Adding oil to A/C compressor - '90 Westy

[Terry Kay]

"I was having similar performance problems until I covered the engine & closed
the hatch when charging...see if that gives you better temps at the vents."

This has absolutely nothing to do with what the AC system is putting out at the vents when the voodoo open engine cover does absolutely nothing to impede the vent temperatures.
I have no clue where this eureka came from, or how this thought process evolved.

This is like saying you can't load any conventional vehicle with the hood open.
OK then.
The only thing that would make any difference is having the rear hatch open, and the intake is sucking continuous hot air, and being that the Vanagon was designed to use 100% recycled pre cooled intake air would make a difference.

How big was the box fan on the lower grill & you had it running WFO--right?
You have to simulate at least 30 mph with a Box Fan on the condenser while loading up the system.

The engine was running at about 1700-rpm when you were loading it up---right?
Gotta be--the entire time you're filling the ac system.

From what you are posting I don't think you have a good enough evac.
Something isn't correct, and if the system wasn't sucked down long or hard enough this could very well be the issue.
You still have moisture & air in the system.

See a bunch of bubbles flowing in the sight glass?
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T.K.

[RBEmerson]

Sigh... If I knew then what I know now, I would have been done a long time ago. Anyway... I'm 99.9% of the way there. The pressure's staying in the low-mid 30 PSI range (occasional random minor changes). The thermometer (long spike thing commonly stuffed into grills and outlets) says I'm getting about 20F below ambient (60F in 80F ambient after ~ 2 minutes of ~1500 RPM). I drove the Westy this evening, and it feels as though the A/C's doing its job (still had about 60F at one of the vents). I'll know more tomorrow when I do about a ~100 mile round trip in what should 80+F and mostly sunny WX.

I'm a little surprised at seeing 60F, though. This is measured at the end of the plenum (this is the VW A/C that hangs over the back seat) and the air's drawn from the space next to the rear window. It'd be nice to know how cold the evaporator's getting. But darned if I'll drop the box for anything less than a know component failure. I did that job once and I'm cured of doing it again. Back to 60F... I expected something closer to 50F. Or is that wishful thinking?
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Lord, give me coffee to change the things I can change, and wine to accept the things I can't change.

[Terry Kay]

You should be seeing 38 to 40 degrees at those very vents in front of the evaporator real easy, if everything was done right, and as long as all in the system is up to snuff.
60 degrees isn't at all acceptable.

You didn't jump on one question I asked, so obviously you don't want to know, or are looking for an easier answer.
There isn't going to be any..


Have a nice ride,
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T.K.

[RBEmerson]

Although the ambient temp was in the upper 70's and minimal insolation, the temperature differential was -35-40F (depending on which ambient temp is accepted). I've buttoned up the fuse and high pressure port compartment in the left rear locker, and called the job done.

Great thanks, one and all, for getting me through the brain burps and wobbly needles.
_________________
Lord, give me coffee to change the things I can change, and wine to accept the things I can't change.