79 911 sc - Remove all A/C stuff??

[FinallyGotOne]

Hey everyone, hope u all had a great 4th of July!!

So I keep throwing money at my 911's A/C. Last year it was converted over to the new refrigerant. Then I had to get some new lines installed. Just for the car to blow a little coolish air. when all was said and done it was about $400. or so. When I take it out and about in the 90 degree heat, the inside cabin gets hot enough to turn my iphone into "Temperature" mode.
I have no window tint any more as i had it removed a long time ago and prefer the slight green tint of the factory window. now i am wondering debating, perhaps I need the windows tinted again. Not sure how much that will help?

Wondering if I really just need to remove all AC parts, get rid of the condensers, drier, lines, compressor, evap. etc...

Or do I take it back to shop and diagnose why the AC is not keeping things cooler?

Whats the advice here? I know a lot of you all just removed the AC alltogether.

[RSTarga]

Porsche Air Conditioning,Porsche compressor,Porsche condenser,Porshe condensers,Porsche drier,Porsche driers,Porsche evaporator,Porsche evaporators,Porshe barrier hoses,Porsche air conditioning upgrades,Porsche air conditioning updates,Porsche air co
Just ask the expert, it's not cheap, but if you plan on keeping the car worth it.
Any A/C question on this forum turns into a cat fight so just call griffiths.

[drodg]

You know I had the same thing with my A/C on my 82. It wasn't hardly cold at all last summer. This year I had my shop refill the R134A and check for leaks with a black light. It stayed cold for about 1 week. We found leaks at the fittings on the compressor. I had the fittings replaced and that was in May. It is amazing how cold it has stayed since and I don't really feel like I need to do anything else. I live in Indiana and it does get hot and so far I have driven in an upper mid 80 degree day and the A/C was cold enough for me. I do believe that dark tint on the glass would help but I don't really like the look. This is basically with a stock system and a York compressor. I am glad I left it alone for now. That may change in August though when the temps are 90+!

[theiceman]

it is common knowledge that our cars struggle with ac with the existing ducting , so anything you can do to help will improve the situation.
i would say tint it if ac is more important than looks.

[tirwin]

I have never been a big fan of after-market applied window tint. Mainly because it seems like I've seen a lot more bad than good driving around. Maybe there is a difference in material and maybe some shops are better than others. I just can't bring myself to take the chance on my car.

A while back I saw a thread on here where someone had some kind of tint that didn't change the look but it blocked a lot of UV light. It looked very close to the factory bluish/green color. Seems like it might've been a 3M product. I would like to find out more about it and curious if there is any data on longevity.

[Bob Kontak]

I am certain there is a fundamental problem with your system that is rendering it wimpy.

In 90 degree temps you will wish for more but it is sufficient. Sitting in the sun for two hours before starting it up undermines "sufficiency" as every part of your interior is 100 degrees or more.

The only upgrade I have is a rotary compressor bought from Griffiths Tech and low side barrier hose.

You have a leak and you need to find it for starters.

Aside from that, I suggest you do the following "on the cheap" first:

1. Make sure your fan on the front condenser engages when the system is turned on.

2. Open up the hole in the foot well and clear out the fan resistor thingie so you have some access to the bottom of the evaporator. Mine was plastered with fuzz, pet hair and dust/dirt. I just squirted 409 on it and gently rubbed the layer of crud off with a soft rag.

3. Make sure the evap box top is sealed properly. If someone had pulled the top off, the clips that hold it in place can be stinkers to get back on correctly. Foil furnace tape can work in a pinch to seal the top to the bottom effectively.

After the easy stuff, spend a little money and get some Harbor Freight gauges and put your own refrigerant in. This will cost you the same as one visit to the shop for a recharge then you are free from the hassle of having to rely on them.

The gauges will let you know where you have a problem, especially if you report numbers found back to the board.

Here is a simple summary of using the gauges. Does not answer everything but gives you a flavor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80jSH8VQZms

For 90 degree temps, a complete system upgrade is NOT required. However, it would help if a few little tidbits were added like the hurricane evap fan or an additional condenser.

If I were in your shoes I would find the leak, change the Reciever/Dryer, get gauges and see what else is performing marginally.

[kb911]

I'm new to the forum but am a longtime owner of a 1970 911T. When I bought the car in 1972, my wife insisted that it have A/C; it did not. So I was able to get the dealer to agree to get A/C installed. Luckily, they farmed out the install to a Porsche dealer and they installed a Behr system.
Anyway, I'll get to my point. After 20+ years of dealing with what I considered marginal performance, I upgraded to barrier hoses and a (Sanden) rotary compressor. All I can say is that the difference in cooling performance was night and day.
If you want to keep the A/C, make sure all of your hoses are barrier hoses, and change out that York compressor to a rotary (from Griffith's, of course!)

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by kb911

I'll get to my point. After 20+ years of dealing with what I considered marginal performance, I upgraded to barrier hoses and a (Sanden) rotary compressor. All I can say is that the difference in cooling performance was night and day.

Good info. i lived in Houston when I changed to Sanden from York. I can't vouch for if it worked well or not as I had not a clue about AC at that time (1997 ish) . It was marginal but I performed no due diligence to make sure the issue was compressor based. It has only been over the last several years with the help of this board that I now know my system is working well.

[FinallyGotOne]

Thanks everybody so much for all the advice I'll get started on tracking it down and figuring things out really appreciate the help

[911SauCy]

Remove and don't look back...

[Ronnie's.930]

Spend whatever it takes to have good working a/c.

[mreid]

CT says remove and TX says keep...hmm...

[Nick Triesch]

It is a drop in, makes compressor work less hard and takes less of the stuff. Also cools better than 134. Larger molecules so does not leak out as quickly.

[Nick Triesch]

I just did some checking and I don't think we can use es22a . EPA says it is flammable. What I do not understand is that the EPA just approved HFO-1234yf refrigerant and I think it is more flammable than es22a! GM says they will use it in new cars but VW says they will not use it because of safety fire concerns. I just do not get it all. What is going on?

[kuehl]

Originally Posted by FinallyGotOne

So I keep throwing money at my 911's A/C.
Wondering if I really just need to remove all AC parts, get rid of the condensers, drier, lines, compressor, evap. etc... , Whats the advice here? I know a lot of you all just removed the AC alltogether.

Finallygotone (sounds like you just caught a Marlin):

This is a common 'frustrating' question..... to have or not to have.
There are 2 parts to the solution:
A) Integrity.... no leaks, low maintenance, safe operating pressures.
B) Performance... cold vent temps, more vent air

Whether you decide to remove the AC system and go Commando (no ac and drive fast), or enjoy every day of the driving season (invest in best ac system you can have), its is always your choice. But, if you want to know the facts about your system and what is needed, then read The Mr. Ice Project.

After your read The Mr. Ice Project then I suggest you research the various air conditioning suppliers and their approach to AC cooling. Continue to ask Pelican Board members for their opinions. After your done, again, its up to you...

[FinallyGotOne]

wonder if my broken AC thermostat wire has anything to do with my uncool a/c temps!!
THE WHITE WIRE, THE ONE THAT GOES RIGHT INTO THE BACK OF The SWITCH IS BUSTED. nOW I NEED TO REPLACE THE SWITCH. MY PART NUMBER IS 911-613-121-00 i'm finding parts that have the last two digits as 01.

Anyone have a good used switch they'll sell me? or anyone know if I can use the .01 part number? i'm a 79 911 so I think I can use .01 but need to be sure before I purchase. Thanks for the advice fellas!

[kuehl]

The aluminum temperature sensing tube, attached to the thermostat and inserted in the evaporator coil, is fragile: if you break it the refrigerant gas inside escapes and the unit is not longer functional and can't be economically repaired; when it breaks the thermostat will not turn 'on'. Trying to find a good used one is a challenge and not worth the effort.

Here, the host sells unit you need.... AC Thermostat

[Discseven]

Spoke with a Forum member in South FL a few days ago... "KellogGes." He's developed and is building a system which sounds appealing. I'm not sure it's for DIY's due to secrets he wants to keep secret --- speak with him about this. Here's a photo he posted. His name is Reid.

[mreid]

Reid is no relation to me!

His threads are certainly interesting reading. The a/c wars on this forum are bizarre and cause me to not want to deal with any of the players.

[Discseven]

Originally Posted by mreid

...the a/c wars on this forum are bizarre...

lol!