T85 a/c comp. change to diff. make?

[auditude at cox.net]

Ti,

Wow!  Thank you very much!  I've got goosebumps thinking about my cool summers coming. :-)

I expect the performance would be similar to a new factory R134 car, or would it still be suboptimal because of other issues such as the condenser and such?

I need to find an a/c vendor that is willing, patience, thorough, and affordable to talk about doing this to my cars.  I don't think I've been using a vendor that quite meets those criteria.

I'm wondering about the logistics of doing the conversion.  I guess I would get the compressor/bracket/pulley first, then go into a friendly shop for all the stuff to be done at the same time, unless I source the hardware from the shop too.

It would be so nice to have a modern and reliable a/c system around here.  Correction, I will be so nice.

Thanks,

Ken

Ti Kan <ti at amb.org> wrote:
>
> auditude at cox.net writes:
> > Speaking of a/c, this summer it'll once again be hell here in AZ, so I need=
> >  to get some plans in place.
> >
> > Has anyone here successfully swapped the York compressor for a completely d=
> > ifferent type of compressor, like from a different car?  It seems to me it =
> > would involve brackets, pulleys, and hose fittings.
>
> Yes.
>
> > I can weld up my own brackets, but need to figure out what type of compress=
> > or would be easiest and best to use.  Is the stuff from the VW parts bin th=
> > e same as the Audi stuff?
> >
> > I understand a good one to switch to would be a Sanden unit?  Is that a bra=
> > nd name and/or a design?
>
> Sanden is a brand name of compressors.  A popular unit is the Sanden
> SD-5 series compressor (You can check http://www.sanden.com ).  It is
> a lot quieter and more efficient than the York clunker.  There are
> many variations of the SD-5 depending on whether you are going to
> stay with R-12 or R-134a, and the style of clutch/pulley/fittings.
>
> The basic mounting dimensions and bracketry needed for all SD-5 series
> compressors are the same, and many refer to all of them as the "SD-508"
> because that used to be the most commonly used unit by OEMs and hobbyists.
> ICE (http://www.iceac.com ) makes a nice York to SD-508 adapter bracket
> that you can use.  The SD-5 compressors come with the clutch and
> pulley so as long as the bracket is mounted so that the pulleys line up
> all will work, but you will need a different length belt than stock.
>
> A brand new Sanden SD-5 compressor for R-134a runs about $200 street
> price if you shop around a bit.  It comes pre-filled with the proper
> PAG oil for R-134a systems.  If you go to R-134a you should completely
> evacuate the system of old R-12 and oil, fix any leaks and either
> use adapters for the fittings or have new R-134a barrier hoses fab'ed
> for the compressor (the service ports for R-134a are different size than
> those for R-12).  You should also replace the receiver/drier to one that
> is R-134a compatible, and use R-134a compatible green nitrile o-rings.
> Changing the expansion valve is probably a good idea too, but it's a
> PITA to do on the type 81/85.
>
> I did all this on my 4000 and the A/C now works great, much better
> than it ever did.  The compressor I used was the SD-5H14 (model 4509)
> which has a smaller pulley than the original York pulley, and that makes
> the A/C work better at low RPMs.  This is fine with our cars because
> even with the smaller pulley we can't over-rev the compressor (it has a
> "redline" too).
>
> > Do the compressor shafts come in different sizes?  I imagine one couldn't j=
> > ust swap pulleys with some other compressor and line it up with the belt.  =
> > I don't want to change the o.d. of the shaft or use a bushing or  anything =
> > like that.
>
> Don't need to worry about stuff like this with the Sanden.
>
> > My friend commented that he believed the majority of compressors all spin t=
> > he same direction, perhaps with the exception of Honda's because there's ta=
> > lk elsewhere about their motors spinning the other way.  Is that true?
>
> The Sanden spins the same way as the York, so you're fine there.
>
> > I imagine besides all the fitment issues, as far as sizing is concerned it =
> > just have to be from a car with a similar cabin volume, or what?
>
> The SD-5 will work well as a replacement for any York application.
> The compressor is smaller and lighter too.
>
> > May as well switch to a compressor that is for an R134 car.  Do the low/hig=
> > h pressure switched need to be changed to work with the different refrigera=
> > nt?  What are the pitfalls for this?
>
> No need to change the switches as those limits aren't changed.
>
> -Ti
> 2003 A4 1.8T multitronic
> 2001 S4 biturbo 6-sp
> 1984 5000S turbo
> 1980 4000 2.0 5-sp
> --
>     ///  Ti Kan                Vorsprung durch Technik
>    ///   AMB Laboratories, Sunnyvale, CA. USA
>   ///    ti at amb.org
>  //////  http://www.amb.org/ti/
> ///
>
>