Gates 11M875...I think that is the exact size I put in mine. I still need to check that for you as well as a source for the belts. Do you have a number for Steve? He's still of Heampstead Hwy, correct? I called the number I have and it said it did not work anymore. tks
Thanks Sean! Google: Carr Auto Parts Houston. Not on Hempstead way anymore. He's in Porter closer to my side of town. His number is (281) 577-0079.
When I did the Sandan conversion I bought the bracket that was adjustable. It eliminates the tensioner pulley assemble and you just need to adjust the compressor. Simple and it bolts right up to the York bracket. Less parts.
The cost of R12 is nothing compared to your expense with the rest of this project. All you need to do is fill it once. R12 will blow colder. With the changes you are making it would be the icing on the cake to stay with it.
BlueMax thanks. Did you have to use washers between the bracket and the compressor to get the proper belt alignment? I had to use two washers to get it correct. I will be putting the compressor on latter tonight. Looking at your pictures I think your mid engine car is easier to work on than my front engine car. I think that removing the hood needs to be one of the first steps in about any job on my 365!
Jim, You will see on the picture of my compressor that I, too, used spacers between the york-to-sanden bracket and the compressor. The slots in the bracket allow for any "fine-tuning" for pulley alignment. The spacers I used I picked up at Ace Hardware. They are shaft collar locks. If you look closely, you can see the allen screw that tightens them down. I actually had to use the spacer plus a washer on one side, as my bracket wasn't in perfect proportion to the mounting tabs on the compressor. I'm not sure the 308 is any easier, but it DOES make it easier when you pull the gas tank out of the way. This was my first time removing the tank and for those that have not done it when working on your engine, I highly recommend it. I could have saved myself a lot of cuts when I put my brass air manifold plugs in on the front of the engine, had I taken the gas tank out! For those that know already, please ignore my novice ramblings, but to get my tank out, I had to remove my right rear shock/spring assembly (about 5 minutes), and take the disc off of the hub, along with the brake assembly (about 20 minutes). Then there was the draining of my 3/4 full tanks.... Had I known I was going to pull the tank I would have driven the car some more before-hand! Of course, once the tank is out, it makes it that much easier to just go ahead and replace the rubber fuel hoses "while you're in there."
As the Dr has stated,stay with the R12...I did the Sanden compressor conversion and upgraded the condenser fans as well and put in R134a...wasnt happy with the air off coil temp...8deg C from memory.I then tried switching back to R12 and instantly got approx 3-4 deg C..yes with the larger and higher efficient condenser you will gain but you will gain even more with R12...
Thanks for the tip guys. At this stage, easy enough to do. I just need to change out the oil on the compressor. No biggie. Sean, I was wondering if you had any comments from your set-up, in regards to 134? By the way, thanks for the belt info: Gates 11M875. I'll see if I can track one down today!
Really, go with R12. Why would you go to such a great effort to get the coldest a/c possible and then dump in a "warmer" blowing chemical? If you want cold, make it cold. You have moved the ball 99 yards, don't fumble on the 1 yardline after all this work.
Great thread. With all the improvements you have made, I think 134 would work fine. And as you say, if you are not happy, you can always go with 12 later.
Here was my "dry fit" when I did the conversion. You can see the tabs on the bottom for the adjustment of the compressor. Using this bracket it eliminates the need for the tensioner pulley assembly. Works good. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Is that Sanden smaller than the original? After doing a service on my car, I left off the compressor because it was such a pain to deal with. If the newer compressors are easier to fit in the area, I may decide to get my AC going again.
If the system is designed around 134 it is fine. In a retro-fit it doesn't blow as cold. A 308 needs every trick in the book.
May need to get some of your help with my Mondi. It blows pretty cold now, but it is even harder to keep cool in Houston with a ragtop... H
IIRC my system blew ~45° out the vents on a 90+° day in Houston in late May with high humidity. The problem was never the temperature of the air, but the distribution of the air. It all blows out the center, making your inside shoulder and knee very cold, and the outside of you sweat. I used to angle the upper dash vents up at the windshield so they would blow over the instrument panel and deflect off the windshield onto my left side to help evenly distribute the air. Once on 1-hour trip in the car my wife asked me to turn off the AC b/c she was cold. This was in Houston in September. Oh, and I hate to tell you this, but it's not necessary to remove the suspension at all to get that gas tank out. You just have to twist it just right and not fart while doing so.
Thanks Sean! I tried turning that tank any way I could, but until I took the disc AND the Rt/Rear Shock out, i couldn't get it out. Oh well, like I said, it only took about 30 minutes!
I think my biggest problem will be the volume of the air. I will see how the new blower motor does and hook it through a relay, so I'm not losing any potential (voltage). After talking with Nick, I FedEx'ed my condenser to his fabricators and they are going to see what they can come up with for a mounting solution. I am very much looking forward to it! Nick said they were shooting for next week for my new aluminum radiator. I'm outta town right now, but I'm hoping to get the new hoses in and the evaporator/blower back in this weekend!
Ran the new hoses today. They went in fairly easy. We just lubed up the hoses with some Vaseline after connecting the new hose to the old ones, and pulled them through, back to front. I made sure to leave enough slack so when I have to do the timing belts, there is enough hose to move the compressor out of the way w/o depressurizing the system. The evaporator checked out fine w/ no leaks. Next, I need to pull the tank back out, secure the hoses and put some extra hose around the new hoses to protect from chaffing. Then reassemble the evaporator unit and put the new blower motor in. The new radiator should be done this coming week. It's coming together, slow but sure! Image Unavailable, Please Login
Good Deal. I talked to Steve last Friday and he told me he was going to help you with the hoses this weekend. I told him I'd done mine and it sounds like you did the exact same thing (except I used liquid soap!). He said once you figure out a solution to mounting/hooking up the new condensor he'll call me and next time he's on my side of town (he has a customer close to my house) he'll bring the parts with him. He already got the new fan motors and blades for me ready to bring by. When this gets done, I need to photo everything and do a write up and have you proof it for me. THen we can post it on here for everyone to benefit. PS - Don't forget that radiator hose off that top hose next to the thermostat!
I don't know if it's the same blower motor on a 308 and 328 but from what I can tell, it is the primary cause of marginal cooling on my 328. More air volume would turn the ac from marginal to more than adequate. SO I was wondering...you mentioned a new blower motor. Is that a new SAME blower motor or a NEW model of blower that operates at a higher RPM than original?
It is a new, different model blower motor. I can get you the part number etc, but essentially it is the same motor housing dimensions, different shaft size (so you need different squirrel cage fans) and it is a 3 speed motor. The medium speed on the new fan operates about the same rpm as full speed on the old fan. (Plus my old fan loses efficiency after being operated for any amount of time, due to the age...) My plan is to just wire the hi-speed side of the new fan through a relay controlled by the console switch. I should get at least 33% more efficiency and speed out of the new fan!
Sean- Sounds like a plan! I need to contact Nick (Nick's Forza) and see what the plan is for the mounting. I had some alternate plans for mounting on a stock radiator. It would involve a little cutting, filing and fabrication of brackets. I should definitely have this up and running before the JULY cars/coffee down at the Galleria. Your always welcome to swing on by to check it out though. Cheers.
Sean, Thanks for the reminder about the radiator hose. I'm not quite done yet, though, I need to take everything back out again to secure the hoses properly.
