Let's talk A/C condensers
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- Master Standardshifter
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Re: Let's talk A/C condensers
If it makes you feel better, you can have mine. I have no use for it. Use it on the FC, hang it in your room, poke holes in it for fun, make a bong out of it, whatever.
- AHTOXA
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Re: Let's talk A/C condensers
No wonder I can't find my way outa this crazy place.paul34 wrote:ha. the ss house is a large circle. there are no corners!
Ah who am I kidding? I like it that way.
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Re: Let's talk A/C condensers
94Corolla5Speed wrote:I want my boobs expanded.
Good luck with that.
Agreed wholeheartedly. Good luck with the booby expansion, man.94Corolla5Speed wrote:make a bong out of it
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- theholycow
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Re: Let's talk A/C condensers
If you put R-134a in an R-12 system you won't get as much cooling as you did with R-12. We wouldn't have R-134a if R-12 hadn't been outlawed for environmental concerns. {Edited for clarity after re-reading quoted in post below.}watkins wrote:That thing used R-12 I assume. Upgrade to the more efficient R-134a and get a smaller thinger. Or relocate it.
Win.94Corolla5Speed wrote:Boob condenser? No, I want a boob expander.
Last edited by theholycow on Tue Mar 30, 2010 3:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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watkins wrote:Humans have rear-biased AWD. Cows have 4WD
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Re: Let's talk A/C condensers
R-12 systems are ice cold compared to R-134a but R-12 is so damn expensivetheholycow wrote:If you put R-134a in an R-12 system you won't get as much cooling as you did with R-12. We wouldn't have R-134a if it hadn't been outlawed for environmental concerns.watkins wrote:That thing used R-12 I assume. Upgrade to the more efficient R-134a and get a smaller thinger. Or relocate it.Win.94Corolla5Speed wrote:Boob condenser? No, I want a boob expander.
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Re: Let's talk A/C condensers
Yup. R12 has been illegal to manufacture in the US (and I think importing is illegal too) since 1994. Any R12 you buy is either NOS or recycled.
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watkins wrote:Humans have rear-biased AWD. Cows have 4WD
- fa22raptorf22
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Re: Let's talk A/C condensers
LOL wut???watkins wrote:That thing used R-12 I assume. Upgrade to the more efficient R-134a and get a smaller thinger. Or relocate it.
R-134a is more eco-friendly, but R-12 and R-22 are the better coolers.
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Re: Let's talk A/C condensers
I mostly meant monetarily. I have verbal diarrhea. Especially when typing because I think so much faster than I can type
- beowulf80
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Re: Let's talk A/C condensers
Vehicle condenser sizing is one of the things I do at work. I'll give this one a crack:
Ok, lets start with the first question: Why are you worried about getting a smaller condenser? Is your radiator overheating? If so, have you cleaned out your condenser and radiator fins with compressed air? Opposite direction to the normal airflow flow works best.
How did the A/C fail? Are you sure its the condenser? Admittedly its the most common failure, but hose leaks, bad compressors, etc can also leak refrigerant.
Can condenser size have an effect on the airflow? Yes. But smaller is not necessarily better. One of the most direct factors to the performance of a condenser is its size. To get the same performance as a large condenser a smaller one would have to have either really dense fins or really turbulent fins. Both of these would cause more restriction, so less airflow.
Have Condensers gotten smaller? Well that depends, have physics changed significantly? You might find one that is smaller, and has higher fin density, but that does mean its going to be "better"? Not necessarily.
If you change the size of the condenser it may or may not go crazy. Best case, you get an oversized one with wide fins and you have no problems. Worst case the condenser can't handle the load, you don't actually condense the refrigerant and you vapor-lock the pump (A/C Compressor). That's pretty unlikely though. Most likely it'll just end up not cooling as well. Can you adapt a different one to your car? Yes, but it'll be a PITA. If you do, make sure the fittings are right unless you have access to a brazing facility
I'd check with a local part store, they probably can point you to a decent one that's been engineered for your system.
Ok, lets start with the first question: Why are you worried about getting a smaller condenser? Is your radiator overheating? If so, have you cleaned out your condenser and radiator fins with compressed air? Opposite direction to the normal airflow flow works best.
How did the A/C fail? Are you sure its the condenser? Admittedly its the most common failure, but hose leaks, bad compressors, etc can also leak refrigerant.
Can condenser size have an effect on the airflow? Yes. But smaller is not necessarily better. One of the most direct factors to the performance of a condenser is its size. To get the same performance as a large condenser a smaller one would have to have either really dense fins or really turbulent fins. Both of these would cause more restriction, so less airflow.
Have Condensers gotten smaller? Well that depends, have physics changed significantly? You might find one that is smaller, and has higher fin density, but that does mean its going to be "better"? Not necessarily.
If you change the size of the condenser it may or may not go crazy. Best case, you get an oversized one with wide fins and you have no problems. Worst case the condenser can't handle the load, you don't actually condense the refrigerant and you vapor-lock the pump (A/C Compressor). That's pretty unlikely though. Most likely it'll just end up not cooling as well. Can you adapt a different one to your car? Yes, but it'll be a PITA. If you do, make sure the fittings are right unless you have access to a brazing facility
I'd check with a local part store, they probably can point you to a decent one that's been engineered for your system.
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Re: Let's talk A/C condensers
its an rx-7. there are almost as many things manufactured for this car than there are for hondas.
- ihartmacz
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Re: Let's talk A/C condensers
This is an epic post! I enjoyed reading it a lot. I know that using a smaller orifice tube is also good for colder A/C. I'd like to get one for my Mustang.beowulf80 wrote:Vehicle condenser sizing is one of the things I do at work. I'll give this one a crack:
Ok, lets start with the first question: Why are you worried about getting a smaller condenser? Is your radiator overheating? If so, have you cleaned out your condenser and radiator fins with compressed air? Opposite direction to the normal airflow flow works best.
How did the A/C fail? Are you sure its the condenser? Admittedly its the most common failure, but hose leaks, bad compressors, etc can also leak refrigerant.
Can condenser size have an effect on the airflow? Yes. But smaller is not necessarily better. One of the most direct factors to the performance of a condenser is its size. To get the same performance as a large condenser a smaller one would have to have either really dense fins or really turbulent fins. Both of these would cause more restriction, so less airflow.
Have Condensers gotten smaller? Well that depends, have physics changed significantly? You might find one that is smaller, and has higher fin density, but that does mean its going to be "better"? Not necessarily.
If you change the size of the condenser it may or may not go crazy. Best case, you get an oversized one with wide fins and you have no problems. Worst case the condenser can't handle the load, you don't actually condense the refrigerant and you vapor-lock the pump (A/C Compressor). That's pretty unlikely though. Most likely it'll just end up not cooling as well. Can you adapt a different one to your car? Yes, but it'll be a PITA. If you do, make sure the fittings are right unless you have access to a brazing facility
I'd check with a local part store, they probably can point you to a decent one that's been engineered for your system.
Anyway, check this guy out. He talks about A/C as it applies to a Powerstroke Diesel truck, but it's still very pertiniant to the scope of our conversation. (6 part thingy)
Re: Let's talk A/C condensers
This is coming off about four months too late, but I'll toss this in,
If R-12 is banned, and R-134a may or may not work as well with an R-12 compressor (based off what Wikipedia describes), would R-409a work? Accordingly, (again, based off Wikipedia), you can use R-409a in an R-12 system.
Discuss?
If R-12 is banned, and R-134a may or may not work as well with an R-12 compressor (based off what Wikipedia describes), would R-409a work? Accordingly, (again, based off Wikipedia), you can use R-409a in an R-12 system.
Discuss?
Last edited by Chris H. on Tue Jun 22, 2010 12:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Let's talk A/C condensers
Oh wow, don't know how I missed this. Thanks for the post, Beowulf!
Really, there's nothing wrong with it, and I'm probably overthinking it all and making uneducated assumptions. My main beef with the current condensor is the fact that it takes up nearly 100% of the opening that directs air to the radiator, and that bothers me a little bit. But, I guess Mazda knows better than I do, so I should trust them and stop worrying about it.
The real challenge will be keeping A/C when I go v-mount :suspect:.
Really, there's nothing wrong with it, and I'm probably overthinking it all and making uneducated assumptions. My main beef with the current condensor is the fact that it takes up nearly 100% of the opening that directs air to the radiator, and that bothers me a little bit. But, I guess Mazda knows better than I do, so I should trust them and stop worrying about it.
The real challenge will be keeping A/C when I go v-mount :suspect:.
1986 Mazda RX-7 sport - slowly returning to the Earth
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1986 Mazda RX-7 base - Project car, ???, In pieces, turbo parts around.