AC Dryer: To Clamp or Not to Clamp?

[Al Powell]

I'm finishing up the AC work on my 1990 200 and I have a question about the 
dryer (mounted in very little room under the plastic cover near the 
firewall.)

Getting the old dryer out was a PITA due to the fact that the hose clamp held 
it in place, but the metal hose fitting coming in from the evaporator 
(passenger side fitting) was not flexible and required the dryer to be moved 
over before it would clear the fitting.  Much tugging and pulling was 
involved.

I'm real tempted to replace the dryer but leave that damn hose clamp off it - 
in other words, not to clamp it down using the hose clamp at all.  The 
fitting from the evaporator is so stiff that the dryer can't go anywhere, so 
I don't see that this would cause damage.

HOWEVER - any BTDT's?  if the dryer heavy enough when the system is full that 
it would flex the evaporator side fitting and cause cracks?

Please reply directly to me: powellae at home.com. Thanks!

************************************
Al Powell
Fort Collins, CO
powellae at home.com
cougfan1 at gocougs.wsu.edu
************************************