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CHECK THIS: Disco1 / Rangie Classic Aircon

If you have a Disco 1 (mine is the 300 shape V8 ES) then check your aircon pipes, specifically the one that runs under the Battery from the cooler beside the radiator. This pipe has by design another pipe from something which I forget which chaffs against it.

The replacement Aircon pipe has just cost me £87 plus VAT, plus a refill (tomorrow). The pipe is ally so can't be repaired and has rather odd ends such that none of the local specialists could make a replacement item.

Whats worse it doesn't even have a green oval badge visible on it anywhere (but is a genuine part).

Anyone who has ever met me (drunk with) will know I'm not easily parted from my hard earned and this has gone down on my list of most shocking prices to date... £45 for a Steering pump bearing (£5 around the corner same spec!) , £550 for an alternator for a 1990 Rangie Turbo D (£35 to get fixed the one that had broken), £110 rubber gearbox mounts for a Renault Espace - Ok not Landrover but it still smarted!

Please go out and check your pipe isn't chaffing, if it saves two or three of you the rediculous expense I've just had to go through it'll at least make me feel a bit better. I know now of at least 4 others who have had to replace this pipe!

I'm assuming Classics with Aircon are a similar set up... pipe runs under the battery and expansion tank (Drivers side on a RHD)

Sticky Lee D

Reply to
Lee_D
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Lee,

I've got a problem with the pipe as well....it's rotted away where the 'P' clip holds it to the inner wing - I don't have other pipes in the vacinity though. Mines a 95 Disco 300tdi auto.

Was the part number BTR7230 ? Straight piece of pipe with a slight cicane (sp) in it?

I've take my old pipe off - system was emptied beforehand by a specialist so no chance of frost bite / releasing what may have been left in there - and will be popping over to my local Pirtek franchise to get it repaired as apparently it can be done ( according to my air con chap who had a Discovery)....

Will report back ....

cheers Gavin

Reply to
GS

GS uttered summat worrerz funny about:

Tried our local Pirtek , chap said with the heat required it would just blow the pipe away, hope you have more luck than me. also tried 2x hydraulics specialist, local brakes and hoses and my LPG supplier who fits kits. It is the same part number, I got it on the overnight delivery at the main agent, then they had the nerve to charge me another 1.07% for sticking it on my shock absorber (credit card)

Lee D

Reply to
Lee_D

Has it failed in the Ali then ?

Steve

Reply to
Steve Taylor

Pin holed on a corner :-(

Lee

Reply to
Lee_D

On or around Wed, 5 Jul 2006 18:51:18 +0100, "Lee_D" enlightened us thusly:

bit late...

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but got to be worth a try, I should think, if the replacement pipe is 87 notes.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

Austin Shackles uttered summat worrerz funny about:

H'mmm interesting. Sadly this pipe is the thickness of a pencil. Given the cost of getting it filled and finding the contents on the floor in the morning on this occasion I think it makes sense to replace. Tis a shame about the cost though, frigging criminal.

I brazed up the Auto oil cooler on Percy and was happy with that but it's only a couple of quid in AFT if it blows. Looking at this pipe I think anything more harsh than a cigarette lighter would turn it in to a puddle.

Lee

Reply to
Lee_D

TonyB uttered summat worrerz funny about:

Gunked it from the day it was filled two years ago when it dripped from the pipe where it had become pourous, I split a rubber hose and placed over the hole and jubilee clipped with more gunk but it was on a corner so destined to fail. There is quite a bit of pressure in these systems and at £70 it cost for the last refill I'm not taking any chances. I also get chronic hayfever so faffing around with it for 3 weeks isn't really an option. The only place I seem to be able to function properly is in an aircon environment. Earlier in the week when I switched it on nowt happened... one drip too many me thinks.

I can bodge until the cows come home ;-)

Did consider fibreglass, or the resin more to the point but these pipes go through some extremes in temperature and I wasn't convinced it would hold short of seting the pipe in a block of resin.

If any one wants to buy the old pipe for £79.99 all in to experiment I'll gladly post it :-)

Lee D

Reply to
Lee_D

Blimey, that'll upset Lee.

I'd have tried fibre glassing it too, maybe over some tape or something.

TonyB

Reply to
TonyB

It (possibly) works at VERY high pressure, some of the aircon pipes do.

Nige

Reply to
Nige

I have a company that do work for me, and one of their welders could weld it no problem - he cut a coke can in half and welded it back togteher as a test piece.

You could always have a spare.

Steve

Reply to
steve

On or around Wed, 05 Jul 2006 23:14:02 +0100, steve enlightened us thusly:

I've seen bits of ally plate welded to an aluminium beer can with the lumiweld type stuff.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

Lumiweld is only a braze isn't it ?

Steve

Reply to
steve

Well all aircon'd up now. Chap mentioned that systems get up to 150psi... thats a load of psi's! :-)

Lee D

Reply to
Lee_D

Nah, we have one that runs at over 230.

Steve

Reply to
steve

I'm confused now ;-) I was agreeing but see where you're coming from :-)

Lee

Reply to
Lee_D

On or around Thu, 06 Jul 2006 18:46:41 +0100, steve enlightened us thusly:

yeah, same as the stuff I posted a link to (or similar, anyway). But don't knock it on that account: I've seen their demo at a bike show and it's impressive stuff. one of the types brazed 2 bits of ally plate together (about 2mm thick) and I grabbed them with a brace of mole grips and pulled them apart - but the plate failed as readily as the brazing, in other words, the repair was a strong or stronger than the original ally.

ISTR special specs and a UV light to spot aircon fluid leaks. combined that with a repaired pipe at regassing time, you should be able to see if it's leaking or not and do something about it.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

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