I have a 95 Jeep Cherokee Sport and am replacing the AC condenser, accumulator, and hoses. The "just like OEM" high side compressor to condenser hose I ordered doesn't have a high side service port on it. I know I don't need it to charge the system so should I just install the hose as is or send it back and get a custom hose with a port in it? Perhaps someone sells short lengths of pipe with a port in it so I don't have to reorder an entire hose?

Send it back! They make cars without high side ports which is as dumb as it gets. You don't really need it for recharge but it is usefull for precharging when system is under vaccum before the final charge.

Also great to charge slowly and watch both pressures as you go. If you can just add the exact weight that's always best.

Consider not having it for a future problem and you will be left without a great diagnosic bit of information without it.

Your call really but I'd get the right one,

T
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
http://www.acsource.com/

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http://www.autoacsystems.com/tomgreenleaf/

Thanks Tom...that makes sense. I had trouble finding this hose in the first place and it was (wrongfully) advertised as an OEM replacement. Took about a week to get here. Would you recommend purchasing from an online custom hose dealer or is this something a local Auto Parts store should be able to fabricate?

If you have trouble getting the right hose locally I can suggest a place that will ship it right out. No need to custom make this,

T
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
http://www.acsource.com/

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http://www.autoacsystems.com/tomgreenleaf/

Tom,
No luck on finding hoses locally here. Do you have a contact. I'm in CT and will be up in Boston this weekend, perhaps it is a shop in your area?

I'm in Marlborough and use NAPA the most. Nobody here seems to have a comprehensive stock of A/C parts. I'll use on line for major stuff now as some are better and asking for that brand frequently confuses the parts folks here.

I don't use the chain stores that much or the dealers unless I have to but most will find what you want to your spec. Trouble is returning stuff if not what you asked for if it was a special order.

If you really have trouble with the part try ACsource in AZ 602-595-6430 and ask for BJ or Warren and say I sent you. Could take a few days to get to CT. Another site I'm at sells some parts but deals more with equipment and info but does have some parts.

I'd just get a place near you to find what you want for this and specify that you want the exact right hose.

Hit back again and I'll hook with up with my NAPA guy who will hunt it down for you and send it to a NAPA near you for next day which is possible because their huge warehouse is in upstate NY and I've never waited more than two days for difficult parts if they are listed at all,

T
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
http://www.acsource.com/

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http://www.autoacsystems.com/tomgreenleaf/

Update: Thanks for all your help. Turns out I decided to stay with the original hose. Originally it looked like it would still fit the compressor but it was hard to tell. Once I had the system apart I had to remove the condenser and accumulator with hoses attached since the hoses were rusted to the unit. I had no choice but to install the wrong hose now (which was advertised online as the correct one yet turns out it didn't fit correctly...I would have sent it back but the return would have costed $15 in restocking and shipping for the $25 hose!). In any event I was now stuck...yikes. I tightened the hoses (just over hand tight) on the condenser and left the accumulator hoses unattached. I also had the compressor hose unattached on the compressor side. I secured everything in the engine compartment using zip ties and covering the ends with dust covers and saran wrap.
I called every auto parts store I could with no joy. All they could recommend was a hose shop about an hour away which they weren't sure fabricated the hose and the dealership. I went online and found Ray's Auto A/C site (Ray Everitt) and realized he was located an hour and a half away on a common route I take to Boston. I could have ordered a hose section online but after my saga above decided I needed a professional opinion to get it right. I emailed him and while traveling through Mass stopped by his shop. He was awesome! He came out and took a look at what I had and found a better way to run the short section to the compressor. He then cut the length of hose as I waited. It was a short one foot straight length with a high side port in it. He charged me $25, a lot less than some dealer might have charged for the full length hose I'm sure, plus it meant I didn't need to pull the condenser and radiator again! I was out of there in under a half hour. I made sure I kept the system from being contaminated throughout this process so I didn't go through a full flush. I poured 4 ounces of oil down the hose and connected all of the hoses up. I then added a can of UV fluourescent containing R134a I got at Walmart and a can and a half or so of straight R134a to get the pressure up. I had to tighten one fitting since an obvious leak was present. I have been running it for two days and the A/C works great (knock on wood!). My system had been 'dead' for over 5 years! If you ever need custom A/C hose I recommend Ray's site. This fix seems to have worked great and it was nice to deal with some solid good customer service.

Ray Everett had a monster A/C biz in Westboro, MA. I thought he had given it up but I guess not. His shop was about 10 miles from me -- small world,

T
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
http://www.acsource.com/

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http://www.autoacsystems.com/tomgreenleaf/