Late Model E21 A/C Mount and Crankshaft Pulley

[msiert]

Thought I would start a tbread to document my work on getting a working A/C after my York compressor seized up last June on my 1983 E21.

My first step was to remove the York and bracket and install a bracket that would allow a rotary style compressor, I bought hobiedave's A/C bracket which is a copy of the Clardy bracket that was design for the 2002.

What I did not realize was that the 2002 BMW had a different crankshaft pulley then what is on my 83 320 so it will not work. With a 709 Sanden compressor mounted its clutch pulley is roughly 2" back from where it should be.

You can see in the picture below the difference. The 2002 crankshaft pulley groves are closer to the block and the grove that had the a/c belt was the first grove and it was the same belt that ran the alternator.

On the 1983 320 the first grove out from the block runs the belt that operates the alternator and water pump, the 2nd grove is for the a/c.

I am thinking about what my next step should be, use the Clardy bracket as a pattern to fabricate a new bracket to work with my crankshaft pulley but I would need to extend it 2" forward or would it be better to use the York bracket that is already setup forward the 2" and has the tensioner pulley mounted to it as a pattern to fabricate a new bracket for a rotary compressor?

Third option is find a compressor like my old York (who bought them out?).

[Somjuan]

Is the 2002 crankshaft pulley a possible swap?

[msiert]

Don't think so, the alternator mount and water pump pulley is lined up with the crank pulley I have now.

[msiert]

Might have figured out the way to do it.

The design of the crankshaft pulley on my 83 is really the driving factor to use the York bracket and a conversion kit for a York to Sanden style compressor bolted to it. Might have to cut the bottom shelf of the York bracket off to have it work but maybe not?

The plan is that I would first bolt it up to make sure the pulleys are inline with a test fit, then once everything is good, weld the conversion kit bracket to the York bracket.

You could use the existing tension pulley on the York bracket to line up the adapter kit bracket with the Sanden compressor mounted, off the vechical for the front to back position and maybe determine the top to bottom position too?

There is a number of conversion kits for York to Sanden compressors avaible to choose from. I have the arms from the Clardy bracket clone I can use for the kits that don't have them.

What do you think?

[msiert]

I have purchased a conversion bracket for a York to Sanden 508/709 compressor and later saw and put in a bid in on this pictured BMW bracket kit.

Anyone know anything or seen this BMW Kit? Looks like it would work bolted on the York bracket.

[Brob]

Murray, I was curious if you had any luck figuring this out. I recently received my bracket from Hobbie Dave. I held off buying my Sanden compressor after I read your post. Looking forward to hearing how you're doing on this.
Thanks Bruce

- - - Updated - - -

Murray, I was curious if you had any luck figuring this out. I recently received my bracket from Hobbie Dave. I held off buying my Sanden compressor after I read your post. Looking forward to hearing how you're doing on this.
Thanks Bruce

- - - Updated - - -

Not sure why my posts double up. Is there something I'm doing wrong?

[msiert]

Hi Bruce,

It's kinda a long story but it's getting closer, the car has been at the a/c shop for 3 weeks.

A week ago from last Friday it sure sounded like I was going to have to pick the car up to put on a bracket that would allow the compressor pulley to line up with the crankshaft pulley. That weekend I bought a York to Sanden conversion bracket and the bracket kit that is in the picture below. I pretty much thought the York to Sanden conversion bracket was the only way it was going to work.

But when I came back the next Monday to pick up the car they had a 709 compressor mounted to the hobbie dave bracket but they had to 2" sleeves and longer bolts to move the compressor forward on the bracket to line its pulley grove with the crankshaft pulley's 2nd grove. They will have to fabricated a support web and weld it to the front of the bracket and weld it too the top of the 2" sleeve to carry the weight of the compressor, which wasn't done yet.

Just picture the compressor move 2" forward where the back tabs of the compressor are centered in the Hobie Dave bracket and the front tabs of the compressor is 2" forward of the the bracket. The long sleeve that holds the compressor froward of the bracket would have to have a web welded from it to the front of the Hobie bracket. There is also a sleeve between the compressor tabs and one from the back of the compressor to the back tab of the hobie Dave bracket,

Last Monday I dropped off the York to Sanden conversion bracket.

Today I dropped off the kit in the picture below and the plan is to meet there later this week to talk with the shop owner to which direction we will go.

My thoughts right now is going with the hobbie dave bracket with the sleeves, to move it forward, I have a feeling the shop owner will want to continue his work with the modifications to Hobie Dave bracket.

I will report back with pictures after I meet him.

[Brob]

Thanks Murray, I was curious if you could add spacers. I was concerned that the offcet might cause issues with the hose connections. I hope this works for you, any pictures you can provide of the modifications would be great.
Good luck,
Bruce

[msiert]

Will do, just to add the shop is going to use R12.

[galexandr]

Following the progress of this. Plan to do similar. Already have the new Sanden compressor and bracket. Am i hosed?

[msiert]

Well they had a good start in getting the hobiedave's bracket to work but everything got put on hold do the heat wave we had for the last 2 weeks.

I'm hoping with the colder weather starting tomorrow they will get back to work on it.

Last time I talk to them (last week) they were going look at mounting the York to Sanden conversion bracket on the old York bracket and compared it to continuing to modifying the hobiedave's bracket and decide what would be the best route to go.

Dont know what I think about adding 2" sleeves and long bolts to the hobiedave's bracket to move the compressor pulley forward 2" to lined up with my crank shaft pulley. Might look cool or might look like crap? Biggest thing is how stout it would be.

Would love to get ride of the York bracket and have their modifications to the hobiedave's bracket work.

I will report back after I meet with them.

[Brob]

Hi Murray,
thanks for the update, I would prefer to get rid of the York bracket as well. I've been watching the junk yards in socal for an early e30 to see if I can pickup a clarday bracket. Nothing so far, but it will probably show up over the next few months. I'm not in a rush, hopefully the hot weather is about over and I can take my time and get it right. I think that using 2" spacers would require some additional bracket or brace to keep it in place.
Thanks again
Bruce

[msiert]

Update: Bottom line is the hobiedave's bracket will not work on an 83 E21.

The hobiedave's bracket would require to much work to make it work with my 1983, it was design to work with the 2002 crank shaft pulley. The shop felt that using the York Bracket and welding the York to Sanden conversion bracket to it would be more solid and having a tensioner was a better way to go.

They have the compressor mounted and are fabricating the hoses for it now, if everything works out fine I should be getting it back this Monday. They are going to use R12 with the new compressor.

[Brob]

Thanks Murray for the update. Glad to hear you are almost done. I've been watching local junkyards for an early e30 to pick up a clarday bracket. The good news is I have about 6 months before it starts heating up again so there's no rush. I appreciate you sharing your journey on this.
Bruce

[msiert]

Thank you Bruce, I wish you luck in your search!

i'll post some pictures with the new hoses and stuff when I get the car back to finish the thread.

[okieflats]

Good

[msiert]

To finish up the thread:

What started this thread was my a/c compressor seizing up and what fixed it was just replacing the compressor and dryer everything else remained as was including the R12. I used a York to Saden conversion bracket that was welded on to the York bracket.

After completing the work the tech said the air temp was 43 F degrees on a 79F day but the evaporator box was not sealed up where the pipes came in and out of it and the tech did not have the dash dial set to A/C, The vent control dial was set in between floor and defrost, he just turned the a/c rheostat on to do the air temp test.

On the way home it was 80 F and it felt just as cold as it did before, which was ice cold. I'll check the vent temps tomorrow now that the evaporator box is sealed and the dash dial will be set how they should be for A/C.

I used the stuff that is used around electrical or plumbing pipes that go through the exterior walls to seal up the evaporator slot where it's pipes go in and out of it.

[msiert]

Some more random pictures.

The conversion bracket fit pretty close to the bottom of the York Bracket and flush with the front of the York bracket, it was welded all along the top and spot welded on the sides, bottom and in the slots. The brace that goes to the engine mount was abandoned.

The new dryer is quite a bit taller then the old one, and the fill port is right on top, very easy to get too.

i included the copy of the invoice for the work, which included pulling the hobiedave's bracket off and reinstalling th York bracket, fitting the conversion bracket and welding it to the York bracket.

Funny, I just reviewed the invoice and I don't see a charge for the 709 Sanden compressor?

[Brob]

Hi Murray,
It looks great. I am also very impressed at how nice your engine bay looks.
so after all the effort and expense I hope it works great. I paid just a little more than your invoice for my entire car. Oh well, I'm in it for the long run, hopefully I can put together something similar.
Thanks for sharing your journey.
Bruce

[msiert]

Thanks Bruce, a couple of years ago I spent almost the same amount to replace an a/c compressor on a 2006 VW, so not so out of line with other vehicle AC compressor falures. Plus I have a 1 year warranty on all the work done.

The financial hit was made easier from the $500 I made on a van I flipped in August that went into the "fix the Bimmer a/c fund".

[msiert]

Got to 78F today and I was able to spend sometime driving around with the a/c on? I never had the a/c on more then halfway and I had to move the air to the top vent on top of the dash, it was cooling so well.

When I got back home I left the car idle and cranked the a/c to the coldest setting and took a temp gun to see what the air temp was coming out of the center dash vent and temp started at 30F then it keep going down to 15F?

I obviously tested it differently then the tech did, he said it got down to 43 F but he did not have the right dial set to the a/c position, it was set between floor vent and defrost and he took the temperature at the vent that sits on top of the dash. He just turned on the a/c knob next to the cig lighter.

I might not want to run it at the highest setting until it's much hotter then 80F, the evaporator could freeze up?

Suppose I should swing by the shop and talk with them about it.

[msiert]

Took it back to the a/c shop.

The 15F air temperature coming out of the dash vent is understandable.

When you turn the thermostat to full throttle, the compressor stays on, nothing cycles it off. The temperature will continue to drop.

If instead, the thermostat is set to mid way my compressor cycles off at 42F and cycles on 45F.