Date: Tue, 24 May 2011 23:43:02 -0500
Reply-To: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: Vanagon a/c
In-Reply-To: <440512.4538.qm@web110611.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Any possibility of getting a picture of all this??
Thanks.
John
John Rodgers
Clayartist and Moldmaker
88'GL VW Bus Driver
Chelsea, AL
Http://www.moldhaus.com
On 5/24/2011 12:01 PM, Stephen Grisanti wrote:
> If you remove the pad over the engine compartment two milk crates stacked are nearly the perfect height for upper cabinet removal (may require a piece of thin plywood or two for shims). One person working alone can wrestle it into position on the crates in order to unhook speaker and A/C wiring, etc., then drop it completely. If you cut the slits in the cabinet sides while it's out this will make for easier removal/reinstallation work in the future.
>
> Stephen
>
>
> --- On Tue, 5/24/11, Peter Lapp<carrothospital@GOOGLEMAIL.COM> wrote:
>
>
> From: Peter Lapp<carrothospital@GOOGLEMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Re: Vanagon a/c
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2011, 10:27 AM
>
>
> Ditto on the cabinet. It's a pain in the you know what to get out and then
> even worse to get it back in. At the advice of someone who's done this many
> times, I cut slits in the side of the cabinet so instead of holes for the
> evaporator pan, there are U shaped slits so you can lift the cabinet right
> back into position.
>
> If you don't want to worry about R12, just get some Redtek. That stuff is
> great and is compatible with the existing equipment. You can also rent a
> vacuum pump and manifold gauge set from an Auto Zone and pull a vacuum on
> the system to check for leaks before you charge it up. That way you don't
> waste a charge.
>
> Anyway, I'm going through the process right now, and that's my 2 cents.
>
> -p
>
>
> On Mon, May 23, 2011 at 8:17 PM, David Clarkson<dvdclarksn@aol.com> wrote:
>
>> It's not so much the parts but the labor that you can get into if the
>> cabinet has to be dropped to get to the expansion valve. If you do the job
>> yourself I would suggest constructing some sort of table that can support
>> the cabinet while you reconnect the wiring hoses and other fittings. Be
>> careful of the fittings on the drain tray that will be very brittle and will
>> break easily. My system was working great and then one day near the end of
>> the season last year I heard a pop from up there in that cabinet and
>> everything got warm. I'm dreading going through that ordeal again.:(
>>
>> David Clarkson
>> 90 Westy
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: John Rodgers<inua@CHARTER.NET>
>> To: vanagon<vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>> Sent: Mon, May 23, 2011 4:31 pm
>> Subject: Re: Vanagon a/c
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> I have the same problem. Got to get the AC repaired. One thing I
>> learned the hard way - if y ou do not have freon and don't run the AC
>> once a week - the seals dry up and the freon leaks out. So you are
>> likely up for replacement of all the seals, including a likely
>> replacement of the Compressor. In an upgrade to 134a, you can get a
>> complete seal kit from Van-cafe for about $50 or from the other List
>> Vendors for similar money. You will also need a new receiver dryer and
>> possible a new expansion valve. Because the old AC compressors were
>> designed to run at the lower Freon 12 pressures, the higher pressures of
>> the 134a may poop out your AC compressor fairly quickly. You really
>> should get a new compressor appropriate to the 134a.
>>
>> 134a Upgrade Kit - $50
>> Expansion valve - $30
>> Receiver-Dryer - $30-$35
>> Compressor - $350- $400.
>> 134a - $35 or so.
>>
>> Not bad on parts. But then there is the labor. I've not a clue on that
>> myself. I'm going to try and do it myself.
>>
>> Good luck.
>>
>> John
>>
>> John Rodgers
>> Clayartist and Moldmaker
>> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
>> Chelsea, AL
>> Http://www.moldhaus.com
>>
>>
>> On 5/23/2011 2:41 PM, David M wrote:
>> > Well I have been given an ultimatum by the wife. Get the a/c fixed or
>> get rid
>> of the Vanagon. Its about to hit 100 degrees here in AZ so it would be nice
>> to
>> have working a/c again. The system was working fine around 10 years ago but
>> lasted maybe one year after a $450 refill with freon at the VW dealer. It's
>> still the freon (R12) system and I'm not prepared to pay the cost of
>> regular R12
>> refills so it has to be a conversion to R134.
>> > How much should it cost to have this done? I was quoted a $1000 flat
>> fee by
>> one place but that seems expensive. Is a lot of labor involved? Can a
>> regular
>> a/c place handle this or is the Vanagon system too unusual?
>> >
>> > -David (1987 Wolfsburg)
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
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