Air Con accumulators/drier mod
Air Con accumulators/drier mod
Hi everyone. Ive been informed that somebody in the group has successfully managed to modify the AC system so that a more common accumulator can be used. I would really like to discuss this further since my accumulator has rotted away and I cannot locate one anywhere! Thanks....
Re: Air Con accumulators/drier mod
I think that might be me. I did this with the Flying Machine. Its got a Volvo filter dryer with an alloy case fitted now.
My memory of the job is getting hazy but from memory, I had two stainless flanges laser cut which bolt to the top of the dryer with two 5 or 6 mm cap screws. The old dryer was a screwed fitting. I used the old pipe tails cut from the old dryer complete with mounting brackets and brazed new ferrule ends on them. The ferrule ends were themselves brazed to flanges so they would bolt on to the dryer flange. I used viton o rings between the ferrule ends and the recess in the dryer body to seal the connections. (The flanges are only there to hold the pipes on, not to create a seal. (Has to be viton to resist the R413 gas). The ferrule ends were turned to such a diameter that I created a compression of 0.35mm on diameter or 0.015" in old money.
The system has been faultlessly gas tight for about 5 years now. Sounds like a lot of work but if you have a lathe its a simple enough job. If you don't have a laser capable of cutting 5mm 304 stainless steel, fret not! A hacksaw, drill and file will work every bit as well as well. By the way, I chose the Volvo, only because it was roughly the same overall size and the pitch of the holes was roughly similar but there's a bit of give in the pipes. Make sure you get the gas in and out the right way round.
By doing this work you will have to open the system which is bad news as air is full of moisture, so close it asap then go to a proper AC centre and tell them the systems been open, they will be able to draw a vacuum down to get any moisture to flash off and be drawn out as a vapour, then refill the system with gas. Don't forget that there will be refrigerant oil in the dryer that you will loose, so tell them about that too. You will loose a small cupful. I'm told its difficult to get the old oil out of an automotive AC, so they will probably only top it up. Refrigerant oil is very hygroscopic (likes moisture) so that's why you don't want to leave the system open and must insist they vacuum it out before recharging.
I hope that puts you on the right track.
My memory of the job is getting hazy but from memory, I had two stainless flanges laser cut which bolt to the top of the dryer with two 5 or 6 mm cap screws. The old dryer was a screwed fitting. I used the old pipe tails cut from the old dryer complete with mounting brackets and brazed new ferrule ends on them. The ferrule ends were themselves brazed to flanges so they would bolt on to the dryer flange. I used viton o rings between the ferrule ends and the recess in the dryer body to seal the connections. (The flanges are only there to hold the pipes on, not to create a seal. (Has to be viton to resist the R413 gas). The ferrule ends were turned to such a diameter that I created a compression of 0.35mm on diameter or 0.015" in old money.
The system has been faultlessly gas tight for about 5 years now. Sounds like a lot of work but if you have a lathe its a simple enough job. If you don't have a laser capable of cutting 5mm 304 stainless steel, fret not! A hacksaw, drill and file will work every bit as well as well. By the way, I chose the Volvo, only because it was roughly the same overall size and the pitch of the holes was roughly similar but there's a bit of give in the pipes. Make sure you get the gas in and out the right way round.
By doing this work you will have to open the system which is bad news as air is full of moisture, so close it asap then go to a proper AC centre and tell them the systems been open, they will be able to draw a vacuum down to get any moisture to flash off and be drawn out as a vapour, then refill the system with gas. Don't forget that there will be refrigerant oil in the dryer that you will loose, so tell them about that too. You will loose a small cupful. I'm told its difficult to get the old oil out of an automotive AC, so they will probably only top it up. Refrigerant oil is very hygroscopic (likes moisture) so that's why you don't want to leave the system open and must insist they vacuum it out before recharging.
I hope that puts you on the right track.
Re: Air Con accumulators/drier mod
I have a drier but need the pipe which connects it to the condenser. Would anyone have one for sale or know where I could get one made up?
Thanks, Keith
Thanks, Keith
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 10 guests