Front air conditioner

[williamcharrison]

The front air conditioner on my 90 SP36 doesn't work. Can it be
repaired or should it be replaced?

[Mike Hohnstein]

It can be fixed. It will cost a lot of money. Been there done that, you need
to repeat annually.
Mike Hohnstein
Germantown, WI
83FC35
----- Original Message -----
From: williamcharrison
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 2:02 PM
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Front air conditioner


The front air conditioner on my 90 SP36 doesn't work. Can it be
repaired or should it be replaced?




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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Tom Warner]

It can be fixed and the cost is going to be determined by what condition
the condenser, hoses, compressor, air drier and other parts are in and how
much of the work you can do yourself. My system is a little different then
yours since your compressor is in the rear and you have long hoses to the
front. Other then that the technology is the same. Contrary to what was
first thought when technicians were converting R12 to R134a, you do not
have to replace your hoses if you dont have a leak in them now.. I pulled a
vacuum on my system after replacing the compressor ( I believe $229 from
NAPA) and air dryer for 24 hours and it was not leaking. Charged it with
R134a and it is still working fine after a year. Maybe I am different but I
bit the bullet and bought a high end Vacuum pump (Robinaire), gauges and a
couple of cases of R134a that were on sale for $18/case at Sams club. I
figured that since I had to do the A/C in the coach I might as well have
the equipment to take care of my other cars also.
If anyone is interested I have the procedures for doing a R134a system. By
the way I spent about $500 converting my A/c in the 1982 FC35 and that
included a new compressor, air dryer and the tools.

tom
1982 FC35

At 02:40 PM 5/18/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>It can be fixed. It will cost a lot of money. Been there done that, you
>need to repeat annually.
>Mike Hohnstein
>Germantown, WI
>83FC35
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: williamcharrison
> To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 2:02 PM
> Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Front air conditioner
>
>
> The front air conditioner on my 90 SP36 doesn't work. Can it be
> repaired or should it be replaced?
>
>
>
>
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>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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[scoggins_jim]

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "williamcharrison"
wrote:
> The front air conditioner on my 90 SP36 doesn't work. Can it be
> repaired or should it be replaced?

Sir:
I presume you are talking the chassis air and not the front roof air.
By not working?
compressor
front fans or
everything is blowing but just not cool

have you checked the fuse to the compressor?

Please see my write up in the Fixes section of the Vintage Birds web
site: conversion to 134A on an 86 PT.

You will need to know if your compressor is ok and if your system will
hold a vacuum. If so, my write up there is germane.

My conversion and fix has held for about 5 years although it needs a
can of 134 about twice a year--did it myself. easy.

If the system has just gone down you want to get it repaired fairly
quickly as ambient air in the system will cause a bunch of problems.

hang tough
Jim Scoggins
04 M380
formerly 86 PT40

[randydupree]

jim,i added a can of freon on arleys new to him 86 pt40 and it seemed to be
working fine! hes on the road heading to seatle. he named it "the rambling
roe's" FYI randy dupree93wb
----- Original Message -----
From: scoggins_jim
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2005 5:22 AM
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: Front air conditioner


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "williamcharrison"
wrote:
> The front air conditioner on my 90 SP36 doesn't work. Can it be
> repaired or should it be replaced?

Sir:
I presume you are talking the chassis air and not the front roof air.
By not working?
compressor
front fans or
everything is blowing but just not cool

have you checked the fuse to the compressor?

Please see my write up in the Fixes section of the Vintage Birds web
site: conversion to 134A on an 86 PT.

You will need to know if your compressor is ok and if your system will
hold a vacuum. If so, my write up there is germane.

My conversion and fix has held for about 5 years although it needs a
can of 134 about twice a year--did it myself. easy.

If the system has just gone down you want to get it repaired fairly
quickly as ambient air in the system will cause a bunch of problems.

hang tough
Jim Scoggins
04 M380
formerly 86 PT40






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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[fred89sp]

As I see it is a matter of personal preference and willingness to pay
for the repair.

I is my perception that many of the FC owners opt to abandon the dash
air and run the roof A/C with the generator. I find that running the
generator on my 89SP creates vibration and noise up front which I do
not like, it is especially noticeable at lower speeds. I also like to
have the A/C blowing into my face. If you have that, the overall
ambient temperature is less of an issue.

First you need to diagnose the problem. If it must be recharged then
you need to convert to R134a. Blue Bird advised me that to do so I
needed to thoroughly flush the lines and install a new compressor and
drier. I had it done (compressor was Sentec 488-46021, Fleetpride
5798; drier was Sentec, Fleetpride 7218) and promptly seized the
compressor.

On the redo we used another compressor and drier but also installed a
Binary Switch (Schrader) part # 4379-RD46400 ( I believe a Mack #)
which was purchased at Albany Truck Sales, in Albany NY. It is
described as a high /low pressure safety switch for A/C system and was
installed at the compressor (do not know which side but probably high
pressure). Could find no reason for the prior failure and this switch
was installed to protect the compressor from the higher pressures that
I understand are present with R134a. I has worked fine for a year.

It helps to have a knowledgeable A/C technician who is willing to work
with you on a job that can be a pain in the neck.

If you abandon the dash A/C it is certainly cheaper, you need to
decide which you prefer.



--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "williamcharrison"
wrote:
> The front air conditioner on my 90 SP36 doesn't work. Can it be
> repaired or should it be replaced?

[Jeff Miller]

Personally, I like the dash A/C. If at all possible, I prefer to
repair it. The original compressor might or might not work with
R134a, it is likely worth replacing it as it is already old.

In the past I have tried a couple of different things with the dash
A/C, and have learned the hard way. There is no relay to power it in
the early FCs, so the dash switch powers it directly from an already
overloaded wire. Running a relay for the compressor and condensor
fans will help the load on the dash power.

There is also no high/low pressure switch, so running the compressor
dry will happen, and eventually the compressor can seize and throw
the A/C belt. Often that belt takes others with it.

Adding at least a low-pressure switch is IMO mandatory, a high/low is
better still.

My '77 worked well, modified with a 3-groove pully on the alternator
to drive the A/C compressor with a short 3rd belt. This eliminated
the long and problematic A/C belt. Not a difficult conversion, the
compressor had to be moved forward to match the new pully groove and
put on a pivot for belt adjustment. Worked great.

My justification has always been that I'm stuck sitting in the sun
for sometimes hours, and the cold coach freezes everone else while
I'm still uncomfortably warm. I liked running the dash A/C, and the
rest of the A/Cs off of the inverter or genset only if others in the
coach wanted the cooling.

The other side of that debate is the cost of resurrecting the dash
A/C, the concern that the engine is already short on power in the
early FCs and couldn't afford to lose more to the A/C, and that most
of the time the coach A/C is necessary anyway.

Give me dash A/C and I'm happy.

- Jeff Miller
http://www.wanderlodge.net
http://www.millercoachworks.com


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "fred89sp"
wrote:
> As I see it is a matter of personal preference and willingness to
pay
> for the repair.
>
> I is my perception that many of the FC owners opt to abandon the
dash
> air and run the roof A/C with the generator. I find that running
the
> generator on my 89SP creates vibration and noise up front which I do
> not like, it is especially noticeable at lower speeds. I also like
to
> have the A/C blowing into my face. If you have that, the overall
> ambient temperature is less of an issue.
>
> First you need to diagnose the problem. If it must be recharged
then
> you need to convert to R134a. Blue Bird advised me that to do so I
> needed to thoroughly flush the lines and install a new compressor
and
> drier. I had it done (compressor was Sentec 488-46021, Fleetpride
> 5798; drier was Sentec, Fleetpride 7218) and promptly seized the
> compressor.
>
> On the redo we used another compressor and drier but also installed
a
> Binary Switch (Schrader) part # 4379-RD46400 ( I believe a Mack #)
> which was purchased at Albany Truck Sales, in Albany NY. It is
> described as a high /low pressure safety switch for A/C system and
was
> installed at the compressor (do not know which side but probably
high
> pressure). Could find no reason for the prior failure and this
switch
> was installed to protect the compressor from the higher pressures
that
> I understand are present with R134a. I has worked fine for a
year.
>
> It helps to have a knowledgeable A/C technician who is willing to
work
> with you on a job that can be a pain in the neck.
>
> If you abandon the dash A/C it is certainly cheaper, you need to
> decide which you prefer.
>
>
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "williamcharrison"
> wrote:
> > The front air conditioner on my 90 SP36 doesn't work. Can it be
> > repaired or should it be replaced?

[williamcharrison]

-Thanks a bunch. The more I look the more things I find to fix.
(But that is part of the fun isn't it?)

-- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "scoggins_jim"
<scoggins.j@a...> wrote:
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "williamcharrison"
> wrote:
> > The front air conditioner on my 90 SP36 doesn't work. Can it be
> > repaired or should it be replaced?
>
> Sir:
> I presume you are talking the chassis air and not the front roof
air.
> By not working?
> compressor
> front fans or
> everything is blowing but just not cool
>
> have you checked the fuse to the compressor?
>
> Please see my write up in the Fixes section of the Vintage Birds web
> site: conversion to 134A on an 86 PT.
>
> You will need to know if your compressor is ok and if your system
will
> hold a vacuum. If so, my write up there is germane.
>
> My conversion and fix has held for about 5 years although it needs a
> can of 134 about twice a year--did it myself. easy.
>
> If the system has just gone down you want to get it repaired fairly
> quickly as ambient air in the system will cause a bunch of problems.
>
> hang tough
> Jim Scoggins
> 04 M380
> formerly 86 PT40

[williamcharrison]

-Thanks Tom.

-- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Tom Warner
wrote:
> It can be fixed and the cost is going to be determined by what
condition
> the condenser, hoses, compressor, air drier and other parts are in
and how
> much of the work you can do yourself. My system is a little
different then
> yours since your compressor is in the rear and you have long hoses
to the
> front. Other then that the technology is the same. Contrary to what
was
> first thought when technicians were converting R12 to R134a, you do
not
> have to replace your hoses if you dont have a leak in them now.. I
pulled a
> vacuum on my system after replacing the compressor ( I believe $229
from
> NAPA) and air dryer for 24 hours and it was not leaking. Charged it
with
> R134a and it is still working fine after a year. Maybe I am
different but I
> bit the bullet and bought a high end Vacuum pump (Robinaire),
gauges and a
> couple of cases of R134a that were on sale for $18/case at Sams
club. I
> figured that since I had to do the A/C in the coach I might as well
have
> the equipment to take care of my other cars also.
> If anyone is interested I have the procedures for doing a R134a
system. By
> the way I spent about $500 converting my A/c in the 1982 FC35 and
that
> included a new compressor, air dryer and the tools.
>
> tom
> 1982 FC35
>
> At 02:40 PM 5/18/2005 -0500, you wrote:
> >It can be fixed. It will cost a lot of money. Been there done
that, you
> >need to repeat annually.
> >Mike Hohnstein
> >Germantown, WI
> >83FC35
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: williamcharrison
> > To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> > Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 2:02 PM
> > Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Front air conditioner
> >
> >
> > The front air conditioner on my 90 SP36 doesn't work. Can it be
> > repaired or should it be replaced?
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >-------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> > a.. To visit your group on the web, go to:
> >
>
><http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WanderlodgeForum/>http://groups.yahoo.
com/group/WanderlodgeForum/
> >
> > b.. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> > WanderlodgeForum-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> >
> > c.. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms
of Service.
> >
> >
> >
> >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
> >----------
> >Yahoo! Groups Links
> > * To visit your group on the web, go to:
> > *
> >
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WanderlodgeForum/>http://groups.yahoo.c
om/group/WanderlodgeForum/
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