230 SL Air Conditioning

[Harry]

I have seen lots of posts on A/C, and I am about to put mine back in the car as part of the engine rebuild/reinstall.  I see where many folks use the Sanden compressor mounted in the top position.  Looks like this requires some additional mounting hardware as well as a different thermostat housing?
I'm inclined to just put the Sanden back to the location where the York was mounted.  Are there any real drivers not to do that?

Thanks,
Harry

[doitwright]

Either position will work. When the ac system was designed for the W113 the York compressor was too large to fit on top so the system designer chose to swap locations with the alternator. With the Sanden requiring less space than the York, it is possible now to put the alternator back in it’s original location and put the compressor in a location where serviceability to the compressor and other engine components is easier. Some newer aftermarket (actually all AC systems for the W113 are aftermarket including Frigiking and Kulmeister) Kit’s are using a compressor bracket similar to the one Mercedes used on the sedans of the same era as the W113 where the compressor gets mounted up. If you have all the components to put the compressor in the original York location you will still need an adapter plate but will not require the alternator mounting bracket, and the sedan compressor bracket and thermostat housing top with the elongated neck needed to clear the top of the sedan type compressor bracket. The Sanden compressor can also run off of one pulley belt instead of the 2 needed for the York.

[Harry]

For those who have replaced the original Condenser with a newer aftermarket parallel flow version, could you share where you got the new one, model number, and how well it fits/works?  It looks like a tight fit between the radiator and the frame cross member in the front of the 230SL.  I'm concerned that the replacement will fit in that constraint.

Thanks,
Harry

[jeblack123]

Does anyone have pictures and/or part numbers for the W108/111 sedan compressor bracket and thermostat housing with the elongated neck?

Thank you for looking.

James

[doitwright]

Look for someone parting out a later W 108. Try to get the crank and water pump pulleys too.

[jeblack123]

Thanks, Frank! I have reached out to one of my parts guys.

James

[russelljones48]

I am - at least for the time being, removing my non-functional A/C system.  I am keeping all of the parts in case I choose to repair and re-install.  My unit has a top mounted Sanden compressor.  If anyone would like pictures of the mounting plate and hardware I'd be glad to take pics and post or send... 

[russelljones48]

OH and I have some questions about putting things back in place after the A/C removal.  My compressor mounting plate was mounted at the very top with a 12X1.5 bolt that screwed into the hole that holds the bracket for the fuel lines on the top center of the head.  I plan to cut that bolt off to about 12mm and put it back in the hole. Not knowing what that boss and hole were used for I would like to know if anyone knows what it was used for and if my solution would cause problems?  I have the same question for another boss on the lower left (passenger) side of the head - it's a 10mmX1.50. It sits between the ends of the coolant bypass tube.  There doesn't appear to be any need for that bolt.    

[doitwright]

I am - at least for the time being, removing my non-functional A/C system.  I am keeping all of the parts in case I choose to repair and re-install.  My unit has a top mounted Sanden compressor.  If anyone would like pictures of the mounting plate and hardware I'd be glad to take pics and post or send...

Show us what you got.

[russelljones48]

PIC of most of the parts and pieces removed from the compressor mounting bracket. 

[doitwright]

Since I just removed an AC bracket and pulleys from a 1968 280SE I thought I would post a few photos of what the installation looked like prior to removal. I found that the water pump on this car was the short style but had a spacer that moved the pulley further out from the engine. The compressor bracket shown in the previous photo by russelljones48 seems the most minimal of all I have seen. I would be interested in a template of that.

Note the taller neck on the upper thermostat housing used to clear the belt.