On my IH 4900 with a 466 engine, it keeps freezing the air line up running from the compressor to the dryer receiver. I've changed out the dryer receiver with a rebuilt unit, do this every year but every once in a while it will still freeze that line, any ideas or suggestions as to what is causing it or how to prevent it? I've never really had any issue's after the receiver dryer. Its usually within the first couple feet off the compressor is where the ice is that causes the problem.
Freezing between the compressor and the dryer seems strange.:beatsme Maybe that line needs to be pitched down to the dryer so water doesn't collect, maybe it has low spots in it? Is it copper?
Like Mitch says,, that is strange... that should be the warmest line in the system.
you col try air brake anti freeze, but the compressor puts out hot air. strange that's where it freezes, up because as soon as you start your engine the compressor makes warm air so it should unfreeze rapidly. never had air line that close to air comp freeze
Randy. Have you been drinking ?
I'm guessing this freezes up while the truck is sitting. Maybe the dryer gets some sunshine on it and frosts up the line? Just park the truck facing East (if the receiver is on the driver side)
If it's an IH it has that stupid copper line to the air dryer. I have had them freeze before, but you just take the line off the compressor, and after disconnecting the other end at the dryer, put air brake antifreeze into the compressor end with a small funnel. About half a bottle should do it. Then start truck so the compressor blows the air guard out. Should fix the problem. I would guess you maybe haven't used the truck since it got cold?
We've got a truck that does that... That's the issue that causes ours to freeze... It's a long line from the compressor to the air dryer, and it has a slight low spot... it will eventually freeze solid when the truck sits, so the compressor can't pump any air through to unfreeze it... That's what I do, but... In the line from the compressor to the air dryer, Randy... OCR...
Shopguy, no I haven't been drinking, been too busy, but on days its really tempting, especially when it comes to dealing with this truck and this problem. The receiver dryer is mounted behind the cab, on the inside of the frame rail, under the frame rail, so once it comes off the compressor, the metal line curves down, turns into a rubber hose and runs along the inside of the frame rail to the dryer, it should be downhill the whole way. It was frozen up again this weekend while sitting in the shed at home, spent an hour to get it to move so we could get what we needed out from behind it, but had been running it daily getting it in and out of the shed, so we didn't have to shut up the compartments on the service body. We use rubbing alcohol to get it thawed out, buy it by the case it seems and keep it in the cab, along with a flashlight and wrenches, just behind the drivers seat, this is the only truck we've ever had issues with, none of the rest have ever caused an ounce of problem in this area, they have their own set of issues, just not this one. We keep it inside an unheated shed when its home, right now its in a customers yard to save the daily drive to and from home but goes to the field every day. It has happened or can happen anytime it gets cold out, been known to happen while sitting on a jobsite and when we start it up to go home, it will be frozen up and need to unhook both ends and dump in rubbing alcohol. Every year we put a new receiver dryer on, yes the heater is working on that, its the first thing we checked this weekend to make sure. I'm thinking we've put the hose on new before from the compressor to the dryer to make sure it wasn't a bad hose on the inside somewhere, but I'd have to actually look at it to tell for sure.
Randy.... move down by Willie59.... that would eliminate your problem. lol... Grandpa....lol
Too busy and too much to do locally to go south, that and its not really that hot down there this week anyhow. Then again the fords, pete's and freightliners seem to keep running, maybe its just an international thing.
Replace the copper with Teflon lined braided stainless. You should be able to get the same fittings installed on each end.
My guess is it's freezing where the transition is between copper and hose. You need to throw that stupid copper pipe out. What's more than likely happening is when the truck cools off, frost is forming on the pipe. Furthermore, if it's like all my Internationals that pipe probably has rubbed through or cracked somewhere and has a splice, further compounding the problem.
Ok we'll gladly try anything at this point, I'll see if I can find one that fits in its place. Thanks for the help.
Does this truck have a filter on the compressor were it gets its air?
Randy does it have a check valve at the dryer end of that line that could be leaking air /water back? Re,move the line at the compressor at shutdown and see what you get,BTW hows your Cummins doing?
Years back I had a couple of problem trucks and added a brake line anti-freeze sniffer kit . Was a small adaptor that went between the compressor and filter with a copper line to a plastic reservoir . Just had to start using it a couple of weeks before the cold started . Most will just tell you that you are not doing something right but sometimes you need just the thing to run . That is what I did
Old Doug, no filter at the compressor that I'm aware of, but I'll double check when I get near it in the next few days, right now its sitting at a jobsite. Shopguy, I'd have to look again but I don't think there is a check valve at the dryer, as for the cummins, its running fine, but the torque and transmission are a very long story and as of now, its sitting till someone can come up with an idea of what is wrong with them, I'll have to pm you to update you on that whole debackle. Tiny, never heard of that before, where do you get it from. As for just needing the thing to run, that's a mild understatement.
Should be able to get an alcohol sniffer at your local parts store Randy.