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Lodged Portion of O-Tube?

willindsay

Explorer Addict
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Location
Sevierville
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Sevierville,TN
Year, Model & Trim Level
94 Limited
Droped my car off at the mechanics last night for them to remove the Accumulator and Orifice tube and replace both. Then early this morning I got a call from them saying they had gotten the accumulator off but part of the orifice tube had broke off and was stuck in the evaporator. They said for 130$ they would pull the evaporator and try and drill it out or punch it out somehow. I said no thanks and had them just leave the Accumulator off so I can fix it my self. 55$ later and I still don't have A/C.


Now I did some research before I had decided to tackle this project and never found a good write up for a first gen, Found a good one for the second Gen and it showed the location of the O-Tube under the Drier/Accumulator. But looking at mine today I don't see a A/C line runing under it so after a little looking I think I've figure that it has to be in the tube circled in red below.
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Please correct me if I'm wrong.


Now looking on Rock Auto I see they have a Evap Core repair kit for $10. Would this solve my problem? Link
 



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Ok well a little more research and I am wrong on the location of the O-Tube. I need to get outside tomorrow and look at stuff some more so I can figure it out.

Chime in though if that part will solve my issue please or with any advise.
 






You are correct, the line circled in the photo is a vacume line, not an A/C line. The orifice tube will be in the hard line coming out of the bottom of the evaporator. Whatever piece of the orifice that was left in the evap. tube needs to come out. Don't think that repair kit will solve your problem. IDK, but I think anything left in the system like that will stop the system from functioning properly, if at all. If they broke it off removing it, why aren't they removing it at their expense?

EE
 






As Ernie said, its in the lower of the 2 lines out of the evaporator.

They do make a special tool for removing broken Orifice tubes. Its sort of like an EZ out or Drill bit. The 1st time I worked on our A/C I had to use one of those to get the orifice tube out.

I have spent a week a few years ago looking for a Evaporator repair kit that would work on the explorer when we broke the output line. We couldn't find the right kind, and it would help you anyway.

If the orifice tube was blown into the evaporator then there is really no way to get it out. Use compressed air and see if you can get the air to go through the evaporator (try both ways). If there is very little restriction, and you can't afford to put in another evaporator AND a new orifice tube fits into the line, just add another one. There are actually 2 (one blown into the evaporator) on our X now. This is not the best solution, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

If it did get blown into the evaporator then the crimps on the lower line aren't deep enough to hold the orifice tube in the line. I took a pair of pliers (the kind with the notch to hold onto bolts) and crimped around the line on slightly on the old crimps so the new orifice tube wouldn't get blown in.

~Mark
 






You are correct, the line circled in the photo is a vacume line, not an A/C line. The orifice tube will be in the hard line coming out of the bottom of the evaporator. Whatever piece of the orifice that was left in the evap. tube needs to come out. Don't think that repair kit will solve your problem. IDK, but I think anything left in the system like that will stop the system from functioning properly, if at all. If they broke it off removing it, why aren't they removing it at their expense?

EE

The line I was referring to is actually the top evap core line I just did a poor job of circling it. I took a look today and found the line where the O-tube is. The shop had disconnected it so swapping in a new one will be simple if I end up needing too.

Question I just thought of... From my understand the evap core isn't a common leak point so could I get away with getting one from a junk yard?
 






As Ernie said, its in the lower of the 2 lines out of the evaporator.

They do make a special tool for removing broken Orifice tubes. Its sort of like an EZ out or Drill bit. The 1st time I worked on our A/C I had to use one of those to get the orifice tube out.

~Mark

Got a pic or link to the tool?
 












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