Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2019 22:11:00 -0500
Reply-To: Jeff Palmer <w.jeff.palmer@ICLOUD.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jeff Palmer <w.jeff.palmer@ICLOUD.COM>
Subject: Re: Fixing Vanagon Air Conditioning....trying at least
In-Reply-To: <CACK29c=-GHYE+bRiTLDhMX5g9GGbM1En4BpaL2vkDNGdEOofOQ@mail.gmail.com>
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That’s exactly what I was looking for. Thanks Steven.
Jeff
Sent from my iPhone
> On Aug 9, 2019, at 8:33 AM, Steven Shelton <shelton4@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I bought my 1985 new, so I can attest that the AC was barely adequate even
> when new, at least in Atlanta. Worthless in traffic, on the highway the air
> inside was actually cooler than outside, but not cool. I remember having to
> open the floor vent just to keep from frying my accelerator foot. Within a
> few years all the Freon leaked out. The AC tech though the leak was behind
> the cabinetry. To me it wasn't worth the money it would take to find and
> repair the leak. Since then I've removed the AC cabinet and put in a much
> thinner one that allows me to actually see down the road through the rear
> window. To me that's a lot more worthwhile than the AC ever was.
>
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>> On Fri, Aug 9, 2019 at 9:13 AM Steven Johnson <sjohnso2000@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Expense as with all older cars is really the crux of your issue. From
>> what I've read, it sounds like your AC
>> system needs a complete going over. Meaning many parts probably just need
>> to be replaced. Including
>> the hoses. When the AC system is new, it works just fine. Yes, it takes
>> some time to cool down the large
>> cabin but it works. I supplement mine with a couple of DC fans aimed
>> towards the front. You can try the
>> fix-in-a-can approach but in most cases, the system is just too far gone.
>> Parts are available. You just have
>> to be willing to pay for them... Otherwise, you're going to be rolling
>> down your windows.....
>>
>> Steven
>> 91 Westy
>>
>> On Thu, Aug 8, 2019 at 10:53 PM Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@sbcglobal.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Good one Dave, about the size of R-12 molecules versus that of R-134A
>>> molecules. Hmmmm... I have considered this, even to the extent of
>>> considering stainless steel "bellows tubes" as a replacement for the
>>> standard rubber hoses. Good idea. To solve this problem once and for
>>> all. But...with a potential leak in evaporator (as already determined by
>>> sniffing by my A/C shop) I don't think that's a good option. Hoses
>>> leak...but so do components like evaporators, and I think they leak far
>>> faster than hoses. O-rings are pretty easy. But, attacking an
>> evaporator
>>> leak, not to mention likely damage to to all the brittle plastic housing
>>> (that's why my A/C expert did NOT want to go there). Plus, super duper
>>> expensive to replace an evaporator with no longer available parts. We
>> are
>>> talking mucho bucks, even if lucky enough to find one (evaporator in
>>> pristine condition). Nope. Empty beverage can to hold open front wind
>>> windows (as seen on Facebook Vanagon Owners Group) seems like a pretty
>> good
>>> option. Dang...when I was young, I traveled 15,000 miles in summer of
>> 1974
>>> all across the USA in my aircooled '70 bus....no A/C...no nothing. My
>>> luxury item was an old Coleman stove that I bought for $3 at a swapmeet.
>>> But yeah...I was 20 years old back then.
>>> Rich
>>> San Diego
>>>
>>> On Thursday, August 8, 2019, 7:01:49 PM PDT, David McNeely <
>>> davmcneely40@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>>>
>>> My 1991 Volkswagen Vanagon GL Campmobile with 2.1l original waterboxer
>> at
>>> 185k miles has factory air converted to R-134a in 2010 that currently
>> does
>>> not work. Every year since 2010 I have had competent VW AC mechanics
>>> ferret out problems (leaky valves, bad o-rings, and so on, unending).
>> When
>>> it works, it cools magnificently, but I have decided that pumping more
>>> R-134a into the atmosphere is NOT being a good citizen. Most recently, I
>>> have been told by several including some on this list that the R-134a
>>> molecule is smaller than the R-12 molecule, and that the factory hoses
>>> actually seep R134a through their walls. How true that is, I have no
>>> idea. I have not replaced the hoses, nor have I even priced R&R for the
>>> hoses. At my advanced age, and being fairly heat tolerant anyway, I am
>> not
>>> sure additional money on this problem is justified. But a buyer would
>>> probably want working AC, and I am not one to get it "serviced" in order
>> to
>>> sell it when that time comes.
>>>
>>> On Thu, Aug 8, 2019 at 6:28 PM Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@sbcglobal.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Jeff, GoWesty has a very good writeup about the issues with getting
>>>> satisfactory performance on Vanagon Air Conditioning. As for me, mine
>> is
>>>> an 85 tintop....and thus has the evaporator hanging from the ceiling
>> just
>>>> behind the front seats. I also have a Subie 2.2 conversion; when the
>>>> conversion was done, with a Subie A/C compressor, I requested that they
>>> try
>>>> to get the A/C working again. They did. But I had leaks. So took it
>>> to a
>>>> knowledgeable shop here in San Diego. They replaced O-rings and
>>>> stuff...but with sniffer determined that I had a small leak in the
>>>> evaporator. So....by law...they could NOT refill with R-12 freon
>>>> (incredibly expensive anyway). They converted system to R-134A. So
>> far
>>> so
>>>> good. But stuff leaked out. So I bought a Stop-Leak can (available
>> for
>>>> R-134A but NOT available for R-12). It worked mostly; I followed
>>>> instructions exactly with regard to putting in the Stop-Leak and then
>>>> immediately following up with R-134A refrigerant. Now, one year later,
>>> A/C
>>>> was still "sorta" working...but not icy cold. Still must have a little
>>>> leak. I did the routine of adding R-134A. I carefully monitored low
>> side
>>>> pressure to hold it at about 35 PSI. But I think I overfilled. On
>>> recent
>>>> trip through deserts of Arizona at 106 F, my A/C worked fine for about
>> 20
>>>> minutes....but then seemed to give up. I think the problem is overfill
>>> of
>>>> freon (causing icing up of expansion valve, so maybe also need
>> evacuation
>>>> to get rid of even a tiny bit of water in system). Also...per the
>>> GoWesty
>>>> writeup, R-134A is only about 80% efficient compared to original R-12.
>>>> Also, GoWesty recommends a "parallel" condenser up front as apposed to
>>> the
>>>> original "serpentine" condenser...I wish I had done that. Anyway, like
>>>> GoWesty says.....it's a very tough and expensive problem to solve. So
>>> much
>>>> air volume in van...so much sun exposure...and old technology.
>>> Heck....any
>>>> modern car can do the job just fine! Good luck...I'm still struggling
>>> too
>>>> with the issue.
>>>>
>>>> Rich
>>>> San Diego
>>>>
>>>> On Monday, August 5, 2019, 3:06:57 PM PDT, Jeff Palmer <
>>>> w.jeff.palmer@ICLOUD.COM> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> With my advancing age and borderline health :) I am finding it hard to
>>>> handle heat these days. My 85 does not have AC. Thinking about selling
>>> and
>>>> finding one with AC - if it actually works? And is AC the same in every
>>>> year?
>>>>
>>>> So does Westfalia AC actually cool or is it the 1985 version of
>> cooling?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks
>>>> Jeff
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>
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