A/C lines for diesel conversion, and syncro conversion.

[Jeff's Old Volks Home]

I'm just about wrapped up my 90 Weekender Automatic gas to diesel to syncro conversion and have a question for the technical few. What are people doing to connect the A/C lines to the MK3 compressor? The A/C was working perfectly 2 weeks ago when I stripped my weekender and added a new compressor to my new big valve, low compression, Giles pump, T3 turbo new AAZ block. ( the latter was for ahhhh factor only...) I plan to drive the van to Transporter Fest in October...and I know these little things take the longest to sort out.
It's the 80/20 rule. Like many things, 20% of the work takes 80% of my time and money. The things I fretted about went easy and the things I didn't know enough to fret about were the biggest pain in the bum.
This is my 16th diesel conversion my 3rd Auto to manual conversion and my 1st ever Syncro conversion.
Thanks, Jeff

[outwesty]

I was curious about this as well. I never hooked up the A/C lines after doing the TDI swap on my 89. I will be doing the syncro conversion next. I'd love to see some pictures if you have them.

I'm curious if it would be best to just have whole new lines made instead of adding a section of hose from the old fittings to the new fittings.

[Zeitgeist 13]

My plan is to strip the old fittings from the original AC and the donor, and then use sections of garden hose to mock up the length and orientation for the new barrier hoses. Just be sure to clearly mark up how the hoses are oriented when swaged to the fittings at either end. Given your engine configuration, it might be helpful to fit a junction manifold in between the compressor and lines to the evaporator and condenser.
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Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?

[presslab]

If the hardlines on the AAZ point the right general direction, you can cut the old hose off and crimp on new hoses / ferrules. If not, you can get the hardlines welded to be how you want, or you can use a compression fitting to go from a part of the hardline that points the way you want, to the new hose.

I added A/C to my van and all the crimped hoses cost less than $200 from a place online. I just eyeballed it and added a bit extra length to the compressor so I could move it out of the way during engine removal, and it all worked out just fine.

There's a cheap Mastercool A/C crimper for like $150 that works alright if you want to do this stuff yourself. I bought this a while after adding the A/C to the van, for repairing other vehicles, and it is ok.
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1986 Vanagon Westfalia EJ25
1988 Subaru GL-10 EJ20G --- 2000 Honda XR650L
2010 Titus El Guapo --- 2011 On-One 456 Ti

[Terry Kay]

Why gfo to all of the trouble of having new lines with the correct fittings manufactured when you can just buy a union from the original hose end the whatever the new compressor requires.
This is a bunch simpler approach than having new lines made just to get the current lines into the obviouslt different fittings on the new compressor.
Parker Hose & fitting should be able to come up with what you need to get operational at a fraction of the cost & headaches.

Or--if your a hair short getting to the oil burner compressor with the stock lines, ahve a jumper ( extension ) line made from the original hose to the new compressor.
Simple.
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T.K.

[GrindGarage]

I am in the process of adapting my subrau A/C. Planning stage really. Need to do some measuring, the coldhose site has metirc fittings. A member of the subaru group told me the aeroquip fittings and hoses are easy to use. The coldhose site also has weld on fittings. Swaglock has compression fittings that may be useful for adapting to the VW hard lines.

Couple links that may be useful:

http://www.coldhose.com/
http://aeroquip.cc/
http://www.swagelok.com/

This is subaru but same principals may apply:

http://www.weidefamily.net/vanagon/
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-cliff

91 Vanagon AUTO
97 Single Port EJ22 all smallcar.com

[Jeff's Old Volks Home]

I don't have A/C lines from any donor. I've been collecting parts for a number of years. There biggest trick is finding where I've hoarded them to. I must be able the find some line ends. I'm going to hold off posting picture, I have hundreds of them, until I'm closer to being done. Still though I have lots of work to do before Transporter fest.
Jeff

[MarkWard]

I purchased bulk hose and the fittings from Vintage Air. I installed the fittings and fitted the hose in place. I then marked the fitting and hose with a marker and masking tape. Removed the hoses with the fittings and had a local hydraulic shop crimp the ends on. In my opinion, the new 'barrier" hose is a better quality. I am using adapter fittings for my compressor to the standard AC hose ends.

Not sure about the compressor you are using, but the compressor from my ALH TDI is a Sanden variable displacement compressor. In the end, I needed to remove the rear cover and reed plate to disable the valve. These types of compressors were designed to limit the ac clutch cycling.
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