Hi all,

I had to recently replace my condenser in my TJS2. It had lost all gas thanks to being damaged. I replaced the condenser with a KF one about 2 months ago, that actually had different piping to the drier bottle. I was unable to locate this piping for about 3 weeks so I had the drier bottle exposed to the elements.

With so much exposure to the air - I'd expect the drier to be shot and therefore I'd need to replace it.
Is there any special way to do so and anything I should take note of?
The drier can only be exposed to air for a short amount of time so does anyone know if it can be installed while being sealed and does it already have oil in it?

Once I replace the drier I'm going to send it off to have the air removed via vacuum and regassed as necessary.

Would the compresser or any other parts have get damaged without aircon gas running through it?

Appreciate any and every help with this.

Cheers,
TheKovac

First I'd google "replacing a/c drier"....I just tried that and there are lots of sites with good instructions.
Other than that, I'd agree with your assumptions re keeping moisture out. Last time I replaced a drier was on a Commodore - the nuts and pipes that attach to the drier were aluminium so use 2 spanners and do not overtighten - new "O" rings of course and do not allow any of the PAG oil to get on the threads of the drier as it react with moisture in the air and can corrode the connection. The bloke doing the regas will decide if the oil needs topping up - I'd guess that unless you lost some he would not worry although it can also be drained and replaced in total. The compressor will not engage whilst there is no gas due to the low pressure switch preventing it. All exposed ends of piping should be sealed to prevent moisture entering and causing corrosion which is why it is not wise to buy a compressor off a wreck as you are never sure if moisture/rain has entered.
If it was me, I'd refit the drier taking precautions as mentioned above and then go to the A/C bloke and explain to him exactly what has happened...they are pretty well wised up to most situations so you should be OK. Hope it all goes well as you seem to have covered all angles. Good Luck.