964 AC restoration

[Blair Buchanan]

Hi folks,
This may be a worn topic by now, but I thought I'd post a summary of my DIY AC replacement. A lot of planning and a weekend of solo tinkering and I fixed a non-functioning AC system and a squeaky fan. This may be useful information for anyone contemplating such a fix. It could have cost a lot more than it did if I'd taken the job to a dealer, but I find the local dealer won't look at you unless you're driving the latest model. It's hard to find a good Porsche mechanic who knows a 964.
What you'll see is:
- R&R the AC heater box inc. evaporator, fans, servos
- new compressor and hoses
- new condenser and receiver/dryer
Good luck!


https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5733545/Red-One%20Gets%20a%20Lung%20Transplant.pdf

[turbosonoma]

Excellent write up. Now how well does it work?

[Paperboy]

Great write up. Have been considering tackling a condensor change as per advice of my local Porsche indie, who does AC work. This write up will def help.
Question; how did you diagnose the compressor as needing changing ?Was it just an everything is 20 years plus approach.?

[87911jon]

Excellent! This project is on my To-do list, I will definitely follow your post. Thank you

[RedCoupe]

Thanks so much for writing this up. My AC on my 964 has never been very good in my 11 years of ownership, so getting my system up to snuff is my next project after I finish my engine overhaul. This will be a big help!

[Blair Buchanan]

Originally Posted by turbosonoma

Excellent write up. Now how well does it work?

One of those things you hate to admit, but I don't think it works as well as I expected. At least it goes all summer without topping up. But I think I have some tweaking to do in a later project:
- there is a lot of heat that enters the cabin from the oil reservoir and oil lines on the passenger side of the car. When I refinish the interior next spring, I will cover those areas with Dynamat or equivalent.
- I did a crap job of reconnecting the interior heater hoses to the heater box. These are the correlated paper hoses that join the pipes in the door sill to the box. I feel hot air at my feet and I think the fit is not tight enough. This was the most difficult part of the job and I will have to do it again when I get all the carpet out if the way.

So, the AC works and it's colder than before, but I'm getting more heat as well. Learning as I go.

[Blair Buchanan]

Originally Posted by Paperboy

Great write up. Have been considering tackling a condensor change as per advice of my local Porsche indie, who does AC work. This write up will def help.
Question; how did you diagnose the compressor as needing changing ?Was it just an everything is 20 years plus approach.?

The diagnosis evolved over about five summers with no AC and nobody able to find a leak they could see. The general consensus was an evaporator problem. Plus the fact that the left side fan mother (the one that goes on when you dial up the fan switch) was squeaking. I decided to scrap the whole thing. Yup, it was a 20 year thing. I was lucky to find the donor AC box. That saved a lot of money when you research the cost of fan motors.

[turbosonoma]

I came back to this post as I think this is the year I’m going to rectify the ac in one of my 964s but I found the link doesn’t work anymore, can you repost it?

Originally Posted by Blair Buchanan

One of those things you hate to admit, but I don't think it works as well as I expected. At least it goes all summer without topping up. But I think I have some tweaking to do in a later project:
- there is a lot of heat that enters the cabin from the oil reservoir and oil lines on the passenger side of the car. When I refinish the interior next spring, I will cover those areas with Dynamat or equivalent.
- I did a crap job of reconnecting the interior heater hoses to the heater box. These are the correlated paper hoses that join the pipes in the door sill to the box. I feel hot air at my feet and I think the fit is not tight enough. This was the most difficult part of the job and I will have to do it again when I get all the carpet out if the way.

So, the AC works and it's colder than before, but I'm getting more heat as well. Learning as I go.

[peter leinberge]

Seconding this request.
Hoping the OP sees it!