A/C O-Rings - Which ones do you use?

[diyjake]

I know there is a lot of professional mechanics on this site so I wanted to ask what O-Rings do you guys use for A/C repairs? I know OEM is the best but that is very inconvenient and sometimes takes awhile to get.

Please share which brands you use and where do you get them from?

 

[kschachn]

OEM is not necessarily "best", it is quite likely to be the same material as an aftermarket HNBR o-ring. Just buy a reputable brand of those packets of assorted rings (they are generally green) and you will do fine. I bought the last few packs from either Rock Auto or Amazon.

This is applicable if you're referring to R-134a, is your system using a different refrigerant?

Here is a reference:

http://www.santech.com/images/pdfs/TD030201.pdf

 

[bdcardinal]

Either OEM or we have one of those 4 drawer kits from 4 Seasons with all sorts of little parts.

 

[diyjake]

A few cars that I had to do a/c repair work I always ended up reusing the original o-rings because the ones i got from advance auto parts or autozone were never a perfect fit. Although the o-rings were the correct size the diameter was slightly smaller / not as beefy as the OEM and I felt like they would not seal as good as they should.

I assumed the pro's use a specific brand that is a good alternative to OEM.

 

[atikovi]

I assume the compressor I just ordered will come with them.

 

[Chris142]

Whatever the green ones are. We stock hundreds of different sizes.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted by atikovi
I assume the compressor I just ordered will come with them.

Some do, some don't. Same with the oil, some come pre-filled, some don't. Really don't know until they show up.

 

[pbm]

Originally Posted by diyjake
A few cars that I had to do a/c repair work I always ended up reusing the original o-rings because the ones i got from advance auto parts or autozone were never a perfect fit. Although the o-rings were the correct size the diameter was slightly smaller / not as beefy as the OEM and I felt like they would not seal as good as they should.

I assumed the pro's use a specific brand that is a good alternative to OEM.



I haven't done a whole lot of AC work but when I evacuated and recharged the system last summer to replace a crash damaged condenser
I had to reuse the original O-rings because it wouldn't hold vacuum with the aftermarket ones which were very close to the OE's...

 

[diyjake]

Originally Posted by Chris142
Whatever the green ones are. We stock hundreds of different sizes.


What brands do you guys use? The only assortment kit I could find was from harbor Freight and not sure I trust them for stuff like o-rings.

 

[diyjake]

Originally Posted by pbm
Originally Posted by diyjake
A few cars that I had to do a/c repair work I always ended up reusing the original o-rings because the ones i got from advance auto parts or autozone were never a perfect fit. Although the o-rings were the correct size the diameter was slightly smaller / not as beefy as the OEM and I felt like they would not seal as good as they should.

I assumed the pro's use a specific brand that is a good alternative to OEM.



I haven't done a whole lot of AC work but when I evacuated and recharged the system last summer to replace a crash damaged condenser
I had to reuse the original O-rings because it wouldn't hold vacuum with the aftermarket ones which were very close to the OE's...


That is what I didn't want to happen since the o-rings I had didn't have the snug seal (original ones did but the new aftermarket ones didn't).

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted by diyjake
Originally Posted by Chris142
Whatever the green ones are. We stock hundreds of different sizes.


What brands do you guys use? The only assortment kit I could find was from harbor Freight and not sure I trust them for stuff like o-rings.


The kit we have is from 4 Seasons.

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted by diyjake
What brands do you guys use? The only assortment kit I could find was from harbor Freight and not sure I trust them for stuff like o-rings.

No me neither. As I said above Rock Auto sells reputable brands (such as 4 Seasons like bcardinal mentioned), as well as Amazon. Here is an example for my old Sienna:

https://www.amazon.com/Four-Seasons...----1&vehicleName=1999+Toyota+Sienna

but buy a kit that is geared towards your vehicle.

You didn't answer if this is for an R-134a system or not?

 

[sloinker]

Green,orange,yellow,purple,black. In that order. Color has nothing to do with type or quality.

 

[diyjake]

Originally Posted by kschachn
Originally Posted by diyjake
What brands do you guys use? The only assortment kit I could find was from harbor Freight and not sure I trust them for stuff like o-rings.

No me neither. As I said above Rock Auto sells reputable brands (such as 4 Seasons like bcardinal mentioned), as well as Amazon. Here is an example for my old Sienna:

https://www.amazon.com/Four-Seasons...----1&vehicleName=1999+Toyota+Sienna

but buy a kit that is geared towards your vehicle.

You didn't answer if this is for an R-134a system or not?


Sorry I missed that, yes it is R-134a.

I was hoping to find an decent assortment kit but can't seem to find one from Four Seasons.