AC Failure & Restoration questions

[RETed]

The condenser core is woefully inadequate for the system.
This was confirmed by an AC tech guy that I knew.
If you're going to drop serious money to fix the system, try and get a custom / bigger condenser core.
At the same time, you're probably need a stronger / larger fan.
Most of us go electric fans anyways, so this might be a moot point.

When I had my stock AC working, I think the FC was the ONLY car that actually got HOTTER when you turned on the AC...


-Ted

[Pete_89T2]

Originally Posted by t_g_farrell

I have been working to get AC back into my SA. Hardest part was finding someone to make
the hoses correctly (damn SA has weird metric fittings unlike any other rx7). I found a local
place that can do them via a mechanic at a C&C meet. So I'll probably be getting the AC
going after DGRR as well.

^I suspect the same will be true for the FC. My car has the Nippon Denso compressor, but they also built S5 FCs with the Sanden compressor. Each has a different hose fitting configuration. I can go with either compressor at this point (FWIW, the Sanden is a bit easier to source than the ND, but both can be had), but switching to the Sanden means I'll HAVE to scrap my hoses. Hard lines are common to both on the FC, according to the parts fiche. Hopefully someone at DGRR will have an FC with the Sanden AC so I can take a gander and figure out which compressor configuration I like better - maybe the Sanden setup gets in the way less when changing plugs out

Originally Posted by GySgtFrank

The other thing to be aware of, if switching to R134a, is that it is not as efficient as R12. To get the same temperature drop you need a larger evaporator and condenser. Most people just put up with the slight drop in efficiency rather than trying to upsize all that.

^Tracking, that's why the conversion to R152A (aka - keyboard duster gas) is looking very appealing. From what I've read, R152A refrigeration properties are about the same as R12, so if your condenser & evaporator core worked well enough with R12, they should work fine with a proper charge of R152A. The amount of R152A you need to charge the system will be different than R12, but the info is out there and others have done it successfully, so I'll give it a shot.

Originally Posted by RETed

The condenser core is woefully inadequate for the system.
This was confirmed by an AC tech guy that I knew.
If you're going to drop serious money to fix the system, try and get a custom / bigger condenser core.
At the same time, you're probably need a stronger / larger fan.
Most of us go electric fans anyways, so this might be a moot point.

When I had my stock AC working, I think the FC was the ONLY car that actually got HOTTER when you turned on the AC...


-Ted

When my AC was working (with R12), it worked great - that thing could freeze your nuts off! With the stock radiator & fan though, it's true that running the AC jacked up the coolant temps. The stock radiator I think is inadequate as-is. That problem went away though when I dropped in a Koyo dual pass AL radiator, even with the stock fan. After that, I was hard pressed to see coolant temps ever go above 195*F while flogging the car with the AC on, high 170's - low 180's otherwise. I'm running an E-fan now, and there's no difference in that respect.

I'm figuring if the stock condenser cooled well enough with R12, it will do the same with R152A. The real question then is can the stock condenser be flushed/cleaned out adequately, given my compressor took a dump?