some ideas. SPark
Believe it or not. Old trick "pops" taught me years ago. Tape up 1 end, fill with play sand or glass bead, bend what ya want. Then blow out real good with air and then flush with lacquer thinner/acetone. Simple and ez.
Id rather buy the tool and make custom lines - sort of defeats the purpose of the thread Just not sure I can get a tubing bender in there ... should have said .... example look like straight end of this https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Denso-...p-4Runner-89-95-OEM-88712-35460-/302449520363 thx Great TIP on the pulley. Something I can find for it to sit into an provide support. I'll check my measurements - its definately bigger than fuel line .... might 1/2. Nice TIP. Think I'll try that ....... along with a pulley I can find to fit.
3/8" is about the diameter of the liquid line. In any event, in the long run it would be most cost effective to just take the line to an a/c shop and let them put a new end on it.
If you have clear access or able to remove the line, with alu, you can soot the area with a torch and then heat the sooted area until the soot burns off, this will anneal the tubing that will allow hand bending without kinking it, If you want to cold bend it, instead of using sand (inbeds into alu) fill the tube with a mixture of dishwashing soap and water and the place into the freezer, remove when it gets hard and bend, the soap gives it flexability while the frozen water keeps the round shape. soak in hot water to remove solution. That is the method used to make musical instrements while bending very thin brass tubing without deforming
If it’s s simmilar line as what you posted from eBay Not a lot of aluminum line to fool with. I have done the sand trick on very short complex bend brake lines and it works well Find a shop that does Ac lines near you My guess is 1/2 labour charge or less if you get other work done by them. For a $200 dollar line not sure if I would chance it Ac line is aluminum and thicker wall then brake or fuel line , so trying to bend it around something like a bottle or socket etc most likely will result in a kink If you can fit a proper tube bender in the area it should do it alright, I find spraying the pipe and bender with silicon spray or wd40 helps the pipe slide and get a neater bend
I’ve used this guy for fuel atf and brake lines works well, not sure if it goes any bigger then 3/8 ths.
I just remembered something. Once upon a time, I owned a Mercedes that developed leaks in the A/C fittings. I don't do A/C so I had my friendly mechanic do the job and he took the lines to a local hydraulic shop to have the fittings replaced and/or re-crimped. Just the lines from Mercedes would have been over $1000 but the bill to make the originals good as new was less than $100, including my mechanic's time to tote the lines there and back. It wouldn't surprise me if a hydraulic shop could custom bend or have a pre-bent end fitting sitting on the shelf ready to switch on the line. I've also used them to make custom, stainless braided, fuel lines at a very low cost. (Unlike A/C shops who shoot for the moon with their charges, hydraulic shops tend to be more like hardware stores and are happy to just charge $5 for a few minutes work.)
The pipefitters at the shipyard would use this method with good success . Use a tubing bender, not by hand ,over a knee or bottle. Good luck, post your success.
Is it one of the fill ports that the hose gets crimped to? I just beat a couple of Vintage Air fittings, the aluminum type. I screwed it to the compressor then slowly bent it where it needed to go with a screw driver that just fit inside it. It bent pretty easy with no damage to it.
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