The Detailed E30 R-134a Conversion Thread/DIY

[AngeloF10]

Anyone in the LI area that has done this before that wants to wrench with me to help a fellow e30 owner? I can provide food, beer, etc..

[glucklich21]

Hi guys,

I logged into a very ancient gmail account that had one of the links in my original post here. I noticed a lot of you were asking for requests to view the file as Google Drive changed something on their end. I can't seem to edit the post anymore, but this link is good for the chart listed in post Home

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6qMSgbyJMbTNWoyb0YzalNHS0U/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-1C4aOaENKlYPcQsz_1CO5w

And just in case, I uploaded the image to the server here on R3V. Happy modding and see y'all again when I log back in after another 5 years lol.

[e30davie]

Dont over think it too much.

Replace all the o-rings, put in a new TX valve and dryer. if your condenser, compressor and hoses dont leak, just re-use. and put in an r134a pressure switch.

I reused an old r12 condensor with r134 and it works great. Its a small car after all.

[GC90]

'89 convertible - back in Texas, so let's fix the AC. We charged it up after we bought the car in Colorado, and it's gotten crappier since then. No appreciable cold air now.

Hose fittings are R134. But condenser looks to be original, it's serpentine.

So I'm dealing with a half-assed conversion, at best. I'm in for a new condenser for sure. Suspect the conversion paid no attention to O-rings either.

Thoughts as to next steps? Think they replaced the AC hoses, filled with R134 and that's it? If so...treat this like a full-on conversion?

[cory58]

Re: the LC Wylie conversion..... went a different route... made a tie-in piece for the suction side and the factory hose fits without modification on the discharge.

The A/C belt from the M30 engine'd 5 series fits this conversion perfectly.

Seeing 53 degree temps at the vents while doing highway speeds.

Great info and nice hack on the suction hose! So much cleaner installation without oil cooler lines in the way. I'm still addressing that on my '92 cabrio conversion and will post a final summary when everything's put back together and pumping cold air.

[uturn]

Regarding the LC Wylie bracket conversion, don't forget that you also have to modify the lines to/from the compressor.
Cory

Re: the LC Wylie conversion..... went a different route... made a tie-in piece for the suction side and the factory hose fits without modification on the discharge.

The A/C belt from the M30 engine'd 5 series fits this conversion perfectly.

Seeing 53 degree temps at the vents while doing highway speeds.

[atmh]

Quick little update: I checked again and asked ECS Tuning what was up with the two condensers - also noticed that one of them went from ~$100 to ~$175! Sounds like Nissens may have updated/superceded a design with a new one, or something weird like that. I wouldn't be surprised if one of them gets listed as discontinued in the near future and it's back to just a single Nissens parallel flow option for the e30.

Anyways, bought the condenser and associated mounting hardware. Also ordered the LC Wylie bracket. Next step for me will be figuring out how to fit an IC and aux fan somewhere in there.

[cory58]

Regarding the LC Wylie bracket conversion, don't forget that you also have to modify the lines to/from the compressor.

I had Discount Auto AC in Daytona, FL, rebuild the compressor from my Touring. Great result. Great customer service. The cost was about $250, so if you have a rebuildable core and don't want the hassle of upgrading to a modern compressor, that's much cheaper than the options others have posted.

Cory

[jeffnhiscars]

The $500 compressor are typically rebuilt OE units which are still r12 units. I don't see the point when you can get one designed for r134 for a fraction of the price..assuming you can mount it. FYI virtually ALL e30 compressors came with seals that were r134 compatible. I have a service bulletin somewhere spelling them out and it's probably posted earlier in this thread. Point being the seals are not the main issue but rather the pressure rating. Beyond that you need a new expansion valve and should upgrade the hoses since they will leak more and more over time.

I'd jump the resistor and everything else is optional

[atmh]

If it's this one:

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-bmw-parts/remanufactured-a-c-compressor-r134a/64528385712kt/

Then it looks like a Bosch Behr Wing Cell compressor which is a R12 design probably with R134a compatible seals.
Stick with a Sanden wobble plate design built for R134a - that worked for me!

Will keep an eye on your build thread!

Actually I had no intention of buying a compressor for ~$1300, lol. There are a couple out of stock for <$500. So a $170 bracket plus $150 Sanden compressor seems like the way to go.

[Tzantushka]

Question two: they also carry an R134a compressor. Any idea if this is just a refurbished r12 one with the correct seals, or if it's actually an R134a unit?

If it's this one:

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-bmw-parts/remanufactured-a-c-compressor-r134a/64528385712kt/

Then it looks like a Bosch Behr Wing Cell compressor which is a R12 design probably with R134a compatible seals.
Stick with a Sanden wobble plate design built for R134a - that worked for me!

Will keep an eye on your build thread!

[atmh]

Thanks! Yeah it seems like the LC Wylie bracket plus a sanden compressor makes the most sense. The cost of the bracket plus the compressor is the same or less for me as a rebuilt (out of stock) compressor from ECS or FCP. Plus an improvement to the function by using an R134a compressor rather than a rebuilt R12 compressor. Plus the new hoses from ECS/FCP are extremely expensive, so it might not be more (might even be less?) to get custom hoses from an A/C shop. All in all seems like a win-win.

For anyone wondering LC Wylie has an actual website here (I avoid Facebook when I can, so I'd rather order via other means if possible) https://lcwylieco.bigcartel.com/

For my last comment: I *think* what I'm going to do is an electric fan conversion on the puller side, plus a bigger, custom-fit radiator for my turbo build. I will then shift the radiator and condenser about 1-2" closer to the engine via custom brackets. This should give me enough room to fit the IC plus a low profile aux fan. I think this path makes sense based on some of the threads in the Forced Induction section. Looks like the common refrain is "keep the clutched fan, don't bother with an electric conversion" but it seems like that's the best option for adding an IC up front. Very little room on my car, since I'm also adding an oil cooler and attempting to keep the "Type 1" front valence, which has the least amount of room / shortest overhang of all the e30 valences, as far as I can tell.

Will eventually post progress pics, but it's gonna take a while to get it all sorted. If I forget to update this thread it will be on my build thread, here: https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/for...o-resurrection

[Striker01]

I'm down this rabbit hole already. I can't help with the condenser question, I ordered the one from the beginning of this thread and it fit and works well. I am on my second rebuilt original compressor, the first I noticed was bad before I installed it, the screen on the inlet side was only half there. The second I installed with a new dryer, expansion valve and rebuilt barrier hoses; had the system vacuumed and charged, blew cold but noticed oil leaking from the front of the compressor after a week of use. I am sending that one back this week and ordered the sanden bracket from Wylie and Co, along with a SD5H14 compressor. I got the bracket and new compressor for less than a rebuilt original and didn't have to wait three months for either to be in stock like I did for the second bad original. It will cost a little extra to have the hoses fabricated for the new compressor but I'm not willing to wait and see if the third time is a charm with a rebuilt compressor. Maybe I just had bad luck with the rebuilt ones but if I were you I would just get the newer style and pay to have hoses built, you'll probably want to update yours to barrier hoses anyway.

[atmh]

Well, looks like I'll be going down this rabbit hole. I took most of the A/C system out of my car when I put the turbo in 15ish years ago, but now I'm a bit older and live in a bit of a warmer climate, and really want that sweet A/C. Since I'm basically starting from scratch, the whole system will be new and might as well make it R134a. Seems like this thread has almost every question I could ask, but, here's a few I didn't readily find!

ECS carries two Nissens parallel flow condensers that "fit" my car (an '84 325e). Any idea what the difference is between them?

Condenser 1:

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-nissens-parts/air-conditioning-condenser/64538391509~nis/

Condenser 2:

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-nissens-parts/bmw-e-30-82-93-condenser/64538391509~nin/

Question two: they also carry an R134a compressor. Any idea if this is just a refurbished r12 one with the correct seals, or if it's actually an R134a unit? Also mostly they're out of stock so maybe that's a sign of the times and hence why it looks like people are mostly getting creative with universal compressors and custom brackets...

Third and final question: I took out my aux fan all those years ago in lieu of an intercooler. To be honest I never had any overheating issues without the aux fan, but I also didn't have an A/C condenser. What do people do who have an IC and condenser? Just run with no fan? Find a low profile one that fits? Something else?

Thanks for the help!

I might piece the system together now so I can see how everything fits, but I'm not going to be charging it or test running it for a long while, perhaps years, while the rest of the car is built. In fact all I really need for now is the condenser and maybe an aux fan to make sure the IC fits.

[cory58]

He would have had to change the oil if he converted from r12 or it hold have reached havoc on your system but if you're swapping out pretty much everything a good flush is wise. Use the oil recommended by th compressor mfg (typically PAG 46) and do check if it's filled or not on arrival as some aren't. I'm assuming you know that 134 requires barrier hose and they we not all available new. I got some custom done by a firm in Jacksonville Fl quite reasonably.

It sounds like you don't have much confidence in the guy who did the conversion so you may want to make sure he also changed the X valve for an R134 specific valve.

Good luck and hope to bump in to you when we move back to NC next year.

Great advice. Thank you. Awesome news that you're moving back. Look forward to reconnecting.

Cory