Jump to content
SAU Community

How to run old a/c compressor on new legal gas?

LINK17

By LINK17,
in R Series (R30, R31, R32, R33, R34)

 Share

Recommended Posts

LINK17 Collaborator

LINK17

Posted
Posted

All

I have an 89 r32 gtst, my ac blows hot for the first 10 minutes then works fine? I have looked on sau and run the diagnostic; as per usual amb temp reads -33 degrees. All cycles run fine through diagnostic.

An autolec said it seems to have gas but it is prolly the newer legal gas which runs at a different pressure hence the lag. He said it would need a new compressor and valves/fittings to accommodate the new gas and could cost thousands. 

I have had a skyline for years so I know there has to be a hack - I live in coffs harbour so don't have access to a heap of rb fanatic mechanics.

Any help pls?

joshuaho96 Veteran

joshuaho96

Posted
Posted

First verify that you don't have any leaks and the AC amp + AC relays are functioning properly. Then verify that the charge is properly done. You may need to evacuate it entirely and recharge. I believe the dryer and some o-rings need to be exchanged for R134a versions but that should be it.

You will lose some AC performance compared to R-12. If you don't like the thought of that then there is HC-12a which is an isobutane + propane mix. It is highly flammable so if you have a leak in the evaporator you have to roll down the windows immediately, don't believe the marketing claims that it's perfectly safe, it's like having a natural gas leak in your house.

GTSBoy Grand Master

GTSBoy

Posted
Posted

I used propane in mine for a while and it was great. But I eventually got the receiver-dryer changed over and ran R134a and it was fine. Slightly not as good, but nothing to complain about.

"Seems to have gas" is not the same as "hooked up to a set of gauges and proven to have the right charge in it".

If you swap to R134a, it is as Josh says above. Also need new adapters screwed onto the charge ports. R134a uses different fittings. Also needs different lube and a sticker on the inner guard.

robbo_rb180 Grand Master

robbo_rb180

Posted
Posted

Being an import it should have been converted to r134a at compliance.

As suggested check all fuses and relays. Is the condensor fan working? does it stay cool as you drive? if it does that suggests a faulty fan

Best thing is to take it to a competent auto elec/Ac guy. Get a set of gauges on it and check pressures over its operating temps/fan speeds. Diagnosing AC by forums can't be done properly.

If i was to do it I would check all electrical components and if that does not highlight the issue, replace all the o rings, valves, oil & dryer. Pressure test and vac it down to ensure no leaks or contaminants in the system and regas with around 500gm and monitor pressure and charge from to what that system needs to have around 4 degrees in the vent.

LINK17 Collaborator

LINK17

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thank you guys, the autolec I took it to said it tested fine for gas, so I'm assuming maybe the dryer hasn't been changed and/or it wasn't flushed completely and it's now running some weird mongrel mix of gases in it. Anyway know of a good skyline ac guy in coffs?!

robbo_rb180 Grand Master

robbo_rb180

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, LINK17 said:

Thank you guys, the autolec I took it to said it tested fine for gas, so I'm assuming maybe the dryer hasn't been changed and/or it wasn't flushed completely and it's now running some weird mongrel mix of gases in it. Anyway know of a good skyline ac guy in coffs?!

All the dryer does is filter the refrigerant of contaminants/moisture within the system. If its only blowing warm/hot air sitting there with no air flow over the condenser it will be an electrical/fan problem or TX valve that is not metering refrigerant properly. The condenser requires airflow to help with the heat transfer as the gas changes states and the TX meters that refrigerant depending on evaporator temps.
As been suggested any auto elec/ac trade should be able to diagnose the issue and resolve it. If you know a fridge mechanic they should be able to help you.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing


  • Similar Content

  • Latest Posts

    • LegendGTR
      EFR7670 exhaust selection RB26

      By LegendGTR · Posted

      I'm looking for some real world experiences/feed back from anyone who has personally ran a EFR7670 with a 1.05 exhaust housing or a .83 I'm leaning towards the .83 because its a street car used mostly for spirited driving in the canyons roads. I"m not looking for big numbers on paper. I want a responsive powerband that will be very linear to 8000 rpm. I dont mind if power remains somewhat flat but dont want power to drop off on top. The turbo I've purchased is a 1.05, although the mounting flange T3 vs T4 and internal vs external waste gates are different on both housings, I not concern about swapping parts or making fabrication mods to get what I want. Based on some of the research I've done with chat gpt, the 1.05 housing seems to be the way to go with slightly more lag and future proofing for more mods but recommends .83 for best response/street car setup. AI doesn't have the same emotions as real people driving a GTR so I think you guys will be able to give me better feed back 😀   
    • PranK
      Stock Airbox and Snorkle for RWC - VIC west

      By PranK · Posted

      Surely somebody has one in VIC. Have you asked at any shops?  Is this the yearly inspection or did you get a canary?
    • PranK
      Duncan's V37.......race car?

      By PranK · Posted

      This is where I share pain with you, @Duncan. The move to change so many cooling system pieces to plastic is a killer! Plastic end tanks and a few plastic hose flanges on my car's fail after so little time.  Curious about the need for a bigger rad, is that just for long sessions in the summer or because the car generally needs more cooling?
    • Duncan
      7 Speed Auto transmission fluid change (Skyline, Q50, Q60, Fuga, Q70, A62 Titan and probably heaps of others including Navara...)

      By Duncan · Posted

      So, that is it! It is a pretty expensive process with the ATF costing 50-100 per 5 litres, and a mechanic will probably charge plenty because they don't want to do it. Still, considering how dirty my fluid was at 120,000klm I think it would be worth doing more like every 80,000 to keep the trans happy, they are very expensive to replace. The job is not that hard if you have the specialist tools so you can save a bit of money and do it yourself!
    • Duncan
      7 Speed Auto transmission fluid change (Skyline, Q50, Q60, Fuga, Q70, A62 Titan and probably heaps of others including Navara...)

      By Duncan · Posted

      OK, onto filling. So I don't really have any pics, but will describe the process as best I can. The USDM workshop manual also covers it from TM-285 onwards. First, make sure the drain plug (17mm) is snug. Not too tight yet because it is coming off again. Note it does have a copper washer that you could replace or anneal (heat up with a blow torch) to seal nicely. Remove the fill plug, which has an inhex (I think it was 6mm but didn't check). Then, screw in the fill fitting, making sure it has a suitable o-ring (mine came without but I think it is meant to be supplied). It is important that you only screw it in hand tight. I didn't get a good pic of it, but the fill plug leads to a tube about 70mm long inside the transmission. This sets the factory level for fluid in the trans (above the join line for the pan!) and will take about 3l to fill. You then need to connect your fluid pump to the fitting via a hose, and pump in whatever amount of fluid you removed (maybe 3 litres, in my case 7 litres). If you put in more than 3l, it will spill out when you remove the fitting, so do quickly and with a drain pan underneath. Once you have pumped in the required amount of clean ATF, you start the engine and run it for 3 minutes to let the fluid circulate. Don't run it longer and if possible check the fluid temp is under 40oC (Ecutek shows Auto Trans Fluid temp now, or you could use an infrared temp gun on the bottom of the pan). The manual stresses the bit about fluid temperature because it expands when hot an might result in an underfil. So from here, the factory manual says to do the "spill and fill" again, and I did. That is, put an oil pan under the drain plug and undo it with a 17mm spanner, then watch your expensive fluid fall back out again, you should get about 3 litres.  Then, put the drain plug back in, pump 3 litres back in through the fill plug with the fitting and pump, disconnect the fill fitting and replace the fill plug, start the car and run for another 3 minutes (making sure the temp is still under 40oC). The manual then asks for a 3rd "spill and fill" just like above. I also did that and so had put 13l in by now.  This time they want you to keep the engine running and run the transmission through R and D (I hope the wheels are still off the ground!) for a while, and allow the trans temp to get to 40oC, then engine off. Finally, back under the car and undo the fill plug to let the overfill drain out; it will stop running when fluid is at the top of the levelling tube. According to the factory, that is job done! Post that, I reconnected the fill fitting and pumped in an extra 0.5l. AMS says 1.5l overfill is safe, but I started with less to see how it goes, I will add another 1.0 litres later if I'm still not happy with the hot shifts.
×
×
  • Create New...