Just wanted to report a successful repair tactic in the event that your AC compressor dies and you need to replace the drier. I've had this happen a couple times and the last time it happened I twisted the evaporator lines into a pretzel trying to remove them from the drier. Then I was trying to get a junk evaporator off a wrecked van and did the same thing. I had to purchase a new evaporator for over $100. So clearly a new strategy was needed for removing the drier line from the evaporator in the future. Recommended practice is to change the drier any time you change the compressor. So the next time this problem came up, I decided to come up with a plan. I used a dremel tool with cut-off wheels to split the nut that held the drier line onto the evaporator line. I also periodically soaked the threads and the cut area with JB-80, and heated with a heat gun. The area is too close to plastic to use a torch. After removing a small section of the nut by cutting into it in two places and then prying out the section, I was able to expose a small section of threads and finally get it moving. On the other side of the drier, I also used the dremel to cut the spring lock "quick connect" that was also pretty much seized. On that end, once I cut in a few places and pried it open enough to pull the spring out, it came off with just a few whacks of the hammer on the drier. And of course, wrecking these two drier fittings wasn't a problem since the drier was being replaced anyhow for under $30.

I don't know if maybe there is another better way, but this is one option if your lines are seized. Picture is terrible - my phone sucks, but hopefully you get the idea.

Dave

 

Thanks for the procedure info. Will keep in mind next time I come across one of those situations.