A/C repair report, national treasure

[Doyt W. Echelberger]

Just some notes based on today's experience with keeping my old Freon 
system going in 95 degree Ohio weather.  While adjusting alternator belt 
tension, a tool bumped a swaged fitting on an A/C return hose, and the hose 
started blowing Freon. Lost a pound.

Checked cost of new hose from dealer....$150 range and 4 days to delivery 
from warehouse. 4 days at 95 degrees.

Following multiple leads, found an A/C shop that rebuilds hoses in 
Sandusky, Ohio.  Owner was busy as he wanted to be, didn't accept all that 
showed up, but agreed to build me a new hose if I opened  up the work area 
for him so all he had to do was wrench the hose and get it on his bench. An 
hour in the hot sun at the side of his shop and I had space for his 
wrenches. He  pumped down the system and took off the return hose. He found 
that I had 100% Freon with some air contamination, and he salvaged a pound 
of Freon (at $55 per).

With the old hose on his bench, he used a cutting wheel to slice the swag 
sheaths holding the end fittings on to the old hose. He used some pliers to 
grab and wiggle the cut sheaths open, and then he pulled the end pieces off 
the old hose and finished removing what was left of the swag 
sheaths.......the part that is crimped around the hose. He then slid new 
metal tubes over the fittings and brazed them in place.  Then he cut a 
length of new hose and slid it onto the prepared fitting. He then took out 
a special air tool that was like a metal hand, which surrounded the 
uncrimped sheath. The activated tool hammered away at the sheath, crimping 
it and pounding it very precisely until he had a newly swagged fitting on 
each end of the new hose.

Total work time to pump down the system, pull and repair the hose, get it 
back on the car, and replace Freon was one hour.....$50 labor.  Swag parts 
& shop fees = $12.  Another pound of Freon to bring it up to pressure= 
$55.  Ohio tax = $7.   Total cost back to cold air = $124.  That's less 
than just the cost of a new hose from the dealer.

This mechanic stayed until 6 PM to finish this job up and bill me out. I 
found him to be unique in town, because most shops just won't mess around 
with rebuilding old hoses, much less staying an hour late to get a customer 
back on the road. I know because I shopped around before I found this guy. 
Wrigley's Auto Electrix, 1229 West Perkins Avenue, Sandusky, Ohio 44870. 
(419)625-8156. He also rebuilds alternators. Real nice big clean shop with 
all kinds of great tools and parts, 2 generous lifts that would handle 
trucks. I think he may do exhaust systems also, because I saw maybe 30 0f 
them hanging on one wall. This place deserves recognition as a national 
treasure, IMO.  So, I write this message of hope and good will. Finding 
this resource sure made my day. All the other options involved roasting 
until about Friday and taking out bank loans to pay for the parts and 
service. The guy is a New Zeelander with a military mechanic background, 
and he talked of retiring soon. And he whistled while he worked, enjoying 
every minute of it.

Doyt Echelberger