Automotive Air Conditioning Information Forum (Archives)

JavaJoe on Sun February 23, 2014 11:44 AM

I have a Mastercool manifold guage set that I use every few years when one of my car's AC systems needs attention. It has only been used for R134a. The hoses have the basic 1/4" flare fittings that connect to R134a adapters. Recently, I noticed that the seals in the fittings had deteriorated, so I purchased a package of Yellowjacket brand seals. I cannot find a way to get these seals to fit into their seats inside the fitting. Do I need to buy Mastercool brand seals? Are these seals brand specific? I would certainly appreciate some advice on how to properly replace these seals.

This also got me to wondering if it would be a good idea to flush these hoses to clean out the old compressor oil and any contaminants that might be in there. I have a basic flush kit that I bought to do a R12 to R134a conversion. Would it be okay to use mineral spirits to flush the hoses.

Finally, is there any type of cleaning or maintenance I should do on the manifold set? It seems to be operating just fine, so I'm not inclined to do anything to it, but I'd appreciate any input on that topic as well.

Thank you.

TRB on Fri March 07, 2014 11:15 PM

I do believe you need the Mastercool seals for your hose set. I don't think any residue will cause any issues when switch refrigerants.

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