The capillary tube on my a/c switch snapped off. Do I need to replace the entire tube, and if so, how? Can I soder it back?

Also, I am on vacation, so I rigged the a/c compressor to run with a simple toggle switch. I am running it about 3 or 4 minutes at a time. Will I fry the compressor? I figure that this is like running the a/c at full on, which the manual says to do only for short periods of time.

On my way to Key West, just going to get warmer.

Thanks!
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85 240 DL, 89 245 DL, 415,000 miles

Hey Chuck the same exact thing happened on my '79 244 and I went to pick-n-pull and saw many good a/c switches with intact capillary tubes but I don't know how to get them off of the car. Where does the capillary tub connect to? I'm out in California sweating like crazy. Good luck in Flordia.---Paul

Go get a used switch from the pick the part. Should run you less than $5...i don't think you can repair the old one.

That tube is like the end of a thermometer. It just dead ends at the the evaporater and is clamped to the suction line to sense it's temperature. If tube is broken it cannot be repaired. Easy to replace but you have to dig through the black gooey stuff to get at the end.
No harm will result if compressor runs continuously, the worst that can happen is the evaporater may ice up which simply means you will lose cooling. In the meantime just turn the switch off and on as required. That is all the knob/switch does.
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David Hunter