You can type here any text you want

A/C condensor, anyone have?

Welcome!

By registering with us, you'll be able to discuss, share and private message with other members of our community.

SignUp Now!

Cale22

Doh!
Joined
Feb 12, 2002
Messages
443
Does anyone have a spare A/C condensor? Mine is leaking, and the A/C shop said it will cost me $1,050 in parts and labor to replace that along with the hoses. :eek: Figured I would try and go the used route! ;)
 
$1,050??

Cale,

I *seriously* hope for that price the shop is replacing more than just the condensor and some hoses.:D
If that's all the problem really is, I'd look elsewhere to have the work done. Too $$$, if you ask me. Shop around.
 
Hey Steve-

Yeah, my mom knows the owner and he was supposedly giving me a "good price". :o He said he was going to replace the condensor, hoses, filter, and convert it back to R12 because it is more efficient in a turbo car. He said the converter itself was around $400, and the hoses were $50 a piece, don't know where the rest of the money goes! I figured I would get a short cut on the $$$ by getting a used condensor..:D (I am definately going to a different shop)
 
The guy told me that R12 runs about 30% colder than R134. He said that in a turbo car, it runs hotter and the R12 runs better in heat I guess... news to me too.. :confused:
 
R12 is getting more and more expensive to get each year. I don't know why he is reccomending the R12 it is bit colder but nothing wrong with R134. R12 is about $60-75/per lb vs. $5-10/per lb for R134. You will eventually have to spend more money later converting it to R134 anyways.

I don't matter what kind of car it is to make it better with R12.
 
Thanks Jackson,

Yeah, I think i'll stick with the R134. Would you trust getting a condensor from a junkyard?
 
Ok seriously

Just to give you some facts. R-12 Transfers heat 20% better than 134a. This means that if you run 134a in you car, you'll need to upgrade the btu of the condenser to take away the heat to the outside of your car better. See the key here when talking A/C is that it doesn't primarily cool. Rather, it takes the heat from the inside of the car via the evaporator, and transfers it to the outside of the car, were it loses its heat through the condenser. The cold air blowing on you is just a byproduct of the heat taken away.
What you'll need to do to make it run "cool" is run a condenser with at least 20% more efficiency then the one you got now. What the manufactures of Air-conditioning have done, is slow down the flow of 134a through condenser reconfiguration. They threw away the old series flow condensers and made them flow in parallel. What they call Para flow. Slowing down the flow of Freon allowed the outside air time to extract the heat from the condenser.
You should never run a used condenser. Why would you want to get used junk and put it in your car? Through age, heat and other types of wear, your compressor spits out little parts into the condenser. These parts start to lodge in your current series flowing condenser hampering its ability to lose its heat. Every and all compressors do this, and in our older type of condensers reverse flushing doesn't guaranty a thorough flowing unit.
Anyway Cale, you’re a rich kid just do the job correct the first time and be done with it. Which means Change your hoses to the barrier type, your condenser to the para-flow kind and convert it to 134a. Some of the mechanics theories are partly true in regards to R-12 and it’s cooling, but when you hop in your Honda, Caddy or what have you. How can you say they run 20% warmer than before? And if you don’t convert your system properly just based on economics, do it for Mother Nature and our o-zone.
 
Hey Gerald,

My car has already been converted, the air condition place wanted to convert it back to R12. Can you reccomend any good A/C shops in town? I went to Larry's and thats were I got my info.
If I were a rich kid, I wouldn't be driving an 87 Regal, I would have a 2003 cobra haha ;). I'm just trying to cut expenses in as many ways as possible, after this summer im going to be broke. 3k or so for school, and 1k for a tournament in new orleans..:( I need another job, arghhhh! Anyone need their shoes shined? :D
 
Cale,


If your car is already running 134a, I would just leave it that way and fix what's broken. R12 is not going to get any cheaper, and 134a is what the newer cars are running. If it's already done, why do it again later? Shop around until you find the deal you like.
BTW, is the "Larry's" you're talking about the one on Waialae Ave.? If so, I think they're one of the more expensive shops out there.
A while back I took a Mustang there to get my AC fixed. They quoted me about $1,000 for the whole job. (Practically everything was changed) I took it to Island Auto Air and the same job was $700.
All I'm saying is to shop around and get estimates. HTH.
 
A/C

I figured that was obvious. Everyone on this board would own something else if we were rich. That was just a little humor.;) Anyway, When you say that a conversion was done, do you know if the condenser was changed at the time. Also was your hoses changed too. If not, those would be the next items to make the conversion complete. Take care of those items and you should be good to go.

As far as Larry's is concerned. I've done alot, and watched alot of his business with him in the early nineties, and he is the king. And along with being the king of A/C comes a kings price. If I know Larry, he doesn't want any comebacks. So he charges an arm and a leg to change out alot of parts one time. His phylosophy is, if it lasted this long (lets say 75000 mi.) it'll last this much longer if I change everything. He tries to convince you to do that too. Many other shops out there will disagree, and gamble on some other component life expectancy. Not larry. Unless things changed.;) But you're right, it can get expensive, and we're not rich so if I were you just change out the items to get you buy for now. And, if you can afford it upgrade your condenser if your mommy,,, I mean monies allow it.:D
 
I don't know about you guys but if I were a "rich kid" I would still have a Buick, like a mint GNX!:cool: No, make that 2 GNX. One for a daily driver and one for the car shows, yep, that would work for me. Hey Cale, so you mean you would rather drive a Ford than your Buick?:rolleyes:
 
Originally posted by OLD SCHOOL
Hey Cale, so you mean you would rather drive a Ford than your Buick?:rolleyes:

Well at the moment my buick is running slower than a stock 5.0 stang! So I would really think about it hehe (nah I wouldn't) Keith and Gerald have been helping me out, so hopefully I can get it running to its full potential!
 
Nelson

You are right on da money except, I would have 3 GNX's, and one like with a small block, twin turbo....:)

Oh and don't forget the 2 GS's and the GN with the big block......

And, and a Camaro with a supacharger.......Hmmm if only i were a rich kid.:D

......Did I forget to mention I would also have a GN with a special fuel tank in the trunk that would make it possible to switch from 92 to race gas.


Think I'm dreamin now:o
 
OK, since we are dreaming here, how about I build a new state of the art drag strip here on Oahu.:eek:
 
Back
Top