Black vs. green a/c o-rings

[atikovi]

2003 Honda has these black ones on the lines at the compressor,

any reason I can't use the green ones in a Santech assortment?

 

[Trav]

No reason you cannot use them, o rings can come in any color you want in the same material.

 

[Jmlo96]

I'm not the authority on this, but I've tried those generic AC o-rings before and had leaks. The worst was on my Subaru which caused the refrigerant to leak out within 8 months. When I changed the o-ring, they were flat and worn out.

 

[Soft Cars]

Green could mean silicone maybe.

 

[97prizm]

Green could mean silicone maybe.

This Color usually is indicative of the material.

 

[ctechbob]

In general:

BUT: **It is never safe to assume an o-ring is a specific material based on the color alone.**

 

[Chris142]

An oring can be made in any color. Many oems use black. Green is generally used in ac systems.

 

[Trav]

I have over 20,000 o rings in stock, when I order them I choose the size, material and color. They have over a dozen colors and many shades to choose from. So the poster was correct when he posted you cant go by color.

 

[Lubener]

Oem's that I have bought have always been black.

 

[Jetronic]

I have over 20,000 o rings in stock, when I order them I choose the size, material and color. They have over a dozen colors and many shades to choose from. So the poster was correct when he posted you cant go by color.

So do you use a specific colour for a specific material when ordering? I would, just for easy visual confirmation

 

[Trav]

I try to replace with the like color the OE used. Blue, black, red and green are the majority but yellow and purple are also common.
I order the yellow Viton ETP 600s 75 for methanol and nitro methane use and Viton A75 for most others.

 

[Trav]

Oem's that I have bought have always been black.

Purple is also commonly chosen for oil pump upgraded seals.

 

[Kira]

My exposure to Viton was working on buildings' water pumps (domestic water).
This was a while back and the green color was a dab on an otherwise black o-ring.

 

[atikovi]

From a Google search where green is HNBR (hydrogenated nitrile rubber) and black is NBR,

HNBR has better heat resistance; oxidation resistance; tensile strength and abrasion resistance than standard nitrile (NBR). Also an excellent choice for automotive refrigerant service. Both o-rings and gaskets can be made from Nitrile materials.

 

[Trav]

Do not go by color. It is not a reliable indicator of the material being used.

https://www.theoringstore.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=367_2038

 

[Vern_in_IL]

Green is for 134a systems that run higher pressures than R-12 refrigerants.

 

[wtd]

I used the green ones when I re-did the systems in both of my 98 Chevy trucks as well as my 92 Cavalier that I still use R12 in. All three have been fine for years with no leaks.

 

[atikovi]

Do not go by color. It is not a reliable indicator of the material being used.

https://www.theoringstore.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=367_2038

Picked up the green assortment in my OP for under $10. Made specifically for a/c lines so should be ok.

 

[Lubener]

Purple is also commonly chosen for oil pump upgraded seals.

I was thinking a/c systems.

 

[spackard]

I had some greens and some blues (for refrigeration) and tried rubbing them in some engine oil. I forget which color, but one almost immediately disintegrated in my fingers. I learned from that to keep joint clean of engine oil, and to try the O-ring with the appropriate refrigerant oil before assembly. Also, if you use any flush chemical try it with the O-ring first.