Right now, I'm gearing up to repair my A/C system, and have a few questions that hopfully others here who are more familiar with this area may have answers to. 1. What are the lengths/specs of the High pressure, the Low pressure, and the Adaptor hoses? $170+ for each hose is kinda expensive, and I'm not exactly thrilled by the prospect of replacing my existing hoses, with more 22+ year old hoses for that price. So a nice price comparison to having new barrier hose punched for my car is a tempting alternative. Even if I had 50' of hose @ $5 a foot, it's still more economical. 2. If I did have custom hoses made, would there be a problem with fitting my stock adaptors to the new barrier hose? As I've read while researching this issue, barbed connectors can sometimes pierce the neoprene inner layer of the hose, resulting in a possible leak. 3. Does a Variable Orifice Valve (VOV) really help? So far in researching this little part, I've seen no cons for it's use listed. And, I have also seen ones designed specificly for "Severe Climates." 4. If leak detecting dye is added into the system, can this have any immediate, or long term negative effects on system performance, and/or component life? 5. Does the use of a VOV affect high & low pressues when attempting to charge/diagnose the system? 6. I know for a fact that the A/C switch on the accumulator has been tampered with. Should I attempt to modify this, or should I simply purchase a new switch to return it back to factory calibration? Thanks in advance, and if I have any more questions, I'll be sure and post them! ;) -Robert vin 6585 "X"