Anyone know of any decent aftermarket sources to find replacement A/C pipes? My A/C packed up last week in France, took it to mates garage this morning and he pressured it up and we could hear it leaking. Traced it to the pipe that comes off the top of the compressor and has the sensor on it. It's actually cracked where the stalk (that the sensor sits on) attaches to the thicker metal part of the pipe again. Pt number is 1KO 820 721 BN. He rang a couple of places, one was going to get back to him and the other had a price for a genuine pipe at a ridiculous price of £189+VAT. It's only about a foot long for god sake. If I have to go that route then so be it but would obviously prefer to pay less if a good aftermarket place does them. Looked at second hand and they are about but then you don't know what condition they are in or if they'll get damaged in transit.

 

Thanks in advance.

Try somewhere that does hydraulic pipes. Normally if you can take them what you need to copy, and tell them you don't need a receipt, they'll help.

Here's a pic (from ebay) of the pipe that's gone so don't think it would be that simple. There's a New Holland dealership a couple of miles away that we get our hydraulic hoses made up when they burst, I know they couldn't make one of these up for sure. I know one of the chaps in there does brazing. Might be worth considering if he thinks the pipe could take it. Was hoping a company like Febi, Valeo et al manufactured A/C pipes and could go that way. 

 

Yeah, probably a bit of an ask to make from scratch. If it's off the car, I'd take it and ask, agricultural engineers aren't like car technicians, they actually like mending stuff.

Perhaps you could use some specialist epoxy/aluminium type product to repair the crack.

Do you guys have hose specialists in the UK.

 

I used to make AC hoses all the time (and power steer, brakes, etc) when i worked fro a firm called ENZED.  Also Pirtek.  If it's a firm that does hoses & fittings then they should be able to do something that works.

Pirtek are in the UK.

Check whether the cars at a scrappy have had their refrigerant removed as part of decon before they are put on display.

Should be a source of cheap replacement.