I have a '97 blazer with a noticeable a/c leak at the threaded fitting on the a/c dryer vessel (this threaded connection faces toward the passenger compartment). I can feel the leak blowing with my fingers after re-charging. I'm a little reluctant to put much torque of the fitting to tighten, but, from what I can tell it is fairly tight. Any thoughts on how to proceed? Thanks, Tom

 

I'd recover the refrigerant, open the fitting and install a new O-ring there, tighten to spec and recharge the system with exactly the correct amount of refrigerant.

You could do something else, it's your truck. But that would be the way to "fix it right."

If it's already leaking, tightening it further won't fix the cracked/cut o-ring and stop the leak.

 

Many thanks.

 

Don't be surprised if there are more leaking orings than just that one. The truck is about 20 years old now, and if the system has ever been apart and the old seals reused, they may all need to be done.

I'd replace the one known bad seal, and then add a little dye to the system before recharging. Then check for leaks at all connections and repair as necessary.

 

Actually, if the failed one is "extra crispy," I'd probably just replace all of the seals before I even tried to evacuate and recharge it. Refrigerant O-rings are really inexpensive.