89 XJ A/C repair advise?

[b5blue]

Starting to attempt repair/overhaul of my 89 XJ's A/C system and looking for advise? I've ordered new dryer/suction and high side lines. (The lines are real rusty looking so I figure it's time.)
You guys helped me get it running so well I want to fix the A/C before giving it to my son. (Thanks!) Are there know weak points I should replace? Has anyone used the Freon they sell that isn't R12 or R134 but some other type? (I see good reviews like on Amazon.)

 

[Fosters]

If you need a compressor or compressor clutch, I'd look on amazon, i just picked up a compressor for 115 and the dryer for 25 on there; they're going in sometime this week. Mine's an 01 though so it's R134, not sure if yours would be the same...

 

[Ecomike]

If you can afford it I would replace everything but the evaporator coil. Use the 97 or later parallel flow condenser(1) and R-134a if you plan to keep it for over 3-4 years and live in a hot climate(1). I got 6 months, a year 2-3 years out of partial repairs, on 3 of them, and in the long run replaced everything but the evaporator.

 

[b5blue]

Thanks guys, would a parallel flow fit to 89 tubing? (A bolt in swap?) I'm in FL. and the heat is as bad as the humidity! I'm seeing really good prices on eBay and Amazon for our XJ's A/C stuff.

 

[Ecomike]

Thanks guys, would a parallel flow fit to 89 tubing? (A bolt in swap?) I'm in FL. and the heat is as bad as the humidity! I'm seeing really good prices on eBay and Amazon for our XJ's A/C stuff.

No, I had to have a local shop braze the pipe and fittings on it in places, I forget where, some or all may have been on the hoses/dryer assy he made for me, and not on the condenser, I forget. It was pretty much a drop in except for the fitting miss match from old R-12 to newer R-134a

My 89 works fine with the 89 condenser, but my 87 was having overheating problems and poor AC, and the new P=flow condenser helped both and dropped the compressor head pressure from 280-300 psi :shiver: to about 200 PSI :sunshine: on a 105 F day in 95% humidity all day, all operating conditions!!!

 

[b5blue]

Thanks Mike, like in the past using advise given has proven the XJ a reliable get around runner. I'm guilty of over repairing cars anyway, it's how I've kept my Charger 21 years and the XJ 5 years running strong. I'm going to look into the parallel flow condenser more.

 

[b5blue]

I'm having trouble finding a liquid line? ( The smaller hose to the expansion valve. )

 

[Ecomike]

I'm having trouble finding a liquid line? ( The smaller hose to the expansion valve. )

I had a local Houston custom AC shop make all of mine. Been around since the 1970s, works on Busses, and antiques, etc. Get most of my hoses with fittings for $15-$20 each, but I always take the old hose and sometimes the entire jeep there to get the exact, best set up. Dixie Auto Air in Houston. Try to find a shop that makes custom AC hoses for a decent price that does not charge OEM retail...Another very help full site is I think (IIRC) Arizona Air or Arizona auto air (they run a very helpful free DIY AC blog site just on AC repair-debugging for people like us. They sell parts have great know how advise!!!!!! They are the ones that taught me what a huge improvement the parallel flow condenser would be for going from R-12 to R-134a refrigerant

 

[b5blue]

Thanks I found and called "Jeepair" and they have the line so it's ordered. I wonder if the parallel condenser will work with R12 as well? (A friend on the Charger forum sold me 6 cans of R12 to charge and have backup.) eBay has one that shows for 89 but I've got to pull my grill to get a good look.
So at this point if I buy a new expansion valve, compressor and condenser the only old part would be the evaporator.

 

[lawagoneer]

Make sure to have the system tested under vacuum before charging it. If it doesn't hold you're wasting your time and money.

 

[b5blue]

Right hold system under pumping vacuum for 45-60 minutes then leave under vacuum for over 1 hour to check for small type leaks. I found a new compressor NOT rebuild, about 250 shipped from Jeepair. They said good for both R12 and R134 so if I change to R134 later it would be okay.
I find most A/C parts discontinued NLA from Mopar.

 

[Green Mesa XJ]

Um, yes and on the r12to r134a. So much of r12 is incompatible, but the hardware can be used in either, normally when you switch you should switch oils as well. Unless something has changed in adapting systems. (Could have, long time since I bothered with the in and outs of it)
Honestly i would just go back fresh with r134a


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[Ecomike]

Thanks I found and called "Jeepair" and they have the line so it's ordered. I wonder if the parallel condenser will work with R12 as well? (A friend on the Charger forum sold me 6 cans of R12 to charge and have backup.) eBay has one that shows for 89 but I've got to pull my grill to get a good look.
So at this point if I buy a new expansion valve, compressor and condenser the only old part would be the evaporator.

The expansion valve for R-12 is not the same as for R-134a. The R-12 expansion valve can be used for R-134a, but it is not optimal for R-134a and the R-134a seals are made for R-134a, not for R-12, so decide which one you will stay with and make sure the O'ring seals in the compressor, expansion valves and lines and the guts of the new dryer are for the refrigerant you will be staying with!!!! The R-134a I hear will damage the dryer contents of the R-12 dryers over time. Also the inner tube liner of the hoses are different materials.

 

[Ecomike]

Thanks I found and called "Jeepair" and they have the line so it's ordered. I wonder if the parallel condenser will work with R12 as well? (A friend on the Charger forum sold me 6 cans of R12 to charge and have backup.) eBay has one that shows for 89 but I've got to pull my grill to get a good look.
So at this point if I buy a new expansion valve, compressor and condenser the only old part would be the evaporator.

Parallel condensers I am told work better for any refrigerant.

 

[Ecomike]

They said good for both R12 and R134 so if I change to R134 later it would be okay.

Great news!!!! I think all the compressors today are made for R-134a. Was not sure if they were backwards compatible.

R-12 was too expensive 8 years ago and looked like it would be NLA by now. Shocked you found any. How much did it cost?

 

[Ecomike]

Um, yes and on the r12to r134a. So much of r12 is incompatible, but the hardware can be used in either, normally when you switch you should switch oils as well. Unless something has changed in adapting systems. (Could have, long time since I bothered with the in and outs of it)
Honestly i would just go back fresh with r134a


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The R-12 oil is mineral oil, and must be mostly removed when switching to R-134a as it must be replaced with a glycol oil for the R-134a. Leaving the mineral oil in just takes up space and creates back pressure. Small amounts stuck to the parts is OK!!!

 

[Overland]

I would go 134. Found some loose cans of R12 the other day, 10 oz for $32.

 

[b5blue]

Looking around ESTER oil is compatible with both R12 and R134 and unlike PAG it isn't nasty stuff to work with. I've got 6 12/14oz cans of R12, new expansion valve, 3 new hoses so sorting out condenser and compressor would just leave cleaning the evaporator well to have a system charged with R12 and ESTER that could be swapped to R134 with no hassle. (I think...so far?)

 

[Ecomike]

Looking around ESTER oil is compatible with both R12 and R134 and unlike PAG it isn't nasty stuff to work with. I've got 6 12/14oz cans of R12, new expansion valve, 3 new hoses so sorting out condenser and compressor would just leave cleaning the evaporator well to have a system charged with R12 and ESTER that could be swapped to R134 with no hassle. (I think...so far?)

I forget if it is the oil or the refrigerant that eats the dryer guts and clogs up the system when switching from R-12 to 134a, check with the guys at ackits dot com. You might want to make sure have the right dryer for the combo you are planning to experiment with.

 

[b5blue]

Thanks Mike. I'm a go for R12 so I would change the dryer if changing to R134 later. I just finished installing and charged an R134 system in my 70 Charger yesterday. I bought a vacuum pump and R12/R134 gauge set to service both types of systems.