Air Conditioning Re-visited

ljowdy · 05-02-2007, 07:50 AM

I have a new quesiton and hope someone can answer.

I have a Stock, Factory installed Air Conditioner in my 1973 911.

It has a York compressor. I've heard other people say that a more modern and efficient Rotary AC compressor will bolt up to the Factory Brackets without modification.

Does anyone know which compressor will do this????

tcar · 05-02-2007, 10:02 AM

Do a search. Been talked about many times.

I believe you can install one (sanyo?) with a new bracket.

ljowdy · 05-02-2007, 12:47 PM

Thanks for the help, I just ordered a compressor, receiver dryer and new hoses from Griffiths

Jim Sims · 04:10 PM

A "heads up" regarding installing the Sandens in the early year 911s with the oem fabricated steel compressor brackets. There is a very good chance the outer edge of the two groove pulley will strike the underside of the deck lid and dent it when closing the lid. It isn't enough to have clearance when the deck lid is carefully closed as it also over travels downward against the latch springs when being shut normally. I've had to remove the pulley and machine down the edge of the outer groove to avoid this issue. Charley Griffith may be doing this now with the kits he sells but I would check. Below is a image of a Griffith Sanden upgrade kit installed in a 1973.5 T; note the front edge of the pulley has been machined down.

ljowdy · 05-02-2007, 07:06 PM

Jim, thanks for the heads up, I spoke to Charlie today when I ordered the kit and will call him tomorrow regarding the pulley clearance issue

Greek55 · 05-03-2007, 06:29 AM

On the clearnance issue you can put some washers in between the hood and arm that attaches to the car to lift the hood a little. THe problem is not jsut when you close the lid but also the motor will twist a little under hard acceleration which lifts that side of the motor up.

ljowdy · 05-03-2007, 06:35 AM

Thanks everyone,

I spoke to Charles at Griffiths this morning. His kit now comes with clearanced pulleys.

Greek55 · 05-03-2007, 07:17 AM

Shimming worked on mine, but mine is a 911SC. After installing and driving through one drivers ed I had to have the lid repainted. Put 3 washers in and paint still looks great. Car has been through 8 drivers eds since shimming and repainting lid.

kuehl · kuehl's Garage

Yes, we do "usually" remove the outer groove on the Kuehl 507 applications when we know the client requires it, typically on early bodies. We'll add a note to remind clients to check for clearance in case they did not consider it during inspection with installation or the final walk around. And we'll nail a note to the "shipping department's" forehead.

With regard to "shimming", I don't think that may help you; as the deck lid lock sets the height more or less, don't have my ol 73' around any longer to confrim that idea, or whether counterclockwise rise of the motor is that significant with the 2.4. Only way to tell is to pop the deck lid, torque up the ponies and measure the rise (duct tape your laser to the ledge).

This is an interesting post in that I love the early narrow bodies, there are a few without air out there, and thought we did a Total AC project on mine, adding a complete three condenser system, we get a few calls on the subject of how to or what would it look like. So.....

Below is a shot of the Kuehl Kwick bracket system on a 507 unit mounted on a 2.4 with (cough) carbs. You would typically use the pulley groove adjacent to the compressor body. The white lines in the yellow circle note the outer groove wall machined off.

Below is a pic of the support riser or "shark fin" (no pun on 928's) attached to the "console".

Top view of the shark fin coming off the console and through the sheet metal surround.

View of the base plate

View of the triangle bracket (attached on the RH head) connecting/supporting the base plate

View of the Kuehl Kwick Slider Plate. The Kuehl Adapter plate easily bolts on top to accept the 507 series (note the pem nuts pressed in the slider.... no wrench holding or knuckle grinding underneath to hold nuts as with some "utters" kits). .... yellow chromate icing to finish it off.

ljowdy · 05-03-2007, 07:50 AM

Great service.
I spoke to Charles this morning to find out about the clearance issues and not only did he assure me that the pulley was machined, he posted this message.

I also found out that the system is compatible with R12 (much colder) and with R134. The compressor comes with R12 Charge port fittings.

If you choose to use R134, the kit comes with charge port adapters to accept the R134

Charles, thanks for posting this information and clearing up the shimming and clearance issues.

ljowdy · 05-20-2007, 08:39 PM

I should have posted sooner but you know how it goes. I received my barrier hoses, compressor, compressor mount and new receiver dryer from Charles at Griffiths.

It took me approximately 4 1/2 hours to install the new hoses. Each hose is labeled at each end and it makes the job simple. After installing the compressor, I took my car to my friends home and we evacuated the system at which time I found out that I had a hole in the rear condenser. 5 phone calls to radiator shops revealed that they wouldn't repair the condenser. Finally, 1 shop owner said, "that's made of copper and we can repair it" Evacuated the system again, and charged it with R-12. The freon wouldn't make it past the expansion valve so off came the expansion valve. My local air conditining shop had the correct expansion valve for my stock 1973 Behr system.

New valve goes on and guess what? That valve was bad. Valve off, take it back, get a new one and finally, the system charged up and is now working as fine as a 1973 system should work.

By the way, the system holds 32 oz. of R-12.

ljowdy · 06-09-2007, 10:34 AM

Last post was May 20th regarding my AC. Shortly after posting the above message, I realized that the system worked semi-OK during cool days and not so well when the ambient temp. was warmer.

I finally broke down and call Griffiths and ordered his 3rd condenser with fan, a new evaporator, new infinite fan speed controller and a new temperature dial and probe.

I took the car back to the AC shop and had them remove the R12 and store if for me for later use. I then tore into the system and about 5 hours later, had everything installed

It took a while to install everything and to sort out some electrical issues from the PO. After getting the system installed, I took it back to my local AC shop this morning.
Originally, the car's AC system held 32 oz's of R-12, it now holds 39 oz's with the addition of the 3rd condenser.

At idle with the rear lid up, it was blowing 28 degree's. At speed with the lid down and the rear condenser working, it gets """really""" cold inside the car. (I probably need to get a thermometer and check its actual temperature but all I care about is that it works absolutely great)

Well worth the expense and my time to install everything, besides, I got a real lesson in how AC works.