The Detailed E30 R-134a Conversion Thread/DIY

[jeffnhiscars]

Maybe. I found you can get an electric pump from a Prius on ebay for $125 or so. The have a potential 30amp draw though and would probably require a larger alternator.

Exactly....and I would never mention that my e30 has ANYTHING from a Prius.

Just sayin :)

[PDXPeter]

The concept is cool (no pun intended) but at that price it's clearly not for e30s

Maybe. I found you can get an electric pump from a Prius on ebay for $125 or so. The have a potential 30amp draw though and would probably require a larger alternator.

[jeffnhiscars]

If I was going to replace the pump I would see if I could find an all electric one like this:
https://www.seanhylandmotorsport.com...right-for-you/

The concept is cool (no pun intended) but at that price it's clearly not for e30s

[PDXPeter]

If I was going to replace the pump I would see if I could find an all electric one like this:

https://www.seanhylandmotorsport.com/blog/12-v-air-conditioning-compressor-how-can-you-decide-if-one-is-right-for-you/

[bellerto]

I thought the existing compressor worked fine as long as you got the correct lubricant for it.

Based on my understanding, it should be possible to replace the seals and oil to make it work with R-134a. But Im also reading that R12 compressors will not be as efficient in a converted system. Since my current compressor was diagnosed as bad and I need to replace it anyways, it would be ideal if I can get a new R-134a specific compressor.

Unfortunately, I have not found any that I can just bolt on. Im considering getting some adapters fabricated. Im pretty sure I even saw some blueprints for the adapters on one if these threads but now I cant find it.

[PDXPeter]

I thought the existing compressor worked fine as long as you got the correct lubricant for it.

[bellerto]

Hello everyone, and many thanks to glucklich21 for putting this thread together and all that have contributed with valuable info since 2012!

I want to get this conversion done on my 89 325i vert and have ordered all parts, except for the compressor. I have read all 33 pages of this thread several times to make sure I have not missed the answer. I want to replace my Denso 10P15E (not working) with a new 134a compressor.

I see a lot of talk about new, cheap and efficient, 134a compressors that can only be mounted with adapter kits. But there are no adapter kits to be found so this option is more of a tease and useless to me.

Can any one help me find a new 134a direct replacement for my M20 engine currently fitted with a denso 10P15E?

I dont think I care about the cost at this point, just want to get this job done so that I can use the car during the summer in Miami. Thanks!

[parkerbink]

Because R12 is expensive and harms the ozone.

[ipronoun]

why are people converting to r134a?

[parkerbink]

I replaced mine because it would have sucked if it needed to be replaced later.

[968Reckless]

Any idea why the OP changed the expansion valve when his car already had the R134 one installed?

[deeclue]

Take a look at the attachments in this post:

https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=342398&t=342398

What you may be seeing is the high pressure cut off which is no longer used. I see Pelican couldn't help you but have you reached out to 4 Seasons? Shipping on that heavy part will be pricey.

Thanks for the response. Yeah I'll definitely consult that post! Yeah at this point, since the new compressor is already bolted onto the car, I think I'm just going to move forward with the conversion and see what happens if I only use the one wire (and leave the other two unconnected). My system worked before with a single wire setup, so perhaps it will still work if I bypass whatever that separate sensor is. I figure worst case scenario, once its all hooked up if its not running I can take it to a shop and have them troubleshoot it. At least that way I'm not paying for labor to get all this new stuff installed.

All that being said, if anyone does end up knowing what that sensor is and the proper way to handle it, I would be very grateful.

Oh and as for contacting 4 Seasons, I was unable to find any helpful contact info for them. They don't seem like a company thats going to have a very useful customer support department. They make/refurbish like a million different products.

[tomstin]

OK I posted this in General Technical and it got no traction, so sorry for double posting. Hopefully someone watching this thread will know the answer!

I'm in the process of converting my AC from r12 to r134a and the first step is swapping the old AC compressor. I originally had the Behr/Bosch compressor and bought the appropriate rebuilt r134a 4 Seasons compressor from Pelican Parts. I took the old one off the other night and bolted the new one on (everything seems to fit perfectly). But the old compressor has a single wire coming out of it, and the new one has that same wire and then two additional wires coming out of a different spot on it.

Does anyone know a) what these additional wires might be and b) if I need to hook them up to something in order for this compressor to run? I can take a picture of these wires if it would help.

Take a look at the attachments in this post:

https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=342398&t=342398

What you may be seeing is the high pressure cut off which is no longer used. I see Pelican couldn't help you but have you reached out to 4 Seasons? Shipping on that heavy part will be pricey.

[deeclue]

OK I posted this in General Technical and it got no traction, so sorry for double posting. Hopefully someone watching this thread will know the answer!

I'm in the process of converting my AC from r12 to r134a and the first step is swapping the old AC compressor. I originally had the Behr/Bosch compressor and bought the appropriate rebuilt r134a 4 Seasons compressor from Pelican Parts. I took the old one off the other night and bolted the new one on (everything seems to fit perfectly). But the old compressor has a single wire coming out of it, and the new one has that same wire and then two additional wires coming out of a different spot on it.

Does anyone know a) what these additional wires might be and b) if I need to hook them up to something in order for this compressor to run? I can take a picture of these wires if it would help.

[tomstin]

Let me add to the long list of people appreciating you taking the time to put this together. I finally got to the point of charging my system. I haven't had the chance to drive it on the highway but locally it seems about 90% there. I used two cans (total 24 oz) of R134. Suction side was a little higher than I thought it should be (60 lbs) and the high side a little lower (220 lbs). I'll pick up a thermometer on the way home from work and see what the temperature is at the vents. I expected it to feel a bit colder. More to come...