how can I remove these? [updated with AC question 26th June]

Not sure how much you know about AC systems so sorry if I'm teaching you to suck eggs.

The connectors will look like the below but should have O-rings in the grooves. Your probably fighting a little bit of corrosion and a lot of o ring seal.



Can you get any penetrating oil in the joint?

If you can get a little bit of left to right twisting on the pipes they should slowly work their way out.

A little tap on the unions with a hammer and punch wont harm anything so long as you are careful not to go too hard.

If I could extract the studs there would be no problem in getting them twisting and then off, but while the studs are there i've no chance of that.

I have a stud extractor but the stud nearest to the engine on the high pressure line is the only one with direct in-line from above access, my extractor doesn't go far enough down the thread to get a grip on it, thats why I tried the two nut method, although I think I didnt tighten then together hard enough fearing the threads would strip.

its started raining now and my back is killing me, I have removed the two nuts and sprayed the joints with penetrating oil.


fresh eyes tomorrow and have another go. so open to more suggestions, cheers!

You need a bit of ally bar ideally, but if you keep tapping the side of the female housing on the compressor itself it will usually break the crud up enough that they wiggle free. Welding a nut onto the studs so they can be wound out helps too though.

a couple of days later with fresh eyes, a different attitude and some sun, its off.

on the low pressure side [largest port] I run my recip saw down the side of the where the stud was, cut right through it, was able to get a wiggle on then and it came out.

high pressure port, I used grinder to cut a slot so I could punch upwards on the union with a flat bar, came off really quick.



replacement compressor now fitted with new o rings, while this job was being done I had already removed the tubo as I was replacing it, and the cat/downpipe, to much more access, fixed a few things around there at the same time and its all back together now, just need to have it regassed, and got my fingers crossed it was the compressor at fault.

job, jobbed!

ok, so after getting that compressor back on the car and using new seals, my regas didnt last very long, perhaps a month. - one thing to note, he didnt do a full vac test, just a partial one* and then gas in.

*reason, it was a fully gassed system to start with, but compressor had failed and was showing high on the low side, compressor was kicking in but no pressure made on high side. He was able to take the full amount of gas out. Perhaps on the regas he just thought system would be ok, so just gassed it.

and of course now its boiling hot in the uk I could really do with it working! I am a year-round user of the AC system so its something I would like to get fixed.

it has to have leaked out of somewhere, my initial thoughts were just the connections I have disturbed but there is nothing obvious using the torch.

rightly or wrongly - PLEASE GIVE OPINION, I bought a UV torch, hoping that pointing it at the various parts would indicate a leak, but apart from it getting really hot it has so far been inconclusive - do I need special specs to view the leak?

the condenser at the front is totally mullered, its gills and guts are hanging out and missing but it was semi like this before and worked fine, I cant see any obvious signs on a leak but I am limited to shining the torch in via the grille, full access required bumper cover off, and it wotn show the side between the condenser and radiator.

So, opinions please

is using a uv torch ok?

I wont be pointing it at me, my eyes or any living things

do I need special specs for its proper use?


either way another condensor is going to be needed, its the original in there and hanging.