A/C conversion to Sanden/R134

[auditude at cox.net]

Hello,

Regarding changing over a T85/Audi in general from York/R12 to Sanden/R134:

It looks like at $929 for Ice A/C's VW kit (didn't see an Audi app. listed), I'd be more likely to try to do more homework and put together my own kit of sorts.  Unless there is something extra they offer that is worth $600 extra for the belts and such.

I sent an email to another vendor asking for info about adapter from York brackets to Sanden compressors.  It turns out they are out there.  Maybe y'all knew already.  I'm not yet sure if there are multiple York mounting patterns that I would need to worry about, or Sanden ones.

It turns out the Yorks are popular with the off-roader crowd for use with onboard air compressor setups, as they are self-oiling.

I'm tempted to copy your (Ti's) proven setup since you say it works well.  Unless market offerings have changed since you got yours.

I found some adapters that may or may not be usable:

http://www.oldairproducts.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=851
http://www.onboardair.com/ke-rca1.htm
http://www.cjponyparts.com/clearance7173.htm (on sale for $20! maybe)
http://www.mapenterprises.net/pe/1024x768/main.htm
(expensive @ $75, referenced here:  http://www.panteraplace.com/page123.htm )

I think the stock York bracket has the belt tensioning stuff built in, so these adapters needn't have any provision for that.  Yes?  One of them does, so I'm curious.

Are the Sanden's any deeper/longer than the Yorks?  I don't want to run into any problems with some unforseen other component.  The idea would be to use this setup in an MC-1-converted 4kstq, urq-style I guess.

On second thought, maybe that wouldn't be urq-style.  I just realized something.  There is an ad on the marketplace for a Dialynx urq intercooler, and it says that maybe the a/c should be deleted for best fit.  Is the a/c compressor on the urq's located on the right side of the engine, opposite from an 5kt?  I'll copy the urq list.

Ken

Ti Kan <ti at amb.org> wrote:
>
<snip>
> 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.
<snip>