Hi Val,
You can probably buy a new one pretty cheap, but if you look at old car restoration the same way I do, you would rather restore an old part if you can than go out and buy a cheap new one. I've often spent an irrational number of hours restoring some part of an old car rather than just picking up a Chinese replacement. I remember well how it totally raised my blood pressure when my body shop lost a bunch of the factory original screws for my 300C. Sure, the hardware store might have pretty similar new ones, but that just ain't the same in my book. The receiver/dryer is in the same category. You can save it, so why replace it?
Here is what I posted a week or two ago:
------ If you can't or don't want to buy a new receiver/drier (which is your A/C system's garbage can) it is possible to "rejuvenate" your old one. Use an old toaster oven - which you probably keep around anyway to bake paint on small parts. Take it out into the garage or outdoors and bake the receiver/drier in it at 400 degrees for a couple of hours. It may stink to the high heavens, but that process will boil out whatever garbage is in there - same as turning on your self-cleaning oven. Give it a new coat of paint, bake it again at 250 for 15 minutes, and it will look and perform like a brand new champ again.
It's easy. Enjoy.
Keith Boonstra
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