Let's talk A/C condensers

Synchros shot? Weird noises while shifting? Not sure what needs to be replaced?
94Corolla5Speed
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 6927
Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 5:51 pm
Cars: 1994 Corolla, 1990 Miata
Location: Chicago, IL

Re: Let's talk A/C condensers

Post by 94Corolla5Speed »

If it makes you feel better, you can have mine. I have no use for it. Use it on the FC, hang it in your room, poke holes in it for fun, make a bong out of it, whatever.
User avatar
AHTOXA
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 14693
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2007 6:31 pm
Cars: '19 4RUNNER TRD ORP
Location: Irving, TX

Re: Let's talk A/C condensers

Post by AHTOXA »

paul34 wrote:ha. the ss house is a large circle. there are no corners!
No wonder I can't find my way outa this crazy place.

Ah who am I kidding? I like it that way.
'19 Toyota 4Runner TRD ORP
'12 Suzuki V-Strom 650
User avatar
comingbackdown
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 7399
Joined: Tue Jan 30, 2007 3:17 am
Cars: 99 Ram 2500, 86 Ford LTD
Location: Ohio
Contact:

Re: Let's talk A/C condensers

Post by comingbackdown »

94Corolla5Speed wrote:I want my boobs expanded.
:| :?

Good luck with that.
94Corolla5Speed wrote:make a bong out of it
Agreed wholeheartedly. Good luck with the booby expansion, man.
Image
1999 Ram 2500 4x4 360, 1986 Ford LTD 3.8L, 1983 Yamaha Venture Royale 1200
User avatar
theholycow
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 16021
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:36 pm
Cars: '80 Buick LeSabre 4.1 5MT
Location: Glocester, RI
Contact:

Re: Let's talk A/C condensers

Post by theholycow »

watkins wrote:That thing used R-12 I assume. Upgrade to the more efficient R-134a and get a smaller thinger. Or relocate it.
If you put R-134a in an R-12 system you won't get as much cooling as you did with R-12. We wouldn't have R-134a if R-12 hadn't been outlawed for environmental concerns. {Edited for clarity after re-reading quoted in post below.}
94Corolla5Speed wrote:Boob condenser? No, I want a boob expander.
Win.
Last edited by theholycow on Tue Mar 30, 2010 3:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
1980 Buick LeSabre 4.1L 5MT

Put your car in your sig!

Learn to launch/FAQs/lugging/misused terms: meta-sig
watkins wrote:Humans have rear-biased AWD. Cows have 4WD
LHOswald
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 2787
Joined: Mon Apr 06, 2009 10:46 pm
Cars: '99 Civic Hatch w/B16a
Location: Enfield, Connecticut

Re: Let's talk A/C condensers

Post by LHOswald »

theholycow wrote:
watkins wrote:That thing used R-12 I assume. Upgrade to the more efficient R-134a and get a smaller thinger. Or relocate it.
If you put R-134a in an R-12 system you won't get as much cooling as you did with R-12. We wouldn't have R-134a if it hadn't been outlawed for environmental concerns.
94Corolla5Speed wrote:Boob condenser? No, I want a boob expander.
Win.
R-12 systems are ice cold compared to R-134a but R-12 is so damn expensive
Image
User avatar
theholycow
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 16021
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:36 pm
Cars: '80 Buick LeSabre 4.1 5MT
Location: Glocester, RI
Contact:

Re: Let's talk A/C condensers

Post by theholycow »

Yup. R12 has been illegal to manufacture in the US (and I think importing is illegal too) since 1994. Any R12 you buy is either NOS or recycled.
1980 Buick LeSabre 4.1L 5MT

Put your car in your sig!

Learn to launch/FAQs/lugging/misused terms: meta-sig
watkins wrote:Humans have rear-biased AWD. Cows have 4WD
User avatar
fa22raptorf22
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 1282
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2008 9:31 pm
Cars: 2004 SSM Acura RSX
Location: Norwalk, CT

Re: Let's talk A/C condensers

Post by fa22raptorf22 »

watkins wrote:That thing used R-12 I assume. Upgrade to the more efficient R-134a and get a smaller thinger. Or relocate it.
LOL wut???

R-134a is more eco-friendly, but R-12 and R-22 are the better coolers.
watkins
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 15880
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 12:42 am
Cars: '08 Saab 9-5 Aero wagon
Location: Salem, MA

Re: Let's talk A/C condensers

Post by watkins »

I mostly meant monetarily. I have verbal diarrhea. Especially when typing because I think so much faster than I can type
User avatar
beowulf80
Senior Standardshifter
Posts: 306
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 7:04 pm
Cars: 2010 2SS Camaro
Location: IL

Re: Let's talk A/C condensers

Post by beowulf80 »

Vehicle condenser sizing is one of the things I do at work. I'll give this one a crack:

Ok, lets start with the first question: Why are you worried about getting a smaller condenser? Is your radiator overheating? If so, have you cleaned out your condenser and radiator fins with compressed air? Opposite direction to the normal airflow flow works best.

How did the A/C fail? Are you sure its the condenser? Admittedly its the most common failure, but hose leaks, bad compressors, etc can also leak refrigerant.

Can condenser size have an effect on the airflow? Yes. But smaller is not necessarily better. One of the most direct factors to the performance of a condenser is its size. To get the same performance as a large condenser a smaller one would have to have either really dense fins or really turbulent fins. Both of these would cause more restriction, so less airflow.

Have Condensers gotten smaller? Well that depends, have physics changed significantly? You might find one that is smaller, and has higher fin density, but that does mean its going to be "better"? Not necessarily.

If you change the size of the condenser it may or may not go crazy. Best case, you get an oversized one with wide fins and you have no problems. Worst case the condenser can't handle the load, you don't actually condense the refrigerant and you vapor-lock the pump (A/C Compressor). That's pretty unlikely though. Most likely it'll just end up not cooling as well. Can you adapt a different one to your car? Yes, but it'll be a PITA. If you do, make sure the fittings are right unless you have access to a brazing facility

I'd check with a local part store, they probably can point you to a decent one that's been engineered for your system.
LHOswald
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 2787
Joined: Mon Apr 06, 2009 10:46 pm
Cars: '99 Civic Hatch w/B16a
Location: Enfield, Connecticut

Re: Let's talk A/C condensers

Post by LHOswald »

its an rx-7. there are almost as many things manufactured for this car than there are for hondas.
Image
User avatar
ihartmacz
Senior Standardshifter
Posts: 983
Joined: Fri Jul 28, 2006 1:45 am
Cars: 1998 Ford Mustang Coupe

Re: Let's talk A/C condensers

Post by ihartmacz »

beowulf80 wrote:Vehicle condenser sizing is one of the things I do at work. I'll give this one a crack:

Ok, lets start with the first question: Why are you worried about getting a smaller condenser? Is your radiator overheating? If so, have you cleaned out your condenser and radiator fins with compressed air? Opposite direction to the normal airflow flow works best.

How did the A/C fail? Are you sure its the condenser? Admittedly its the most common failure, but hose leaks, bad compressors, etc can also leak refrigerant.

Can condenser size have an effect on the airflow? Yes. But smaller is not necessarily better. One of the most direct factors to the performance of a condenser is its size. To get the same performance as a large condenser a smaller one would have to have either really dense fins or really turbulent fins. Both of these would cause more restriction, so less airflow.

Have Condensers gotten smaller? Well that depends, have physics changed significantly? You might find one that is smaller, and has higher fin density, but that does mean its going to be "better"? Not necessarily.

If you change the size of the condenser it may or may not go crazy. Best case, you get an oversized one with wide fins and you have no problems. Worst case the condenser can't handle the load, you don't actually condense the refrigerant and you vapor-lock the pump (A/C Compressor). That's pretty unlikely though. Most likely it'll just end up not cooling as well. Can you adapt a different one to your car? Yes, but it'll be a PITA. If you do, make sure the fittings are right unless you have access to a brazing facility

I'd check with a local part store, they probably can point you to a decent one that's been engineered for your system.
This is an epic post! I enjoyed reading it a lot. I know that using a smaller orifice tube is also good for colder A/C. I'd like to get one for my Mustang.

Anyway, check this guy out. He talks about A/C as it applies to a Powerstroke Diesel truck, but it's still very pertiniant to the scope of our conversation. (6 part thingy)

1998 Ford Mustang
3.8L V6 AKA "Essex"
"Hot Doritos"
Chris H.

Re: Let's talk A/C condensers

Post by Chris H. »

This is coming off about four months too late, but I'll toss this in,

If R-12 is banned, and R-134a may or may not work as well with an R-12 compressor (based off what Wikipedia describes), would R-409a work? Accordingly, (again, based off Wikipedia), you can use R-409a in an R-12 system.

Discuss?
Last edited by Chris H. on Tue Jun 22, 2010 12:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
noob5,000,000
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 9380
Joined: Wed Nov 15, 2006 10:57 pm
Cars: 1986 Mazda RX-7 x2
Location: Sterling Heights, Michigan
Contact:

Re: Let's talk A/C condensers

Post by noob5,000,000 »

Oh wow, don't know how I missed this. Thanks for the post, Beowulf!

Really, there's nothing wrong with it, and I'm probably overthinking it all and making uneducated assumptions. My main beef with the current condensor is the fact that it takes up nearly 100% of the opening that directs air to the radiator, and that bothers me a little bit. But, I guess Mazda knows better than I do, so I should trust them and stop worrying about it.

The real challenge will be keeping A/C when I go v-mount :suspect:.
1986 Mazda RX-7 sport - slowly returning to the Earth
1986 Mazda RX-7 base - Project car, ???, In pieces, turbo parts around.
Post Reply