Help with Spring Lock fittings?

My 1999 Jeep Cherokee has a leaky air conditioning hose. It is recommended to replace the accumulator and the orifice tube when you open up the AC system.

The suction and discharge hose assembly came off with no problems. The accumulator was even easier.

The orifice tube is part of a part called the liquid line which is a metal hard line with spring lock fittings on either end. One end came free with a struggle but the other end has not been cooperative at all.

I have tried with both of these tool sets:

http://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece-a-c-fuel-line-disconnect-set-98118.html

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_Disconnect-Tool-(9-Piece)-Autocraft_9010298-P_N3412_T%7CGRP2083____

I tried spraying the fitting with PB Blaster to see if that would help. No dice.

I tried heating it up with a small propane torch. I didn't want to get it too hot for fear of melting the plastic disconnect tool.

I can twist the pipe I want to remove relative to the pipe that is staying in place so I don't think it is the o-rings giving me a hard time.

Any other tips or secrets I should know?

And to add some quasi-Miata-related content I am also trying to separate a spring lock fitting on a 1991 Mercury Tracer LTS with a Mazda BP motor in it.

The spring lock on that car is also completely stubborn.

When I went to the parts store they sold me something called an orifice tube repair kit:

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/parts/Santech-A-C-Orifice-Tube/1991-Mercury-Tracer//N-itkilZ9pelh?counter=2&filterByKeyWord=orifice&fromString=search&itemIdentifier=891059_122459_0

It looks like a replacement orifice tube (some kind of filter for the AC system that keeps junk out of the condensor) and a piece of tubing with compression fittings on either end.

Am I to assume that the reason this repair kit is offered is that spring locks are total pieces of junk and that the idea here is to cut out the a little bit of the existing tubing and the spring lock and replace it with this new piece of tubing and compression fittings?

No, the addition is an inline fiter that keeps crap out of the orifice tube. Most useful when a compressor lunches itself.

As for disconnecting lube the part of the tool that goes into the fitting with a bit of sillicone lube, then shove it as far in as you can. It is designed to expand a circular spring retainer and it sounds like you arent expanding it sufficiently. I like the metal ones as you arent as afraid to put pressure on them.

maybe you put the "repair kit" in line someplace?

spring lock fittings tend to be real easy, or a real pain. make sure you're getting the tool in far enough, and you might need to turn it if there are gaps in the tool to make sure you get all of the latches lifted. worst case, see if you can get replacement plastic clip pieces that go in the fitting, and just break the one thats in there.

porksboy wrote: No, the addition is an inline fiter that keeps crap out of the orifice tube. Most useful when a compressor lunches itself.

But the orifice tube itself seems to be nothing more than a little filter that keeps crap from getting into the condenser.

The AC system in the Tracer won't take a charge of R-134a. I vacuumed out the system and it holds vacuum. I jumped the compressor clutch and it spins, but it won't pull anything from the can. The pressure on the low side jumps up to like 80 psi and the high side pressure goes to about 140 psi. This is without putting and significant amount of refrigerant in the system.

I think the high side is supposed to be 3-5x higher pressure than the low side. The low side isn't supposed to have so much pressure. The tube leading from the evaporator to the condenser is very cold and has ice on the outside of it.

I think the o-tube (or maybe something else) is clogged and that is causing the high pressure on the low side.