1990 convertible ac hoses

I have discovered that the discharge/suction hose assembly has broken on my 1990 convertible and needs replacement. I have run into a brickwall trying to find a replacement discharge/suction hose assembly online. Apparently 1988-89 model years are different than 1990 and 1991. To be honest I have yet to even find anything at all. Is this hose assembly available new anymore? If not...than what models/years can be interchanged from used sources? Getting warm and AC is necessary! Thanks.

The parts book does show a different part number for the 1986-1989 Reatta/Riviera (1649633).... 1990 part number is 3523475. Maybe one of the parts guys can explain why the '90 is different.

1991 is quite different as the dryer/accumulator is on the passanger side while the earlier cars it was on the drivers side. There is no difference on a given year between coupe, convertible, and Riviera.

I notice you have an '88, see if you can see any differences in the length of hoses and maybe the connectors.

Believe the difference is the shape and size of the discharge hose connection at the condenser.

One suggestion would be to see if a local hydraulic hose shop can reman your hose assembly, or convert a new 89 hose assy to fit the connection in your 90.

Otherwise you will have to find a good used 90 Reatta or Riv hose assy.

I currently have the 90 coupe off the road for lower rear stabilizer arm replacement and the AC system is currently empty and awaiting rehab. I think just to have a car in the drive with working AC is worth taking the hoses off it and getting the convertible cooling. Even my 4x4 F250 is blowing hot after engine replacement. Is there specific type/size o-rings I will need to replace? Thanks.

ptt,

I usually buy an assortment pack of the green O-rings and match up the rings as I reassemble the system components.

Some of the components, when bought new, come with a little bag of O-rings for the particular item. ie., accumulator, compressor, etc.

With the assortment pack, you end up with extra rings but it's nice to have them on hand for the next time or if you tear one during assembly.

Tip during assembly. Lube the rings with the oil used in the system when assembling.

Also, I had to reuse the compressor hose assembly with the muffler. I just made sure I back-flushed it really well.

John F.

Are you planning replacing on the holy trinity while your at it? (compressor, orifice tube, and receiver/dryer) They need two specialty o-rings/seals that usually come with the part (not the tube though). They also can be obtained in an o-ring pack as mentioned, except the compressor seals. Might have to source those separately as different compressor manufacturers use different seals though they shouldn't be too hard to find.

Check with a good local AC shop as to a possible source for that hose assembly and seals. They would have to figure out how to replace them if you brought it in to them to fix.

Like he said, If you are replacing the compressor, the replacement compressor will probably include the seals that go between the compressor and the hose manifold. New seals came with the last compressor I bought from The Reatta Store. Kind of had to because it was designed to be adaptable to different systems. The unit had offset or stepped mounting holes (Pic #4). Pic #1 shows the adapter that had to be installed on the hose manifold. It came with three bags of seals from which to select the appropriate ones for the particular application. If you are keeping the compressor currently installed in you car, then you will probably be looking for a seal that looks like the first seal of the three (far left one) in pic #2.

Pic #4 shows the stepped hose mounting holes on the end of the compressor, you can see where I had to use a carbide burr to cut away part of the rib of the front engine mount to provide clearance for the rigid part of the lower hose assembly. I used the removable hole cover that came with the compressor to protect to holes from contamination while removing material. This modification to the mount was due to the addition of adapters required for the new compressor. Pic #5 shows the hose manifold attached to the compressor. (No leaks...Yeah!!!)

John F.

1.)

4.)

At this time Im just swapping the hose assembly from the coupe to the convertible. I finally got the broken hose assembly off the convertible and found the reason for the failure. The bolt that holds the hoses to the compressor was only finger tight and allowed the whole assembly to move around and it broke off about three inches from the bolt flange. Is there a best way to reattach the hose assembly at the compressor? I removed the fan assembly just to get the hose assembly out of the car! A nightmare! I can see that removing the radiator/condenser would give much more room but Id like to avoid that. Thoughts? Thanks!

Best way is to remove radiator and then compressor from car, install manifold flange to the compressor and then remount compressor in car and complete the accumulator and condenser connections.

Since you don't want to do it the easy way, use a mirror to help you see what you're doing as you first connect the flange to the compressor. It's hard to orient the connections and not knock off either of the seals off while your working blind and cutting your hands on the radiator.

With patience and luck you should be able to "get er done". Tighten flange bolt to 24 ft-lbs and then connect the hoses to the accumulator and condenser and tighten to 18 ft-lbs. All seals and rings should be moistened with proper compressor oil before installing. Your 90 uses double o-rings at each o-ring connection by the way.

Yah, like he said.

If you've got the system opened up and the radiator out, you might just as well get the condenser out of the way too.

especially if you got to get at the hose retaining bolt for any reason. (yours is a very good reason)

The pics below will show that it makes it WAY easier to get at the things you need to get at.

Just be aware that there are a couple of rubber "flashing" pieces that help direct the air between the condenser and the radiator.

Just pay attention to where they are and their orientation when you remove said condenser.

When reinstalling the hose bolt, apply a drop of blue Loctite to the threads and it won't come loose on you again. Just a drop, mind you.

Maybe even half a drop will do.

... and allowed the whole assembly to move around and it broke off about three inches from the bolt flange

What exactly broke here. The bolt or the aluminum pipe?

Also... if the system has been opened to the atmosphere, you'll have to have a vacuum pulled on it prior to recharging with refrigerant to remove any water vapor in the system.

I'm also including a annotated pic of the system to show that it's not very complicated and easily broken down.

John F.

PS., The two pics of the car are of my '90.

The pick of the AC system are of parts from my '89.

ptt, could you post a photo of your 90 hose assy? Then we will have documentation of the differences from the 89 one John posted in his last photo.

I got the hose assembly from the coupe installed on the convertible. I only removed the fan off the radiator and now KNOW to go ahead and take the radiator out. I got extremely lucky when I put the hose assembly on. I actually got the bolt in and properly started first attempt! I did replace all the smaller double O-rings at the condenser and accumulator ends of the hose assembly. My concern is the larger O-rings for the compressor end that came in the assortment pack I bought at Autozone. The ones I think are the correct diameter dont really look thick enough. They are the green ones. The old ones looked like a more substantial and thicker washer from being squeeshed down at 24 ft lbs of torque.

Machiner55's pic #2 of the o-rings for the compressor end of the hose assembly were not in the assorted pack of 24 that I bought at Autozone. Where can I get these o-rings ??? There is no reason to even hook up my vac-pump to the system! Looks like it wouldnt hold a vacuum without the proper o-rings at the compressor end! Need to find some of those thicker o-rings....but where. I would think they would be included in the 24-piece pack from AutoZone......

just a guess, but could your old rings expanded with age and maybe the bolts either not cranked up to the correct torque - or loosened up over the years?

if possible, i'd sacrifice a can or two of "leak stop" to see.

again, just thinking out loud.

Ptt,

I'm afraid that presenting the photos of the sealing rings above have confused things rather than making things clearer.

The rings in photo #2 are for the new AC Delco compressor I installed in my '90. They are used exclusively for that particular compressor and aren't good examples for those that have the original style compressors.

I can't remember what the original O-rings looked like nor did I save them for reference.

In the last few years I've changed out three compressors. One on my '89 Reatta, '90 Reatta and one on my wife's '98 Olds 88. All GM products. Each one had a different arrangement for coupling the hose assembly to the compressors. I even changed out the one on my '88 years ago. So, forgive me if can't remember exactly.

Anyway...

In each case though, I replaced the compressor and it came with the appropriate seals. I didn't have to purchase them separately.

Some were standard O-rings. Some were the seals with the metal flange.

I don't believe that the rings you are looking for your application come in the assortment pack.

I don't know if the chain FLAPS will be able to help you. You could do as McR suggested and check with a local AC shop. If you have a good Mom and Pop auto parts store nearby they may be able to help. Then, there's always the Buick/GM dealership to check. They may cost more there but you'll get exactly what you need.

I wouldn't put something in there and just hope it'll work nor would I reuse whatever came out. You need new rings/seals whatever the type.

I personally wouldn't use any form of stop leak in this instance. A time and a place for everything.

If you could, as McR suggested, post some pics of the rings that came out, the end of the compressor and the end of the hose block.

John F.

Here's the latest pics.

Original Compressor ...................................Ports .........................................Ring removal

Either a "Quad" ring or an "O" ring that, over time, conformed to the ring channel.

Upper port ring channel.

Attempt to see if a ring from an assortment pack would work.

It may in a pinch but I don't think it's correct nor am I suggesting it's usage. Would be if it had a larger cross-sectional diameter.

Original '90 Hose Mount block