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93 240 uiversal AC condenser?

vwblue1967

vwblue1967

Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2010
Location
NC
Sorry to start another account thread but it's hot and Im getting old. I've never had AC in my Volvo's but thought I'd try. I took it to a shop and had the vacuum, refill (with uv dye included) and pressure test. Was awesome for two days... HF black light shows the bottom of the condenser leaking the green dye.

It seems like the year only condenser for the 93 is kind of hard to find. Has anyone had luck with a universal condenser to swap in?

I've seen universal condensers made for cars not originally equipped with AC and being that there's a little wiggle room the dimensions don't have to be exact. I'm more worried about connecting the lines. maybe I could use an adapter similar to connecting an oil pressure sensor to the block. Or if the connections are not too close would I have to remove the lines and have custom ones made?

Thanks for any advice
 
I used this one https://www.ebay.com/itm/CNFP1623-A...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

I used it on my 90 which has a crappy evaporator compared to yours and I get these temps out of it with the enviro safe r12 industrial refrigerant. Going down the road versus idle.

<a href='https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AWNuYDldVweRWr861_TQEkS9IL1zzzOA/view?usp=embed_facebook&source=ctrlq.org'><img src='https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/B7QCrn8qb-t4eRFavt1o4CrD8wr6BaUEp44bvVTm2YVTP0OF-d7JZV6vwcs=w2400' /></a>

<a href='https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CV4BHosMMOqXQ6cSk5gNsGlsSYH3f3hE/view?usp=embed_facebook&source=ctrlq.org'><img src='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lKY9o0mlACWPrMUWayHSSz1YSsj8egwe4ixaO1GgLKJIMZdVg3e1z_8rfE=w2400' /></a>
 
Not sure why the other picture doesnt work but its 41 degrees. This is in Houston with it being 100 degrees outside.
 
I seem to recall many 93 offerings on eBay..... I know 91-92 is same, and then perhaps 93 only, 94-95? Only a sip or two of java this morning...... EDIT - sorry the above is 7/9 relevant. The 93 parallel flow is a 1 year only animal for the 2 series. My son and I are going to renew his 89 245 with a new compressor and perhaps the OE condenser. There is scant little in the supply chain for the 2 series. Is your vehicle a 91-92 With orifice tube, or TXV? There is a conversion valve for the early evaporator to perform better with R134a.


Just restored function to a 92 745 and have high 30's coming from the center vent. The key is to WEIGH the charge of R134a so you don't over/under fill it.
 
Last edited:
2manyturbos said:
You can use the 1991-92 240 condenser and if you charge it with the Envirosafe ES 12 industrial refrigerant it will get extremely cold.

Would this be a situation where I could get an adaptor plug to mate up the earlier condenser to the factory 93 hoses?
Click to expand...
 
DET17 said:
I seem to recall many 93 offerings on eBay..... I know 91-92 is same, and then perhaps 93 only, 94-95? Only a sip or two of java this morning......

I doubt the high side line will be an issue on fitment, but the hardline going thru the orifice and then into the evaporator connection might vary 93-95. Check TASCA for your year and it will show the parts which interchange.

Just restored function to a 92 745 and have high 30's coming from the center vent. The key is to WEIGH the charge of R134a so you don't over/under fill it.
Click to expand...



Ive really only been looking this past week and there is one on ebay but its $130 and seems a bit expensive for a 25 year old condenser. They may not normally go bad and it could be fine but id just assume to but a new one for half that price (im sure ill eat up some of the saved $ by having to buy more parts to make a universal fit but at least its new).
 
jjona5 said:
I used this one https://www.ebay.com/itm/CNFP1623-A...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

I used it on my 90 which has a crappy evaporator compared to yours and I get these temps out of it with the enviro safe r12 industrial refrigerant. Going down the road versus idle.

<a href='https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AWNuYDldVweRWr861_TQEkS9IL1zzzOA/view?usp=embed_facebook&source=ctrlq.org'><img src='https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/B7QCrn8qb-t4eRFavt1o4CrD8wr6BaUEp44bvVTm2YVTP0OF-d7JZV6vwcs=w2400' /></a>

<a href='https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CV4BHosMMOqXQ6cSk5gNsGlsSYH3f3hE/view?usp=embed_facebook&source=ctrlq.org'><img src='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lKY9o0mlACWPrMUWayHSSz1YSsj8egwe4ixaO1GgLKJIMZdVg3e1z_8rfE=w2400' /></a>
Click to expand...






Those are they type I was looking at, there are many of them. How did you connect it to the factory lines or did you make new ones?
 
I had new lines made at a hydraulic shop. They no longer sell 2 of the 4 lines anyway. So I had 3 made(my car had a dryer failure that sent desiccant into everything and plugged lines up). With the condenser and the three lines I think I only spent about 140 and an aftermarket factory junk 90(non parallel) condenser costs about 150.
 
vwblue1967 said:
2manyturbos said:
You can use the 1991-92 240 condenser and if you charge it with the Envirosafe ES 12 industrial refrigerant it will get extremely cold.

Would this be a situation where I could get an adaptor plug to mate up the earlier condenser to the factory 93 hoses?
Click to expand...

Actually, they line up on the connection coming from the evaporator. You will need the hard line section off a 1991-92 240 that comes off the compressor and heads over to the condenser. If you look at the two lines side by side, they both are a two piece line. You use the line you have currently coming off the compressor and where it joins with the second half you replace that section with the 91-92 line. The end result is a hybrid 92-93 system, all using stock Volvo OE parts. With ES12A in it, the system will perform better than any of the 91-93 systems did from the factory. The parallel flow 93 condenser is certainly more efficient, however, finding a good one these days is a needle in a haystack kind of deal.
Click to expand...
 
I thought Wren mentioned that you can get the parallel design condenser from four seasons? it is an a/c parts company that supplies the major chains like the autozone or pep bro. I think FCP euro uses them as well.
 
2manyturbos said:
vwblue1967 said:
Actually, they line up on the connection coming from the evaporator. You will need the hard line section off a 1991-92 240 that comes off the compressor and heads over to the condenser. If you look at the two lines side by side, they both are a two piece line. You use the line you have currently coming off the compressor and where it joins with the second half you replace that section with the 91-92 line. The end result is a hybrid 92-93 system, all using stock Volvo OE parts. With ES12A in it, the system will perform better than any of the 91-93 systems did from the factory. The parallel flow 93 condenser is certainly more efficient, however, finding a good one these days is a needle in a haystack kind of deal.
Click to expand...



Thanks for all the info!

So I get the line swap from the compressor (use the 93 line connected to the compressor and the 91-92 line where it splits to connect to the condenser, basically using half of the 93 line and half of a 91-92 line). And the other hardline that connects to the condenser, Do I need to grab that from a 91-92 also?
Click to expand...
 
Yes on the first part of your response. The other line will work as it is. The difference between a 91-92 line and the 93 line is so minor that you probably couldn't tell unless they were side-by-side.
 
jjona5 said:
I had new lines made at a hydraulic shop. They no longer sell 2 of the 4 lines anyway. So I had 3 made(my car had a dryer failure that sent desiccant into everything and plugged lines up). With the condenser and the three lines I think I only spent about 140 and an aftermarket factory junk 90(non parallel) condenser costs about 150.
Click to expand...

Happen to have the specs on the lines you made? It would be awesome if someone had dimensions/fittings/bends needed for the custom lines.
 
Yeah I started to have two sets made so I could sell a kit but I was in a hurry and the guy only had one left of one of the fittings. Long story short no. It was very very simple though. One line is super short and goes from the dryer to the condenser and it has a long 90 as the condenser is straight on the end instead of curved out. So I cut an extra hole in the side of the car and it went straight through. Then the other "custom" line was just maybe 8 inches long with a 90 on one end and then a straight on the other(this line was basically an adapter that connected to the new but factory style hose that ran from the compressor to condenser before). All of the threads are the same as the ones that go into the stock volvo condenser. I actually just cut the pieces off of the old condenser and took them up there so they could bend the ends to match. I also cut off the old mounting brackets and modified them to fit the new condenser and riveted it back on like it was on the original. Honestly very easy. It is a 4 pass cooler to. It is hot to the touch on the inlet and scalding hot on the outlet.
 
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