ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ส.ค. 2024
- This video demonstrates and explains the work involved in repairing the Air Conditioning System on a Porsche 944, including an overview of the system components and functionality, compressor and receiver-drier replacement, and conversion from R-12 to R-134a refrigerant.
Find 944 Inspired Merch at NC944er’s Store - nc944er-shop.f...
Help Support NC944er's Restoration Project on Patreon - / nc944er
Repair Information Sources:
944 A/C Troubleshooting - www.clarks-gara...
R-12 to R-134a Conversions - griffiths.com/...
A/C System Recharging - • How to Properly Rechar...
HVAC Panel Replacement - www.pelicanpar...
A/C Charge Port Adapters - www.4s.com/med...
The quality and concise thoroughness of your videos is something I aspire to. Thanks for continuing to provide a great resource to the 944 community!
Thanks man! Looks like you’ve been doing some great work on your 944 as well. 👍🏼
@@NC944er Hi, Jason. What does the Full Restoration include for Patreon subscribers? Does it include a more detailed step-by-step account of this video tutorial for the A/C System Repair? Thanks in advance.
@@RDjax78 Hey man! The Patreon page was mainly created as a simple way for people to donate to the ongoing 944 restoration, as a number of subscribers proactively expressed interest in doing so. There are about 25 posts/articles there that provide some behind-the-scenes insight on the restoration process over the years, but it’s mainly pictures and write-ups, no additional video content. All the payment tiers have access to the same posts and about 20% of the content is duplicated somewhere on the TH-cam channel. So the channel here is really the main technical resource with the Patreon just acting as a donation conduit, but I didn’t want it to be void of information. The higher tiers include a decal and coffee mug after so many months activity, but that’s the only difference. That said, I’m happy to provide you some additional advice or answer questions about the AC job, feel free to email me, my gmail address is listed in the “About” section of the channel. Thanks!
I don't even have a Porsche, I just really like your presentation style. It's as clear and clean as that time-machine 944 you're working on in the videos.
Awesome! I’m glad some non-944 owners are enjoying the journey as well. There’s certainly a lot of engineering and history to be appreciated for all automotive enthusiasts. 👍
This content is invaluable. The level of detail makes it so easy for me to take on work I never thought I could do.
Can’t thank you enough for all the work you put into this!
Thanks! I put quite a bit of editing work into the one, glad you’re finding it helpful. 👍🏼
+1 sub. I just discovered your channel and I love it. Concise and to-the-point videos, good resolution, separate audio track, clear instructions, very complete. Thanks a lot for what you do, this is very high quality content. You can be proud !
Thank you! It’s quite a bit of work to bring it to this level, but there appears to be quite a significant reward in the support of other 944 owners, so it’s worthwhile.
I just learned more in this video than every other thing I've watched about AC. Great work.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed… I tried to combine information from a bunch of sources for a more consolidated explanation.
Nicely produced video that will be referenced many times.
I got lucky on my 85/2 in that the system held R12 even after the car had sat for 10 years.
Wow, that is good luck! Hope it holds out for many years to come… R12 prices are getting a little crazy now. 😂
@@NC944er Yup... good luck indeed. R12 is 30$-40$ an 8oz can on CL. I bought a case of 12 but only needed 2.5 cans (about 20oz) to get sufficient pressures So far so good after 6 months.
Had to sell my 944 but yet I still enjoy watching these videos everytime I see em
Thanks! I may be there with you one day, but glad I’ve had the chance to experience these special cars.
Your videos and video editing are excellent
@@ForTheLoveOfRightRudder Thanks! The process is really time consuming. 😂
Great instructions but if I may add a few tips on 134a conversions on the 944. A new parallel flow condenser (I saw you installed a new tube and fin style) will help massively as most oe condensers have 30+ years of crud in them. The second thing is that the mineral oil should be flushed with an ac flush tool and solvent. Other than those 2 additional items your work here is a great benefit to the community.
Great points, thanks for sharing your insights! In a perfect world of optimally performing AC systems, I totally agree. 😂 AC system repair is a fairly specific topic that can get deep pretty quickly, so I elected to demonstrate what I could in a reasonable amount of time. I also figured the average DIY owner wouldn’t take the steps to replace the condenser (given the cost) or remove the expansion valve for a flush of the evaporator (given its inaccessible location), so I stuck to the basics that most people will follow. Not shown here, but performed during the front end rebuild of the car was a removal and liquid flush of the barrier hoses. They were surprisingly clean and dry, my guess is the system was empty and exposed for more than a decade, pretty wild. Out of curiosity, do you have a good lead on an aftermarket partial flow condenser that doesn’t require modification to fit? The only thing I was seeing at the time were the OEM units. Cheers man!
I have an 87 NA that will need this. Idea for future videos for us novice wrench turners is give a comment on skill level and project duration. Thanks for what you are done by.
Nice! For this job, swapping the parts is pretty straightforward, so probably a 3 out of 10 difficulty. The refrigerant refill requires some specialized equipment and some prior research on the process if you’ve never done it, so maybe a 7 out of 10 on that piece. The work will take 2-3 hours in most cases.
I love your videos, but for once, I beat you to something. I did the R134a conversion last year with a new compressor and receiver dryer. I even splurged and bought the genuine Porsche retrofit decal to go over the R12 one! Great vid as usual!
Oh man, that’s a great idea for the retrofit sticker! I may have to track one of those down. And yes… I waited a ridiculously long time to get working on the A/C. 🤣
Thank you!!!! This will be a big help in restoring the AC in my 87 924s
Nice! For the 924S, you may find the low-pressure connection behind the engine by the firewall. Good luck!
Hell yeah, this is what we've been waiting for.
Right in time for summer. 😁
Just the video I need. Mine is in need of an upgrade.
Best of luck! 👍🏼
Great video, as always. AC is coming up on my to-do list.
Nice! It was on my list for far too long. 😂
Thank you sir. Just did this to my 90 - 944 CAB today. Could not have done it with out you. Gave you all the credit in my write up on renlist. zero surprises thanks to your video. Thank you again.
That’s awesome man, glad to hear it! And you probably saved yourself $1,000 in labor costs. 👍🏼
fantastic video. wish my car was as clean as this one....
Thanks! With enough time and money, yours can be as well. 😄
Another great video. Question: where did you source your AC condenser? I need to do this as well, but I am dragging my feet at the high cost of the OEM condenser unit.
Thanks!
Thanks! I first attempted to buy through Griffiths, but they didn’t have any units in stock. I ended up getting this one from 944Online and it included the receiver-drier and the o-rings with no core return required.
Hahahah, where were you 3 weeks ago when i did this??? Great vid!
Vacation… 🤣
@@NC944er hope it was a good one and you had cool a/c 🤣🥳
Don’t have aircon but loved it!
I went the last 4 years without it as well. As long as you’re moving with the windows down, they can be fairly comfortable up to 80° F.
After removing my compressor from the car, it had no oil. After adding 5-6 oz of ester oil and turning the clutch, it was fine on the ground with no oil coming out of the compressor. When I installed it back in the car, a little leaked out of one of the holes of the manifold. I tightened the 2 fittings on the manifold and put everything else back together. Will I have any issues when the shop recharges the freon? Thanks in advance for your help.
Brilliant as usual. During the conversion to 134 did you replace the O-rings to the new type at the expansion valve or just leave them alone.
Thanks! Yeah, so the two o-rings at the firewall that pass through to the cabin, I elected not to replace those at the time. It can be done with everything in place, but is very cramped and difficult to reach. I probably should have done them when I had the cylinder head off the engine, but so far they seem to be holding up well, with no discernible loss of refrigerant.
Another great video. I did this job not too long ago. I ended up rebuilding the original compressor and it still works great. How did you do the o-rings behind the cam tower?
Nice! I watched the 50-minute video of the British guy rebuilding his compressor and when he said he wouldn’t have attempted it if he had a do over, I said ok nope. 😂 I didn’t end up replacing the o-rings at the firewall, but would have taken the extra steps if the system wouldn’t hold pressure. It’s real easy to do with the cylinder head off, but hoping I won’t need to cross that bridge again anytime soon. 😄
@@NC944er I also skipped those o-rings initially but had to go back and do them a year later after detecting a leak. Luckily it lined up with a cam/head refresh.
I am currently doing this conversion and had a leak at those damn firewall o-rings while doing a pressure/soapy water test. It is possible to replace them...
The magic tool is using a flex head ratcheting wrench with those box end socket adapters, so it converts your wrench to a super low profile socket while having any angle you need. Putting the new o-rings on is even more of a pain in the ass - I had a helper hold an extendo flexible grabber that was holding onto tweezers that had an elastic band around it to hold the o-ring; I had them hover the o-ring in place while I did the reach around the cam tower to push it on the hose. Also visibility is awful and most of it is done by feel. Took me a couple hours - never want to do it again
@@Seagrams LOL! Well I’m glad mine are holding out so far then. I didn’t add Freon with leak-stop in it, but that may be an initial move if they start to leak. In hindsight, I probably should have done them when I had the head off the car.
can you share the link of where you bought the ac compressor? and would you suggest buying one that's being parted out? or will it most likely be not working?
Hey, sure thing! I purchased the compressor from 944Online.com and I will post the links below. There is definitely a risk that a used compressor will have leaks, so unless it is available for a very low price, I would go with a newly refurbished unit.
Late model compressor - 944online.com/ac-compressor-kit-924s-944-951-968/
Early model compressor - 944online.com/ac-compressor-kit-944-1982-to-1985-1/
Brilliant video, out of curiosity is it possible to install the whole air conditioning system into a car that didn’t have it installed originally? My 1982 n/a didn’t have it installed and was hoping maybe in future to gather all the parts in putting the system in
Thanks! Yes, it would be a bit of work, but is possible. First step would be to assess what pieces your car has installed and determine what you would need to track down. Does it have an expansion valve installed on the evaporator assembly? If not, the assembly can be removed without removing the dash, just some cramped conditions. Does you car have the correct alternator/compressor bracket to mount an A/C compressor? If not, you’d need to install the correct bracket. Routing for the lines is tightly placed behind the engine, which may require pulling all the wiring harness back to make space, etc.
Did you use tube and fin condenser (like the oem), or did you switch to a parallel flow condenser, which works better with R-134a?
Yeah, I used all OEM parts for the A/C restoration…
I bought my 1984 Porsche 944 for $500. Maybe if I had saved up twice as much money I could have gotten a late model OEM Porsche 944 AC control board.🤣
Classic Porsche moment
😂 Some parts are ridiculously overpriced.
Hi, thanks for all your amazing video’s! I was wondering if you know if the 944 turbo airco system is the same as the regular airco system. And if so, is it possible to install airco on a 944 without pulling the engine?
Hey, its sounds like you have a 944 that was factory delivered without AC? If so, it will require quite a lot of work to add the entire AC system, specifically the modifications to the HVAC unit to add the expansion valve, etc. That said, most of the AC components are the same across the base NA cars and the Turbo cars, but the refrigerant hard line from the evaporator to the compressor is a slightly different part on the Turbo. The hard lines would be challenging to install as they route behind the engine, but it can be done, you'd just have to shift a bunch of things around to make space, like the wiring harness that runs along the back of the firewall.
Thanks so much for the reply! I can buy a whole set for 1k€ and it has a hvac unit and i think all parts needed included. It does not say it’s from a 944 turbo so maybe the line will not fit. Or could i make it fit of the line doesn’t work?
@@thijsdejongh6192 That one line was part number 951-573-091-02, but is no longer in production, there may be some used ones available…
@@NC944erthanks again for the time, effort and knowlegde! I might be able to get the turbo lines as i think the owner of the set also has those!
Hi! I have a quick question. How often does your compressor engage? My air condition unit works perfectly fine, but the compressor engages/disengages every 8-12 seconds.
Temperature outside: 35 degrees
Air flow temperature inside: 7-9 °C
I wonder whether that's normal behaviour for the air conditioning unit or whether a sensor or something is faulty.
@@Martin-yi6py 8-12 seconds is really short… mine normally engages for minutes at a time. Could be a pressure sensor or lack of refrigerant. Have you tried topping up the system?
@@NC944er Thank you for your answer! I will check the levels again! Greetings!
@@NC944er Hi! Thank you for your answer. I have done some more investigating and I suspect the sensor for mixing cold and warm air. It doesn't show any resistance and I think the compressor tries to regulate temperature the "hard way" without the sensor working :D
4 oring for compressor do you have a part number no longer available from 944online
@@pzito1 Strange, Ian normally sends all the o-rings with the compressor kit, he sent me some just a couple weeks ago. Anyway, check out part numbers: 999-707-251-40 and 999-707-250-40
wow, at 4mn, it takes you 2sec to reinstall the compressor, I've been at it for over an hour and I can't get it back in -_-
what's the magic trick to get the 2 brackets in simultaneously ?
If it’s the OEM compressor and the correct part number, it should slide back in with a bit of wiggling. Maybe apply some high grit sandpaper to all sides of the mating surfaces to remove any oxidized material for a cleaner install, that and some assembly lube.
@@NC944er Thx I should try that
;-)
It's the original compressor, I just drained/replaced the oil and seals after checking it was operating normally
You showed fuse 29 to be related to AC. However, under my fuse cover, it indicates that this is a spare fuse. Is this incorrect by Porsche or a mistake in the video?
The orientation of fuses and relays at the central electrical panel was changed year-over-year as Porsche modified/refined the electrical options on these cars. The information shown here is accurate for the 1988 model, but may not hold true for other model years. I’m assuming you have an earlier car? In that case, you’d want to follow the fuse panel diagram for your specific year and locate the heating/AC-related fuses on the label.
@@NC944er I have a later car, 1985.5, it’s the refresh dash. Unless what you’re pointing out they changed the fuse post the updated version?
I did manage to get my AC working though!
@@Gizmosis_ Yep, that would explain it, Porsche even made small, unnoticeable changes each year after the refresh. For example, my ‘88 has an alarm relay that the prior years didn’t. I’m glad you got the A/C going! 👍🏼
@@NC944er appreciate it! Also, I really appreciate the detail of your videos! Some of the best for 944 information out there right now. I’ve been sharing your videos to the 944 community in South Florida (it’s pretty big here).
@@Gizmosis_ Sweet! Yeah, there are little pockets of 944s everywhere. I’ve been amazed to find how many are hidden away in NC where I live. I had a neighbor about 7 houses down and it was the longest time before I realized he had a 944 sitting in his garage for the prior 3-4 years. 😂 Glad to hear the content is helping your 944 crew keep these cars going!
Now you can come to 944fest :)
Just need to find a cheap babysitter who will watch three crazy boys for a weekend. 🤣
@@NC944er I'll be having a kid soon. Have you ever considered making your rear seats more kid friendly? Like a 3 point seat belt conversion (and fixing the AC lol)
@@Seagrams Congrats! My 12-year old no longer fits back there, but the younger two still do. I have put a child seat back there as well, they don’t really fit down into the buckets, but was able to put a folded up towel underneath. You could always track down the original Porsche child seat accessory, part number - 944-522-051-01. 😂
@@NC944er wow I never knew they made seats specifically for our cars. I am betting they are oem roof racks level of unobtainium
Does the NC in your name mean North Carolina?
Yes sir!
@@NC944er I approve
@@samuelwoolwineiv7886 Thanks! 😂 I grew up in New England, but have been down in NC for about 20 years. The climate is decent and there are a fair amount of mountain roads to tap into… I don’t miss the snow.
Not First
So close though… 😂