Early 944 AC low side access ??

[Royalfe]

What a pain to get to the low side of the AC. I can't even get the gage line to thread on the nipple due to the alterNator location.

Is a shorter AC/Alt belt the best answer?

Can the port be removed from the compressor manifold and replaced with a flex line run up into the engine compartment for easy access?

What are some common solutions?

Duke

1984 944 Na

[mattdavis11]

A shorter belt and a 90 degree adapter are the most common. You can take the suction line off and have an a/c shop put in a service port where ever you want it, the problem is taking the whole line out. When I worked at an a/c shop, we wouldn't work on the line while it was on the car.

I had access to all the things I needed and could have done all the necessary work, but opted for the shorter belt and adapter.

[romad]

A 45 bend hose will work also.

[Royalfe]

Headed to the belt shop and supplier now

Thanks for the info

Duke

[AA_Ezra]

The belt you need is on the board here somehwere. Type in NAPA Shorter belt. and im sure it will come up. but if you find something different and something that works better plz let us know.

I got the NAPA belt but was thinking i could get and even shorter one as the current belt with age is pretty close to the R-134 90 degree elbow

[mattdavis11]

The part numbers posted have probably changed, I think I updated them once. They start with NBH xxxxxx, it's all in increments of length though, length the final. Find the correct belt for our application and go down by 5 or 10. They have specs listed online.

[v2rocket_aka944]

I have a 90 degree fitting pointing downwards off the low-side port on my early car. I did grind a little bit off the lower alternator support for clearance.

[Royalfe]

Heres the number from John AZ on another thread

NAPA and buy belt# 25-050390

I'm using R12 so I'm going to try a 90 deg extension and will convert to 134 if needed.

Thanks,

Duke

[Royalfe]

Wow that's tight!

I did the 90 135 adapter and shorter belt. It's a tight fit for the elbow.

Vac'd the system down to find high and low sides are equal about 70 psi. Looks like a new drier and compressor in my future.

Thanks for the help

[mattdavis11]

Hold on minute. When you vacuum you have negative pressure. If it was at 70psi when you were done, you didn't vacuum anything. I assume you remembered to remove the schrader valve at the compressor on the low side? You don't need two.

[914efi]

I was told you could charge from the high side with the correct equipment.

[Royalfe]

Schrader valve...dang, left it in place. That could be it. I'll pull the bugger out and do it again.

I did have negative pressure, pulled vac on low and high side about 1 bar. Started car, bypassed low press switch and opened can. both sides were reading the 70 psi with the compressor running (clutch engaged). I'm now thinking that I didnt have the high side valve closed and thats how the pressure got to the high side.

Thanks Matt

You can't buy experience!