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'85 325e A/C Rebuild Happy Ending

 
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jamesnau



Joined: 19 Jul 2002
Posts: 520
Location: NC State University

PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 8:01 pm    Post subject: '85 325e A/C Rebuild Happy Ending Reply with quote

UBBers,

Just before I left for vacation on July 18, I ordered another reman compressor, this time a Four Seasons unit from my local Advance Auto. It was waiting for me when we got home from some beautiful scenery and cool weather in BC and Alberta, Canada.

This past Sunday, I removed Griffith's compressor (wouldn't hold a vacuum) and replaced it with the Four Seasons. Pulled a vacuum, and it held steady for 2 hours. Lost a couple of inches of Hg overnight, but in most cases I think you can expect this. Came home from the office a bit early on Monday afternoon and ran my vacuum pump for another hour. Immediately recharged with 3, 12 oz cans of r12. Result: 55F vent temp at fast idle (1500 rpm), 30 psi suction, 180 psi discharge. The vent temp is a little high, and the sight glass is foamy, but I figure this is because the expansion block is specifically for r134a. The r12 expansion block is NLA.

So, a happy ending to the saga of my ac overhaul. Took me 4 weeks to the day (with 10 days off for vacation).

The final chapter will be when my CC is credited with the $439 Griffith's compressor cost me. I believe they sold me a used one, rather than a rebuilt unit. It lost the entire vacuum (29+ in. Hg) in a matter of just 2 or 3 minutes. It is hard for me to believe they replaced the shaft seal.

Take care and best regards to all,

Jim
original owner, '85 325e, born October 1984
215K miles, but now like new

PS Enis, my interior light delay still works, and every time I watch it, I think of you! Does yours still work?
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85-325e



Joined: 30 Jun 2002
Posts: 4712
Location: Southampton, NY

PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 8:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, it still works... AND, the central locking still goes whomp!

Glad you got it fixed Jim... Don't know many that are more meticulous than you in the work you do to the car, and I'm sure the whole situation, up to the happy ending, was very, very frustrating.

Now you're going back to your E36 and leaving Julie in the dust???
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Cosmo - 1985 BMW 325e, Single Owner, 265,000+ ORIGINAL miles and still going strong! But now on the East Coast and the salt air corrosion is eating my beautiful car alive... Sad

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jamesnau



Joined: 19 Jul 2002
Posts: 520
Location: NC State University

PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 9:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you, Enis.

You actually got me started on the mission of restoring the e30 to its youthful vigor, because you replied to my first UBB post about changing the oil pan gasket. That post and your reply was in July 2002, 10 years ago! Time flies, doesn't it?

Julie would rather drive the e30, a 4-door sedan. She doesn't like the big heavy doors in the e36 vert, and she can't load it up with all of her stuff. Now that the ac is working, she is back in the e30. The e36 is again my toy.

This whomp's for you!

Jim
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idanity



Joined: 21 May 2005
Posts: 3097
Location: N.W.U.S.A.

PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 12:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

you stated your temp at the vents is 55F.
thats hot imo.

i have r12 in my vert, and i read 26 or 27 degrees at the vents....at a red light, in the sun.
this was after a bad dryer failure...and $500.00 later, fixed.
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jamesnau



Joined: 19 Jul 2002
Posts: 520
Location: NC State University

PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 1:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

26 or 27F vent temp? Check your thermometer. If the air is this cold, I would think the evaporator would freeze up.

55F at fast idle on a hot day here in the south isn't bad. The reason for the low vent temp, I think, is the wrong expansion valve. The only expansion block available is for r134a. I am running r12. The r12 expansion block is no longer available. While the thermodynamic properties are similar, they are not the same for these two refrigerants.

I have a full charge of r12, and the system pressures are good. The system is essentially new as I have described in my previous posts about my ac system rebuild. So, I think the performance I am seeing is the best I can do.

Jim
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85-325e



Joined: 30 Jun 2002
Posts: 4712
Location: Southampton, NY

PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 6:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Jim:

While I don't ALWAYS agree with Dan (Wink), honestly, I get below 28 degrees F running from the vents.

Now, it's nowhere near as hot up here normally, but you may be right about that expansion valve.

FYI, when my A/C's on, at least up here, after a few minutes I can see my breath...
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Cosmo - 1985 BMW 325e, Single Owner, 265,000+ ORIGINAL miles and still going strong! But now on the East Coast and the salt air corrosion is eating my beautiful car alive... Sad

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jamesnau



Joined: 19 Jul 2002
Posts: 520
Location: NC State University

PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 7:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you Enis,

My daily driver is a '91 Volvo with an excellent r12 ac system. I have been pleasantly surprised with how well this old Volvo's ac works, given the fact that Sweden doesn't have the temp and humidity we do here in the good 'ole south.

I can get vent temps of 35F in the early am (on the way to work), when the ambient temp is in the 70s. About a 40F or 45F differential between ambient and vent. When I head home in the early evenings, the ambient temp is normally in the low 90s, and the vent temp will be between 45 and 50F. The best an ac system can do is a direct function of the ambient temp, which directly affects the amount of refrigerant that can be condensed. If the temp differential is 40-50F or so, I think this is about as good as an auto ac system can do.

What are your vent temps on a hot, say 90F, day? 28F? How can this be? The evap would freeze up...yes, it is dry in the Colorado mountains, so you would not have the latent heating load (humidity) that we do, but I think on a 90F degree day, it would be hard to get a vent temp of 28F.

Anyway, Julie is more than happy with the ac performance. Of course, she was accustomed to no ac, so anything is an improvement. I was very pleased to see a large puddle of water under her car when I got home today...the condensate drain is open, and the evaporator is doing its job.

BTW, our 20th wedding anniversary is today. My gift was a working ac system, after at least 5 years of nonfunction. You should see the old expansion block. It was original, of course, but totally blocked with crud.

Cheerio,
Jim
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85-325e



Joined: 30 Jun 2002
Posts: 4712
Location: Southampton, NY

PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY JIM & JULIE!!!!

Well, I have only been in 90 degree weather with the car for a few days in 2009... we never hit that temp up here, so I'm no real barometer for that. However, next time I'm out with it during the day (warm day maybe tomorrow), I'll photograph the thermo and the OBC with the ambient outside temp and see how it's doing and will post the photo up here or email it to you.

Again, happy anniversary... a great milestone 20 is. And you got away scott free by onloy having to produce cool air for it Wink!
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Cosmo - 1985 BMW 325e, Single Owner, 265,000+ ORIGINAL miles and still going strong! But now on the East Coast and the salt air corrosion is eating my beautiful car alive... Sad

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idanity



Joined: 21 May 2005
Posts: 3097
Location: N.W.U.S.A.

PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 2:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

85-325e wrote:
Hi Jim:

While I don't ALWAYS agree with Dan (Wink), honestly, I get below 28 degrees F running from the vents.

Now, it's nowhere near as hot up here normally, but you may be right about that expansion valve.

FYI, when my A/C's on, at least up here, after a few minutes I can see my breath...


whua...
i may be a lot of things, but im not a liar...geesh...thanks Enis, good to know i got friends.


grumble grumble...stoopid-jerk-store-mofo...grumble...

and i am using a lazer temp sensor btw..that we use for tires and other things at the track..its pretty accurate. ...
and its not very humid here at all.maybe a little, but nothing like the east coast (i was born in NYC, and know its disgustingly humid there) Smile
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85-325e



Joined: 30 Jun 2002
Posts: 4712
Location: Southampton, NY

PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 12:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yea Dan... the humidity really changes things... When I had the car back East in Manhattan, the A/C was REALLY working away to try to keep up. After all, the A/C cools to some extent by removing the humidity level in the car.

I will say though that the A/C is very different up here and around here than it was in NYC... It cooled in Manhattan, but was struggling... Here is gets frigid in a few minutes...

I would thnk that your humidity level in Seattle is pretty low... remember what it was like back home when you were young... water gathering on the screens.

BTW Dan, did you ever get any responses to yoru $999,999 CL ad? Just curious if anyone actually wrote you!
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Cosmo - 1985 BMW 325e, Single Owner, 265,000+ ORIGINAL miles and still going strong! But now on the East Coast and the salt air corrosion is eating my beautiful car alive... Sad

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dale



Joined: 22 Aug 1999
Posts: 3087
Location: Seattle, WA USA

PostPosted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 10:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My 92 325ic cabrio, with r134 retrofit, I get 40F from the vents.
I used the R134 expansion valve, new dryer, new oil, and it's worked great.
After 4 years I'm starting to get some noise from the compressor, so may be replacing it soon.
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jamesnau



Joined: 19 Jul 2002
Posts: 520
Location: NC State University

PostPosted: Sat Aug 25, 2012 6:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you Dale, Dan, Enis,

I must admit that I have not measured the vent temp while at road speed. In fact, I have not driven the e30 since I charged the AC, now a month ago. I think I will measure the vent temp while cruising at 35 or 45 mph, and see what I get...might be better than 55F, since engine rpm would be up, and more air through the condenser.

I will pick a hot, sunny day and report back. Nevertheless, my wife continues to be happy.

Jim

PS The e36 vert now has a new water pump, thermostat, and hoses. Too many composites in the M50 engine, imho: pump impeller, pump pulley, and thermostat housing, all BMW parts, and all composite.
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kyshadetreebmw



Joined: 16 Apr 2003
Posts: 849
Location: Berea, Kentucky

PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 2:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey Team, I check in here some and am always glad when I do. Thank you guys for keeping things going here. James, your reference to the composites leads me to recommend that as your E36 goes along here, replace those composites sooner rather than later. I am at the end of a series of minor overheats on an M52 engine that lead to engine failure due to blowing all the oil from the head/head gasket area underneath the intake manifold. I have yet to dig into it to find the specifics. The overheats were all due to failures of composites: radiator necks and a hidden continuing fluid loss at a crack in the nipple unit that goes through the firewall to the heater. As I read about these engines, it appears that overheats lead to blown head gaskets routinely and I wish I had just replaced all those things as a preventative..... As I continue to yak at you, might I mention the conditions of my engine failure and appreciate any comments. My wife was driving the vehicle (98 328i) and experienced an overheat as result of the oil blowing out and then the engine got hot. She got over quickly but I am sure the head will need surfacing... But what is weird to me is that no coolant is going into the oil. The oil just blew out from somewhere and like I said I have not dug deep. (I have multiple vehicles so I am kind of dragass on followups.) Is this indicative of some condition that is not the headgasket, as in a crack or such. After adding oil, I have run the engine to move the vehicle around my work area but it misses and stumbles and has little power, but still the oil is staying clean. Pax. Ron
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