Date: Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:59:45 -0400
Reply-To: dvdclarksn@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Clarkson <dvdclarksn@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: AC Repair report
In-Reply-To: <200908281500.n7SF0xM41104@sbw.org>
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When I went through all of this with my van I found that the drain hoses were very tight on the drip tray and had to be heated to get them on securely. Then one of the nipples that the hoses connects to was broken. Fixed that with some good epoxy. I remember getting those tubes routed and connected was a major PITA. Could they be loose or the nipples broken?
?
David Clarkson
90 Westy
-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Williams <sbw@SBW.ORG>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Fri, Aug 28, 2009 11:00 am
Subject: Re: AC Repair report
At 09:47 PM 8/27/2009, Michael Hart wrote:?
>... Mark at San Carlos Auto Radiator & AC ...?
?
Mark's shop worked up an estimate on my '84 shortly after I bought it?
in April. I found him very nice to work with.?
?
My A/C wasn't getting cold. Mark said he found a major leak in the?
compressor. He said he couldn't effectively test the rest of the?
system until the compressor was replaced. Fair enough.?
?
The estimate was more than I wanted to spend (and I didn't have time?
to do the R&R myself, as Michael wisely did), so I put it off.?
?
In May, I took my camper to GoWesty to have the new?
higher-compression engine put in along with a lot of other?
work. They wanted to fill up the A/C and pressure test it. I?
resisted at first, on the strength of Mark's report.?
?
In the end, I told GoWesty to go ahead. They charged up the system?
with their preferred gas (I've forgotten the details) and said it?
pressure-tested fine.?
?
Now, I'm pretty sure Mark in San Carlos DID find a leak in the?
compressor, but it is surprising that the compressor now works?
well. Maybe GoWesty uses a sealant or seal conditioner? I don't?
know. Mark seemed very competent and honest, so I doubt he was wrong?
about the leak.?
?
I ran the A/C for about 2,000 miles, and it worked fine except for?
two complaints unrelated to leaks:?
?
?- Condensation dripped on my luggage after an hour or so.?
?- The engine tends to stall at stop signs when the compressor is running.?
?- The compressor whines pretty loudly.?
?
I returned to GoWesty in June. To address the dripping, they?
replaced a broken condensation catch tray with a good used one. I?
didn't ask them to look into the stalling. (Don't remember why.)?
?
On the whine, GoWesty recommended running the compressor until it?
fails, since it's an expensive item.?
?
I used the A/C rarely over the summer, if you can believe it. I just?
didn't need it in June, when I drove to New York, and then I didn't?
drive much for a couple of months.?
?
I needed the A/C badly when I left New York this week. I fired it?
up, and it worked great. But after a couple of hours, it started?
dripping again. So I switched it off.?
?
At Westy Ventures a few days ago, we found the drain hose was running?
"uphill" from the catch tray, so we tied it down with a couple of?
clamps. It now runs level with the bottom of the cabinet all the way?
to the closet.?
?
I fired up the A/C on the next long leg, and it still?
drips. However, whereas before it dripped pretty much all around,?
including at the front where the new clamps are, this time I saw a?
drip only at the rear left corner. (Are there drain hoses at the back, too?)?
?
I haven't had time to look into it further. I'd welcome any?
troubleshooting tips for the dripping, and brainstorming on the rest?
of the issues.?