Opinions on stock Air Conditioning?

[ptooner]

HI Guys, I'm contemplating what to do about my non working Kuhlmeister on my 65 230SL.  I know I have a leaking compressor at least.  The guys I have talked to suggested the Sanden compressor but I just discovered that the original type is also available.  My basic question is, how well did the AC work originally?  Has everyone changed to the Sandens or do you have an original working type?  The cost of the York is about the same as the Sanden and the $50 adapter bracket.  I am under the impression that there is a lot of work in adapting the Sanden to the existing mount.  Thoughts and experiences???

Gerry

[Garry]

I have a Sanden, and have just pulled the whole system out.  It worked fine but just did not like the look of the unit under dash and whilst it is hot in Australia at times, the thought of an air-conditioner in a convertible is a bit like having a fridge in the Arctic.  Just one more thing to go wrong.  There are lots of cooling problems noted on this forum and lots of fan solutions and radiator upgrades etc, need I say more.

Garry

[mdsalemi]

Gerry,

Ray Hays of this forum lives in your area; send him a PM to discuss.  His Pagoda is a coupe and he runs his a/c all the time.  He might give you some good advice.

[ptooner]

Thanks, I talked to Ray and looked at his car Sunday.  He is happy with his arrangement but he mentioned it was a major pain changing the compressor type.  He also replaced the condenser with a different model I think.  Just looking for more data.

Gerry

[George Des]

The stock a/c with a Sanden works just fine if you prefer to have an a/c in your car. It draws a heck of a lot less power off the engine and eliminates just about all of the vibration associated with the original piston type compressor. With the Sanden, you can also eliminate the monster compressor bracket and mount the alternator back in its original position. To do this you will need to use either a Bud's Benz type compressor bracket or an MB bracket that was used on one of the era sedans. Joe Alexander posted an article on the forum on how he did this. I currently have a Sanden setup using R134A refrigerant on the Bud's type bracket. Others have continued to use this type setup with the R12 refrigerant. Using the original underdash unit with an upgraded Spal blower it blows very cold on the hotest days. It does drive the engine temp up a bit when idling for extended periods, but cools right down at cruising speeds.

[al_lieffring]

The york compressor worked just fine when Freon cost $0.69 a pound. It was common to have to charge up the system every spring. The front shaft seal is two ceramic plates that rub against a film of oil, so it only seals when the compressor is turning.

[jlennon3]

I think you'd be fine sticking with the stock York compressor. Some years ago when I pulled the engine on my 108 chassis, I replaced the original York unit with a new one. Also replacd the old hoses, expasnion valve, etc. It's been at least 5 years since I last had to have the system "topped up" with refirgerant. However Ido make a point of running the A/C whenever I take the car out; at least monthly. I think this is one of the secrets to ensuring the older systems keep their charge.

[Benz Dr.]

And then there's this:

 A customer wanted AC installed in his car and sent the kit to me to install. This was the Bud's Benz set up. I was told by my customer who was told by someone else, ' It's easy to install. No need to drill any extra holes and it takes about 8 - 10 hours to do the whole job. '
Well, I knew the part about not having to drill any extra holes wasn't going to be right but much against my beter judgment, I went ahead with the install.

It meant removing the hood, rad, fan, water pump ( I think ) and installing this big plate on the front of the engine. So much for engine cooling, I thought. There was a number of places where I had to drill, file, grind and swear even more than my usual profuse amount. The instructions were supposed to be simple but I ended up having to call this guy who put the kit together for Bud's. He was very nice and everything but writing instructions wasn't his strong suit. ' Put the long hose on the pump and the short hose on the RD. ' There were four hoses in  the kit, two long and two short, all with different ends.

 Let's just say it will be a cold, AC cooled day in hell before I try that time waisting, SOB'n, MO- FO of a job ever again.

[George Des]

I agree with Dan on this. Installing the A/C system requires a lot of tweaking. I have the Sanden rotary compressor mounted on a Bud's Benz type bracket--I used an original Bud's bracket as a pattern. Had to do a lot of adjusting of the holes, belts and belt adjuster to get it to work properly. I also had to play around extensively with the hoses to get them right. Started out with having a set of hoses crimped at NAPA at what looked like the right length but ended up not being correct. These are hoses designed for R134A and require a crimp fitting with an o-ring because of the higher pressures. I finally ended up buying a crimper so I could crimp the hoses in place. The crimper to do this was not cheap but it did the job! Joe A has written a post about using the sedan bracket to mount the Sanden and it looks more stock and cleaner than the Bud's bracket. I prefer Joe's approach and since I have a sedan bracket on hand, I may do the changeover at some point.

George

[georgem]

I have a Sanden, and have just pulled the whole system out.  It worked fine but just did not like the look of the unit under dash and whilst it is hot in Australia at times, the thought of an air-conditioner in a convertible is a bit like having a fridge in the Arctic.  Just one more thing to go wrong.  There are lots of cooling problems noted on this forum and lots of fan solutions and radiator upgrades etc, need I say more.

Garry

Hey Garry,

I have an aftermarket A/C which works OK but the underdash unit in mine is a bit ordinary looking. I know you reckon yours is too but maybe less so than mine. Interested in a decluttering your garage a little?

George

[Garry]

George

PM sent

Garry

[DavidBrough]

Just an additional comment on the Buds kit which I fitted to my car about 4 years ago and am very happy with, eventually. Dan is right, the instructions are pants and the best summary is " Open bonnet, fit kit, close bonnet". That said I didn't have any issue with the front bracket as per George but did have a problem making space for the expansion valve against the passenger footwell side which needed extensive cutting. Additionally I had to throw away all the supplied hoses as they were a very poor fit and had a set of small bore ones made up to fit the car properly. All worth it in the end though especially as I bought mine when the US$ was about two to the £.