Automotive Air Conditioning Information Forum

That hose is strange looking, all right. It appears to be formed that way, but who knows? Dodge might have done that for clearance purposes.

What year is your van? Using the year, you could look-up the van's OE A/C parts and see what turns up (whether the replacement line is the same).

Cold Hose in Ocala, Florida, might be able to help you. They make lots of custom fittings and lines for MVAC systems.

Can you get in there with an oxy-acetylene torch (#1 tip or smaller) to heat-up the ends of the studs cherry red? If so, the nuts will come right off. Better wash off all the PB Blaster, though, and have a fire extinguisher ready.

As far as I can tell neither has been replaced. But they both look good and the fans seem to operate properly.
The fans could be "tired"—that is, not spinning at full speed. They should be operating with a noticeable roar. If not, I would replace them.

Also, check that all fan shrouds are in ...

Note: This topic is four years old.

Contrary to the Factory Service Manual, elevated pressure on the high side usually indicates a condensing issue. At a 96°F ambient temperature, the high side should be ~225 PSI with decent condensing.

Do you happen to know whether the condenser and fan(s) have ever been replaced?

I have a sneaking suspicion that the system's high pressure problems might be rooted in a defective block-style TXV and/or the condenser.

If you replace the TXV, check to see whether an OE part is available.

Also replace the Receiver/Dryer, and do that last, every time you open the system to the ...

The trick is to begin with a "dry" system—that is, no oil and no refrigerant. That way, you can start anew by adding the precise amounts of oil and refrigerant according to the manufacturer's specifications—either by oil-balancing the system (discussed at length in the Archives), or by adding all ...

IMHO, the comments from Cusser are right-on.

In addition, I would like to add that if you live in an area of the country that uses chemicals on the roads to melt ice and snow in Winter, you probably have additional pinhole leaks in those lines routed down low and behind the radiator. If the metal ...

So, I can’t put an expansion valve in there so you still think a fixed tube is better than a variable? Why are diesel excursion guys in TX and AZ loving them. I am lost there.
John, How about plan outlined?
I'm not an MVAC engineer and/or MVAC system designer. That said, I stay with the original ...