Date: Sat, 16 May 2015 13:50:51 +0000
Reply-To: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: RELIABLE Air Conditioning!
In-Reply-To: <0NOF0061A75QAV60@tmta134046.mailsrvcs.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
There are numerous A/C threads on thesamba.com, including one I cannot find right now by a guy who shows his step-by-step redo of his Westy's complete system. He yanked all the hoses and had new ones made by a local shop that used the existing fittings, and he replaced the expansion valve and receiver/dryer, and purged the whole system and added new oil and refrigerant. Not especially cheap or easy, but a complete job done by an owner with normal skills and it cost him just a fraction of what a shop would need to charge for the work.
My own '87 Westy had a complete working system when we bought it but it would not blow cold. A local shop quoted me $2000 to "get it cooling" but I think that was to scare me away. I figured I had nothing to lose by trying a cheapo R134a conversion from my local FLAPS and that worked. There is a leak that requires me to recharge the system about once a season, but with a fresh charge it continues to work. I do need to do the system rehab and will likely work it in over some future winter, but the occasional recharge keeps me cool these days.
I'd suggest recharging your R134a system to see if you get any improvement. If it is leaking, chances the leak is at one of the fittings at the front of the van where the condenser connects to one of the two hoses. This is evidently what the PO of my van noted in the van's "life book" when she had the problem investigated.
I'll keep looking to see if I can find the Samba thread I mentioned. Good luck!
Stephen
On Friday, May 15, 2015 10:06 PM, PSD <psdooley@VERIZON.NET> wrote:
Your challenge comes from the fact that your system was designed for R12 but now is using R134A.
The 134 is slightly less efficient and operates at slightly higher pressures. It also leaks out easier.
There are lots of little details that need to be addressed to get maximum cooling and longevity from the system.
To avoid leaks you can get compatible seals(orings). To improve cooling you need better heat transfer. Modern cars use parallel flow condensers, which I don't know if the Vanagon has but would certainly benefit from.
Airflow through the condenser is important too. The later model Vanagons have a powerful radiator fan, so I assume that is good enough. The seal between the radiator and condenser has to be tight to get maximum airflow flow through the condenser. The condenser needs to be clean too, inside and out, along with the evaporator.
In fact if I was re-doing the system, the entire thing would come out. All the coils cleaned on the outside, flushed on the inside, new 134A compatible expansion valve and drier, proper oil and the proper amount, etc..
It's a big topic and I'm rambling, but it's the details that make it work.
You probably need to jump on the web and do some reading.
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of PB
Sent: Friday, May 15, 2015 8:44 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: RELIABLE Air Conditioning!
Is there anyone who has good, cold, reliable air conditioning that has
worked for years? If so, how did you achieve that?
I supposedly have air conditioning in my 90 Westy automatic, but it isn't
very cold. It was converted to R143A by the previous owner. I haven't
done anything to it at all because I don't know if it needs to be
recharged, repaired, or replaced.
What can I do to ensure that I have cold AC that works whenever I need it?
(I've heard discouraging AC information - so if there's anything
encouraging, I'd like to know about it.)
Patti
90 Westy Automatic
Los Angeles (Temp goes up to 115 degrees in the summer!)
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