• Hello Guest, welcome to the initial stages of our new platform!
    You can find some additional information about where we are in the process of migrating the board and setting up our new software here

    Thank you for being a part of our community!

240 Air Conditioning Retrofit

Harlard

Harlard

Hurlurd?Harland?Bueller?
300+ Club
Joined
May 11, 2007
Location
Niketown, OR
Hi all,

I have been wanting to run some form of air conditioning for a while now that the summers in the PNW are getting actually warm, and road trips to California can be slightly unbearable with all windows open at 90 MPH with the cabin still at 100 degrees...not ideal.

Recently I retrofitted my 242 with a later AC HVAC box (not sure whether it's 91, 92, or 93. I know that the fitting sizes on each one of those is different...) when fixing a leaky heater core.

What I do know for sure:

1. I'm swapping over a grandpa series accessory bracket setup and remote res power steering
2. I want it to work better than the crappy early 90s R134A setups with leaky hoses
3. Currently looking at the 940 series line routing. Looks way more useful than the diagonal hose on late 240s

ON TO THE [/a]QUESTIONS:

1. Should I get OEM hoses? Are there other options available? This begets:
2. Should I get an OEM condenser?
3. Is the stock compressor and dryer good enough?
4. What brands of components (compressor, receiver, hoses, condenser) should I seek out/stay away from?
5. What else am I missing??
 
im doing the same as this but for a 164. from what ive learnt is the later Evap is a good start
use the stock setup accumulator variable orifice and get a rotary sanden compressor and paraflow condenser.

im in the process of getting some custom hoses made up since nothing factory will fit mine. I believe hardline are meant to be better not sure how much of a difference they make. custom lines are expensive

im using a replica of the sanden sd508 so will see how that pans out and universal 12x21 paraflow condenser(I think a bigger one will fit in a 240 front)

and use best pusher fan hooked up to the compressor.

I will be hopefully using HC refrigerant as I see the general consensus r134a is crap.

I would use genuine components if but budget has constricted me.
 
Thanks Hutch. Looks like factory hose is in the cards for me unless I can have a local shop do the crimps for me. Would also need to figure out where to put the high and low pressure switches if custom hose ends up being used.
 
Im running 90 v. 240. Evaporator is stock, rebuilt compressor, upgraded condenser. and built my hoses I used a pex hose crimper (dont laugh, Im in middle of nowhere). I did install condenser fan but isnt needed. My temps are cold in hot humid air. Im running duracool.
 
Mine is an 87 setup (dryer and expansion valve) with a 93 134a compressor.

All the high side hoses and fittings in mine are 8. The connection from the evaporator low side however, is a 12 and the compressor is a 10. I ran a size 10 hose with a 12-10 reducer fitting at the evaporator. Now I’m thinking I should’ve used a 12 hose with the 12-10 at the compressor. I don’t know if it would’ve made any difference though.

I also put in high and low side inline charging points to make it easy.

Duracool.
 
Last edited:
Correction:

#8 from compressor to condenser. #6 from condenser to dryer and dryer to expansion valve. #12 fitting at evaporator to #10 fitting at compressor.

Hope that helps.
 
Last edited:
Harlard said:
Recently I retrofitted my 242 with a later AC HVAC box (not sure whether it's 91, 92, or 93. I know that the fitting sizes on each one of those is different...) when fixing a leaky heater core.
Click to expand...

The HVAC box is the same from '91-93. The stuff under the hood is what is different.

Harlard said:
Thanks Hutch. Looks like factory hose is in the cards for me unless I can have a local shop do the crimps for me.
Click to expand...

You're not going to get factory hoses to work from a '91+ car (or the rest of the underhood stuff for that matter) to work with your '85- front sheet metal. Things just don't bolt up and there isn't a mix-'n-match formula for what you want to achieve.

First off, do yourself a favor and buy a Mastercool hose crimper and then you can make your own hoses and not have to rely on a hydraulic shop for everything (plus you'll be the envy of all of your friends). The crimper will pay for itself.

Harlard said:
How did you figure out what the fitting sizes are. Are they all standardized?
Click to expand...

Yes, they are all standard, although the '93 models use some metric threads for the accumulator fittings.

Swapping in a better system is possible, but it takes time to get everything sorted out.
You're using terms like "dryer" in an accumulator system. Slow your roll a bit and let's get this all sorted.

Do you have the rest of the system that donated the '91+ evaporator box?
 
Wren said:
The HVAC box is the same from '91-93. The stuff under the hood is what is different.
Click to expand...

Excellent


You're not going to get factory hoses to work from a '91+ car (or the rest of the underhood stuff for that matter) to work with your '85- front sheet metal. Things just don't bolt up and there isn't a mix-'n-match formula for what you want to achieve.
Click to expand...

Not afraid to cut a hole or two and make brackets. That's child's play

First off, do yourself a favor and buy a Mastercool hose crimper and then you can make your own hoses and not have to rely on a hydraulic shop for everything (plus you'll be the envy of all of your friends). The crimper will pay for itself.
Click to expand...

Check. The vendor linked above listed the crimper at near $400 but I see that it's available on amazon for $150. Mu ccu more manageable.

Yes, they are all standard, although the '93 models use some metric threads for the accumulator fittings.

Swapping in a better system is possible, but it takes time to get everything sorted out.
You're using terms like "dryer" in an accumulator system. Slow your roll a bit and let's get this all sorted.
Click to expand...

So what do we call it? Big ugly aluminum bottle?

So far my takeaways are to use everything factory except hoses, compressor, and evaporator.

Would be nice to have a labeled diagram, but the internet doesn't have it. Shame.

Do you have the rest of the system that donated the '91+ evaporator box?
Click to expand...
Nope just bought the box.
 
Dryer and accumulator are two separate systems. The accumulator came with the 90s models and works with an orifice tube. The older models have a dryer and expansion valve. They also have different evaporators.

You can use all factory with a couple caveats. You want a parallel flow condenser, factory 93 units are mad expensive. That’s why I recommended an eBay/generic model. I also recommend a 93 compressor because, it’s got 134a fill ports already. Then use duracool for best results.
 
Last edited:
Ok good to know. I knew the difference between old and new systems was only orifice tube vs expansion valve. Thought the drier and accumulator were different designs of the same thing.

The parallel flow condensers I see on AC vendors are reasonably priced and look like they have their ports in roughly the same location as the Volvo stuff.

Thanks for the input so far.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top