A/C conversion to Sanden/R134

[auditude at cox.net]

Ti Kan <ti at amb.org> wrote:
>
> auditude at cox.net writes:
> > 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.
>
> They don't list an Audi kit, and you don't need to buy a whole kit
> from them.  Just buy the bracket and hardware and source the rest of
> your parts elsewhere.  Their bracket is a nice cast aluminum piece and
> the mounting to the "York" side is actually four slots that allows you
> to adjust the forward and backward alignment to line up the belts.

Okay, that's a big relief.  This is really good info.

> If you're going to convert to the UrQ style, be aware that the UrQ uses
> the Mini York compressor instead of the standard York.  My 4000 (being a
> 4-cylinder car) also uses the Mini York with the compressor mounted
> on the exhaust side of the engine.  You can identify a mini York by
> its entirely cubic shape, including the top and bottom plates.  The
> standard York is also cubic, but larger with a sort-of hexagonal shaped
> top/bottom plates.  ICE makes Sanden adapter brackets for both the York
> and the Mini York applications.

Actually, I would be using the York Bracket from the 5kt, so I guess it wouldn't technically be urq-style unless the 5kt uses a mini-York, which I doubt.

That is, unless there is some reason to go with an urq mini-York bracket with the matching adapter and Sanden comp.  Same diff, or should I track one of those down now?  I know the bracket for the 5kt is pretty large, and it's not exactly designed with the Type 85 chassis in mind.  Did I mention that in addition to a/c I wanted to have a radiator too?  :-)

> You can see pictures of the Sanden compressor installed in my 4000
> with the ICE bracket and all, at my web site:
>
> 	http://www.amb.org/ti/audi/auti1     (Look at image #18)

Nice clean install.

> You can pretty much make this whole thing a DIY project, and only
> let an A/C shop do the following:
>
> 	- Evacuate stock A/C system of R-12 and mineral oil
> 	- Fabricate new barrier hoses (if you're replacing hoses)
> 	- R/R expansion valve (if you're going to do that)
> 	- Recharge system with R-134a
>
> This will save you money, and if you are going to be replacing the hoses
> and expansion valve, you can do the prep work of removing the glove
> compartment and the evaporator drain tray to minimize labor costs,
> and ensure that no monkey lad is going to break something trying to
> take your glove compartment apart.

Thank you Ti, this very helpful!

It would be extra cool (ha!) to find a factory R134 application, and to go the junkyard on half-price day and get a decent Sanden compressor for cheap.  Any idea what one of these Sanden's might come stock on?  Once the expense of the rest of the conversion is spent, if the compressor goes bad later and I lose some R134, I can deal with it at that time.  But I realize it might be false economy.

Ken