E21 Air Conditioning

[Thecatmilton]

I installed the e30 compressor and bracket today. The e30 bracket and bosch rotary compressor are so much smaller and lighter than the old york setup. I am going to get hoses made tomorrow and I should have my ester oil (bought 1 gallon lol) and drier sometime on sunday. I wish I went this route at the beginning instead of trying to use the york compressors.

[JoeBeemer]

Great info! I just picked up an 83 320i yesterday...(same color as yours) Its a project car and AC is on my project list too. I did my E30 AC last year and it turned out awesome. I replaced EVERY part. Reman. compressor, parallel flow condenser, evaporator, dryer, expansion valve, all my o-rings, and every hose. Im in Florida and I am very happy with the results. Air is coming out the vents at 30 degrees in the morning.

My buddy has a professional AC machine that we used to Vac and fill. Another important thing is to make sure your electric fan is working... Mine wasnt and the head pressures jumped very quickly which caused the systems not to work well.

[Thecatmilton]

I finished installing the e30 318i Bosch rotary compressor today. The cooling has improved and there is less noticeable load on the engine when it's running. I would recommend getting rid of the York compressor and going this route or getting a sanden compressor.

The compressor and bracket were $35 at a junkyard and the two new hoses hoses to make it work were $75. I flushed the compressor out before using it by changing its oil and running it with a drill twice for around 5 minutes each time since the original oil was somewhat rusty due to moisture getting in the previous e30 system. I used ester oil as it is compatible with R12, R134a, and it won't react badly with residual R12 mineral oil.

I also replaced the disintegrating foam that directs the air from the evap box to the vents in order to keep airflow loss at a minimum. I didn't do this originally and lost a lot of cold air under the dash. After replacing the foam I probably have around 25% more airflow at the vents than what I had previously.

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[osburn383]

Any of you have info on how the knob inside controls the AC cycle rate.
Is its just a temp sensor based?

[Thecatmilton]

Any of you have info on how the knob inside controls the AC cycle rate.
Is its just a temp sensor based?

It's just temp sensor based. The evap core is small so the compressor cycles on and off constantly. I usually just turn it up until it stays on if i'm driving in the city. On the highway I will let it cycle because thats the only time it can start to make me cold.

[osburn383]

Ok thanks.
I will have to look into further as mine does cycle the compressor.

It's just temp sensor based. The evap core is small so the compressor cycles on and off constantly. I usually just turn it up until it stays on if i'm driving in the city. On the highway I will let it cycle because thats the only time it can start to make me cold.

[galexandr]

Sorry to revive an old thread. I am in the process of AC fix, the wife to be (just got engaged) is not happy during hot summer days. I got most of the info from this thread, just wanted to confirm on the compressor. @Thecatmilton mentioned the use of e30 compressor. Can someone please point me into the right direction?

Also, references were made to hoses. Can someone point me into the direction where to order/make hoses?

And last question: will this kit work to replace all the seals? https://www.amazon.com/Performance-T...CRS68MFCX&th=1


Thanks in advance!
Alex

[Thecatmilton]

The O ring kit will work. The e30 318i compressor will work. I'd recommend a sanden compressor conversion though. That way you are running a new compressor instead of something 30+ years old. Hobiedave makes brackets.

[galexandr]

Thanks for the info. Where did you order new hoses?

The O ring kit will work. The e30 318i compressor will work. I'd recommend a sanden compressor conversion though. That way you are running a new compressor instead of something 30+ years old. Hobiedave makes brackets.

[Somjuan]

You can get those made at local hydraulic or air conditioning companies. They’ll need a length and what end pieces / threaded fittings you need to make them. Should be fairly cheap per hose. You’ll want barrier hoses made for R-134a.