Hi fellow Vanagonites, I finally got around to joining the list and this is my first post. What a great resource for Vanagon-addicted volks like me! Speaking of the AC challenges of Vanagons, I recently switched from R12 to 134A on my 84 Westy and put in a new compressor, AC drier, expansion valve and retrofit kit. What a waste of money! It works OK (not great) up to about 90 degrees and then the high-speed fan kicks in and shuts off the compressor until the temp goes down a bit. So the hotter it gets, the less AC cooling there is for the sweaty people inside. I can understand the logic of giving the engine cooling priority, but it is a drag that the system can't handle proper AC cooling at high temps. Every time I go up a hill the temp goes up a bit and the interior starts cooking. Also, the new (not rebuilt) compressor makes just as much noise as the old one! My 1990 Syncro also has a noisy (R12) compressor. Should have ripped the whole thing out and saved a lot of money. But now that I am into this so deep, I would like to make it work as best as possible. Does Duracool really help that much? Or is this as good as it gets? Keith O 84 Westy "Brownie" 90 Westy Syncro (no name for the pastel white box yet) |
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