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Thread: BMW E24 AC upgrade(AS OF 2016)

  1. #1
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    BMW E24 AC upgrade(AS OF 2016)

    Hello guys, long time follower of the site. I guess the time has come for me to take the e24 into my own hands and give it the love it deserves. I plan on driving alot in the upcoming months but as we all know the E24's stock AC system is not that great, especially in Georgia where we see temps of 97+. I've searched all around for current links to upgrade the E24's AC but it seems like they are no longer available.

    If I recall correctly to upgrade the AC the following upgrades needs to be done:
    Parallel flow condensor
    Sanden 508 compressor
    Mounting kit for compressor
    Behr Blower motor upgrade?
    New oRings
    Expansion valve
    etc.

    I'm hoping that this thread can be used to share current links or alternatives to the AC upgrade. Hopefully someone can come through, it'll definitely be appreciated and I'm sure it'd benefit many others too.

  2. #2
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    Some of us did this did to improve the ac. I know it's not Georgia, but it really made a huge difference
    in air flow over the evaporator and at least in NY, it made a colder cabin for me.

    Just some info for you.

    http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...4#post29242324
    Last edited by 1986series6; 06-10-2016 at 07:55 AM.

  3. #3
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    If you are really going to do things right, you have a good list. I recommend the following.

    1.) Drain R12 and fit new Sanden pump with bracket adapter and an E30 adjuster bracket
    2.) Fit a modern 16X19 parallel flow condenser with a Flex-a-lite Syclone fan running off a dedicated circuit
    3.) Install a new drier
    4.) Replace forward expansion valve
    5.) Rebuild rear expansion valve if fitted with rear unit
    6.) Replace soft lines with modern barrier hoses
    7.) Vacuum test and refill

    Jose
    1987 M6
    Livin the dream!

  4. #4
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    I am in Georgia also.
    I purchased the Sanden 508 from Summit Racing. dcains kindly referred me to demetk who sent me the custom made compressor brackets for the Sanden unit. The custom brackets look great. I took the original hoses to Royal Brass and Hose in Marietta GA. They are replacing the rubber sections of the hoses along with the one fitting that is different on the Sanden from the original unit.
    I purchased a replacement dryer from Summit as well.
    I did not upgrade to the 16x19 parallel flow condenser but I may in the future.
    The BMW dealer shows the factory rebuilt replacement unit to be back ordered with demand exceeding expected supply and a cost of over $800 with core. The Sanden unit was less than $300.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by flyfisherman View Post
    I am in Georgia also.
    I purchased the Sanden 508 from Summit Racing. dcains kindly referred me to demetk who sent me the custom made compressor brackets for the Sanden unit. The custom brackets look great. I took the original hoses to Royal Brass and Hose in Marietta GA. They are replacing the rubber sections of the hoses along with the one fitting that is different on the Sanden from the original unit.
    I purchased a replacement dryer from Summit as well.
    I did not upgrade to the 16x19 parallel flow condenser but I may in the future.
    The BMW dealer shows the factory rebuilt replacement unit to be back ordered with demand exceeding expected supply and a cost of over $800 with core. The Sanden unit was less than $300.
    Thank you guys for your replies. I'll take note of all these parts and go down the list as time goes by and I'll upgrade this thread with my progress. I knew the AC was terrible but I never realized how bad it was until I was driving home from work in 97+ temps.

    I pulled the center console apart and tried replacing the expansion valve with 4 different types and none that I got would fit. The pipe that connects to the expansion valve is one size too small. I'm guessing the person who had the car before I got it got a custom pipe put in to make my life harder. I still have the expansion valves to put on and now since all the expansion valves are same size I'll have to somehow find one of the AC pipes which is going to be pretty hard.

    Does the e28 share a similar AC system? If so I can go over to strictly German or a junkyard and get one off.

    I had to put the car back together since it's my dd but I'll slowly go down my list and get all parts needed. I'll start with the brackets since that seems like the hardest to find since I have to do it custom.

    Does your e24 have rear AC? I've been trying to find a drier but for some reason the later year e24s with rear AC systems use a different drier that costs $100+.

  6. #6
    Join Date
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    '85 635 CSi Euro 5sp.
    E28 parts are mostly the same, but none had the rear evaporator. You can buy the Sanden compressor bracket adapters from 'beigemobile" on mye28.com for ~$40 set shipped.
    Dean
    Lutz, FL

    '85 635 CSi Euro #9402254
    '87 Spider Veloce
    '92 Spider Veloce
    '08 350Z


  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by hakeem43020 View Post
    Thank you guys for your replies. I'll take note of all these parts and go down the list as time goes by and I'll upgrade this thread with my progress. I knew the AC was terrible but I never realized how bad it was until I was driving home from work in 97+ temps.

    I pulled the center console apart and tried replacing the expansion valve with 4 different types and none that I got would fit. The pipe that connects to the expansion valve is one size too small. I'm guessing the person who had the car before I got it got a custom pipe put in to make my life harder. I still have the expansion valves to put on and now since all the expansion valves are same size I'll have to somehow find one of the AC pipes which is going to be pretty hard.

    Does the e28 share a similar AC system? If so I can go over to strictly German or a junkyard and get one off.

    I had to put the car back together since it's my dd but I'll slowly go down my list and get all parts needed. I'll start with the brackets since that seems like the hardest to find since I have to do it custom.

    Does your e24 have rear AC? I've been trying to find a drier but for some reason the later year e24s with rear AC systems use a different drier that costs $100+.
    I do have the rear A/C, I have a 1987 L6. Royal Hose can custom fabricate the lines to the drier - in the overall picture they are not that expensive. Bavarian Autosport lists an expansion valve for a rear A/C car if you have not tried them yet.

  8. #8
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    Euro 81 628csi. 02 325i
    Are the e12 based cars the same concept as the e24 based cars? I want to sort out my A/C as well.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by flyfisherman View Post
    I do have the rear A/C, I have a 1987 L6. Royal Hose can custom fabricate the lines to the drier - in the overall picture they are not that expensive. Bavarian Autosport lists an expansion valve for a rear A/C car if you have not tried them yet.
    Do you remember the specific compressor part number? I typed in "sanden 508 compressor" and like 20 came up lol. I'm also interested in the drier you got and I managed to get hold of someone for the brackets so that great since it's always seemed the hardest. Since I broke the low pressure valve off the line today while vacuuming the ac out today so I have a feeling I'll be without AC for a while .

    So now I plan on doing:
    Change front expansion valve
    Change rear expansion valve
    Get the sanden 508 compressor
    Get a 16 x 9 parallel flow condensor
    Get a new drier

    Future improvements
    Get vents for the sides of the blower to improve airflow
    Get an e34 fan(someone said it moves air better)
    More powerful AC blower motor?(read someone recommended the heater blower motor for AC since it's more powerful)
    ^Haven't yet researched on how true these are I just recall coming across them at some point and this is definitely an overkill.

    Think I'll have to check the flapper valve or something like that because air only comes through one of the vents above the radio. AC comes from the vents above the radio right? I've been hearing otherwise but I'm sure they are for AC. The one above that only blows air(never cold or warm).

    I have 400k+ miles on my e24 and it still runs like a champ, smooth as ever. Got 300k out of the stock transmission and still running the stock engine. After the AC I'll be using a raspberry Pi for GPS and radio etc but thats way after .
    Last edited by hakeem43020; 06-11-2016 at 12:38 AM.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by hakeem43020 View Post
    ....Got 300k out of the stock transmission and still running the stock engine.
    Bravo! Just wondering: is yours an auto tranny? If so, that's very encouraging!

  11. #11
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    I bought the Sanden 508, Aluminum, Natural, 2-Groove V-Belt Pulley. I took the compressor with me to Summit and matched them up. The ports were not exactly in the same location but the compressors were sized similarly. I have the receipt in a file at my office, I can get the exact part number on Monday.
    As far as the vents go, the owner's manual states: "The air conditioning being switched on the sliding levers are without function." The air conditioning comes out the top vents on the dash. I have not yet attempted to close those vents using the wheels to determine if air conditioning will blow out of the vents above the radio.

  12. #12
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    My AC blows out above the radio and top of dash @ the same time.

  13. #13
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    Hakeem,

    Try this old thread,

    http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...+parallel+flow


    Best,
    Jay
    '88 M6 Cinnabar Red / Nappa Natur Highline Interior (10-87) Santa Ana, California. USA

    My NEW Website, Link : https://www.jaysbmwparts.com

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    https://www.jaysbmwparts.com

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    https://www.jaysbmwparts.com

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    https://www.jaysbmwparts.com

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by LarryM View Post
    Bravo! Just wondering: is yours an auto tranny? If so, that's very encouraging!
    Yeah it's an auto . No idle issues etc. I will say that the car was hell in the beginning because it was not really maintained. Even worse if you don't have a maintenance records, it's like driving with a bomb waiting to explode. So far I changed the radiator, water pump, heater valve(for the heat) and a bunch of other stuff. I think they're all fun once they get running......If you don't mind the terrible mpg.

    UPDATE

    I vacuumed and recharged my AC today and recharged it and it was terrible as expected. I decided to start the journey and managed to get in touch with someone who sells the custom made brackets. I plan on scouring ebay for a universal 16 x 19 parallel flow condensor next, then do the compressor.

    Found this 16 x 19 pfc on ebay. Could something like this work?

    Quote Originally Posted by flyfisherman View Post
    I bought the Sanden 508, Aluminum, Natural, 2-Groove V-Belt Pulley. I took the compressor with me to Summit and matched them up. The ports were not exactly in the same location but the compressors were sized similarly. I have the receipt in a file at my office, I can get the exact part number on Monday.
    As far as the vents go, the owner's manual states: "The air conditioning being switched on the sliding levers are without function." The air conditioning comes out the top vents on the dash. I have not yet attempted to close those vents using the wheels to determine if air conditioning will blow out of the vents above the radio.
    I tested it today, the AC does indeed come from the top vents and above the radio but find that they can't be used simultaneously(stock at least). Let me know if you manage to find the part number for the compressor and remember what drier you used, it'll save me alot of time.. and money lol.

    Quote Originally Posted by 1986series6 View Post
    My AC blows out above the radio and top of dash @ the same time.
    Do you have the parallel flow condensor? Even when I switch my rear AC off I still can't get air to move through both vents at the same time. I'm guessing the AC motor isn't powerful enough to do so. I have to close one in order to get the other to work. I'm Very curious as to how you got it to do this
    Last edited by hakeem43020; 06-14-2016 at 12:19 AM.

  15. #15
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    I will get the part number off the Summit receipt Wednesday. Out of the office today.
    This is an informative R134 conversion read from a different forum:
    http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=246743

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by flyfisherman View Post
    I will get the part number off the Summit receipt Wednesday. Out of the office today.
    This is an informative R134 conversion read from a different forum:
    http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=246743
    Alright no rush and thanks for that link. I'll start browsing e28 and e30 forums as well to get some insight and see parts they used(I'm guessing a few will be different in the e24).

  17. #17
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    Hakeem,

    I have an 86, so no rear AC. It may work differently than the double AC unit.

  18. #18
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    The Summit part # for the Sanden compressor is VTA-04808SWA. It is not a direct bolt on - you will need the brackets I mentioned above and will need to have the lines modified for the ports. At $265 it is a lot less expensive than purchasing the $800 plus core compressor from BMW.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by flyfisherman View Post
    The Summit part # for the Sanden compressor is VTA-04808SWA. It is not a direct bolt on - you will need the brackets I mentioned above and will need to have the lines modified for the ports. At $265 it is a lot less expensive than purchasing the $800 plus core compressor from BMW.
    Thanks, I emailed the user you mentioned above and he referred me to the person who made them for him. I ordered a set and will get them in a week. Did you just get a generic drier? I'm guessing since I have to go get the hoses fabricated that it won't really matter. Thanks again for the part number, you're helping me put an end to an ongoing issue.

    Someone recommended me to get a fan alongside the parallel flow Condensor. So far I found one 16 X 19 Condensor on eBay and found a fan but not with a dedicated circuit. I'll look more into it and update the thread if I find anything.

  20. #20
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    Slight highjack. What sort of price are they quoting you guys for the rebuilt R12 to R-134 a/c hoses?? It's just the two coming off the compressor, correct? I only know of one local place that does it, and I found them to be a little on the high end for other work, so I'm curious if it's worth sending out. Thanks.

  21. #21
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    Recalling today that I heard of some sort of AC work being done on the car so I checked today and fortunately I already have what looks like an e28 fan in front the condensor. Charged my AC today and it blows "okay." It was 80 degrees today and I could feel it a little and could actually feel it coming from the vents above the radio. The vents on the dash blow cold but it doesn't seem to blow as cold even though it blows stronger.

    Quote Originally Posted by IB635 View Post
    Slight highjack. What sort of price are they quoting you guys for the rebuilt R12 to R-134 a/c hoses?? It's just the two coming off the compressor, correct? I only know of one local place that does it, and I found them to be a little on the high end for other work, so I'm curious if it's worth sending out. Thanks.
    Hmm, not sure what you mean by R12 to R134 AC hoses, do we need to redo the hoses after we convert to R134? If so, I skipped a step .

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by IB635 View Post
    Slight highjack. What sort of price are they quoting you guys for the rebuilt R12 to R-134 a/c hoses?? It's just the two coming off the compressor, correct? I only know of one local place that does it, and I found them to be a little on the high end for other work, so I'm curious if it's worth sending out. Thanks.
    It was $100 which was essentially a shop minimum. On the two hoses they replaced the hose section, installed new fittings to fit the Sanden compressor ports (I brought the compressor for them to determine the fitting sizes that were needed) and thoroughly cleaned the metal section of the lines. Royal Brass and Hose in Marietta GA. If you go with a non factory drier you will have the have the fittings replaced on that side of the lines as well.

  23. #23
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    I have decided to make my '87 L6 track only and have removed a barely used compressor.
    Seltec TM-15HS with custom bracket
    $150 if anybody needs one
    IMG_1171.jpgIMG_1172.jpgIMG_1173.jpg

  24. #24
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    A/C for an 84 633

    Is the seltec compressor very similar to the sanden compressor? I have been hearing about the Sanden for years but I'm not familiar with the Seltec. I basically stash my E 24 in the garage for the summer as I have never been able to set up a A/C system to keep up with the florida summer heat and humidity.

  25. #25
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    Thanks flyfisherman. Just out of curiosity, what is the advantage of the Sanden over the Bosch??..

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by hakeem43020 View Post
    Hmm, not sure what you mean by R12 to R134 AC hoses, do we need to redo the hoses after we convert to R134? If so, I skipped a step .
    The R134 molecules are apparently small enough that they will leak through the old R12 hoses. I got my system working again using R134, and it works pretty well (75 degrees it's great, 95 degrees not so much), but I have not replaced the hoses yet.

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