1984 633CSi Rises again!

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hornhospital
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by hornhospital »

The oil pressure sensor is a <15 minute job, but if they can do the front main seal in 4 hours, you've found a great shop/mechanic.
Ken Kanne
'84 633CSi "Sylvia"; '85 635CSi "Katja";'85 325e "Hazel Ann"; '95 M3 "Ashlyn"
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by songzunhuang »

hornhospital wrote:The oil pressure sensor is a <15 minute job, but if they can do the front main seal in 4 hours, you've found a great shop/mechanic.
That's what they tell me! The shop is called CATALPA Street Garage and they are old BMW specialists. The Yelp review (albeit not very many) are excellent. https://www.yelp.com/biz/catalpa-street ... santa-cruz

It's kinda annoying when a $25 part takes 4 hours to install and requires special tools (to loosen the crank bolt at 395 ft.lbs.) I'd do it myself if I could, but I know when to cry Uncle.
-----
Song Huang
1984 633CSi
Last 7 of VIN: 6997383
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by songzunhuang »

sansouci wrote:
songzunhuang wrote:
sansouci wrote:Dean,
I've got the two custom cut adapters from a group buy a while ago in preparation for this project. Thanks for the realoem page and the heads up on the mount.

Dean- this is on fleabay and the p/n doesn't match. But could it work?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/311703065833?_t ... #vi-ilComp

--Ken
Hey, I'd be glad to pay it forward as I have a spare unit for the bottom adjustable mount. Dwcain gave me a mount, I'd be glad to give you the adjustable bracket. Here's the brackets side by side. They have the same width so it should work just fine for you.
Screen Shot 2017-05-18 at 10.28.55 AM.png

I ended up using the unit with a wider adjustment range, but to tell you the truth, I don't think. I needed that. I'm using the belt that was on there and to get the belt on, I have to go to the shortest setting and then when I tighten, it's only about 1/2 way through the adjustment. So although the spare unit I have doesn't have as much adjustment, it'll work fine. Hey, it's free.

So if you want it, just PM me. It's also got the bolt and adjustment nut. I noticed the one on eBay does not.
song,
I must be having PM problems. So I would love to add to the parts pile as I start my A/C refresh
you can mail it to:
Ken Weinstein
535 East 86th Apt. 11D
New York, NY 10028

Many thanks!
It is packed up and will be shipped on 6/8/17. I will send priority so you'll get it before the weekend maybe.
I sent you a PM as well.
-----
Song Huang
1984 633CSi
Last 7 of VIN: 6997383
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Oil leak fixed - $410

Post by songzunhuang »

hornhospital wrote:The oil pressure sensor is a <15 minute job, but if they can do the front main seal in 4 hours, you've found a great shop/mechanic.
Picked up the car today. They replaced the front main seal and the oil pressure sender. Total bill was $410. That's seems like a really good deal to me. It was less than 4 hours. It was raining a bit today so I didn't crawl under the car after I drove about 55 miles for my round trip commute, but when it dries up some I'll crawl under there and see how everything looks.

This Saturday I am planning to put in the A/C parts (compressor and condenser) that I have completed. I'll them move to the custom hoses and eventually the drier and expansion valve. Making progress.
-----
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1984 633CSi
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by hornhospital »

Excellent! That shop is some place to remember.
Ken Kanne
'84 633CSi "Sylvia"; '85 635CSi "Katja";'85 325e "Hazel Ann"; '95 M3 "Ashlyn"
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Oil leak fixed - $410.28 - pictures

Post by songzunhuang »

Just to document everything, I thought I'd put a picture of the things that were fixed by the Indy shop in Santa Cruz. Also, since the A/C compressor is off at this time, it makes for a much clearer picture of the underside and exhaust side of the motor.

Charge was $410.28.
Front seal - $25.48, Oil pressure sender $20.96, Tax $3.84
Labor $360.00

First, they replaced my oil pressure sender that they found was leaking. This was a simple job. The sender is at the back of the engine on the driver side. It looks really easy to access with only one wire leading to it.
Oil pressure sender that was replaced.
Oil pressure sender that was replaced.
Screen Shot 2017-06-09 at 6.29.51 PM.png (704.11 KiB) Viewed 11445 times
The front main seal was something I didn't want to deal with. Here's a picture of the underside of the engine after driving over 120 miles after the repair.
No oil leak detected. Yay!
No oil leak detected. Yay!
Screen Shot 2017-06-09 at 6.29.24 PM.png (662.57 KiB) Viewed 11445 times
Now, as luck would have it we had a sprinkle this morning and some in the afternoon. That led to a few droplets of liquid on the motor that you can faintly see on the motor. I reached under and touched a few drops verifying that they were water and not oil. Thank goodness. So after 2 days of commute, it looks pretty oil free. I am so relieved. Tomorrow, I'll put on the A/C parts in preparation for the hoses. You see, I need to have the parts in place to understand the hoses that will need to be made. A few steps forward.
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1984 633CSi
Last 7 of VIN: 6997383
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AC compressor and condenser installed

Post by songzunhuang »

I finally got some time to install the compressor and condenser in the car. It all fit great and prepares me well for the hose creating stage that is coming next.

First, I had to change the electrical connector on the new compressor as it was very different from the OEM unit.I cut the wire from the OEM compressor, soldered the wire to the new compressor and wrapped it all in heat shrink tubing (green)
Here's the green heat shrink tubing protecting the solder connection.
Here's the green heat shrink tubing protecting the solder connection.
Connector.png (872.67 KiB) Viewed 11432 times
Next I installed the compressor and belt. It seems to be very solid. I also installed the condenser and it fit really well. There's plenty of room on the passenger side for the hose connections. In the picture below you can see the installed compressor on the left. I ran the car for a few minutes and checked the alignment. I also rev'd the engine to higher speeds to make sure the belt remained true. Everything looked great! Also, note how "oil free" the motor is. It's so nice to work on a clean motor.
Looking up into the engine compartment from under the passenger side.
Looking up into the engine compartment from under the passenger side.
Installed.png (849.52 KiB) Viewed 11432 times
Here's a view of the condenser install with the aluminum bracket screwed into place. It's really solid and I think it'll work really well. You can see I have a few inches on the left for the hose connections. I may have been able to go a bit wider on the condenser, but I have heard that the one I installed is plenty efficient.
Passenger side of the condenser install.
Passenger side of the condenser install.
Fan done.png (616.83 KiB) Viewed 11432 times
Next step is to make up the hoses. I think I'm going to need 3 of them. Now I'm pondering the hose routing I may try and delete some hard lines that are part of the OEM hoses. I can't use the OEM hoses anyway because the connections on the condenser are radically different. Time to ponder.
-----
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1984 633CSi
Last 7 of VIN: 6997383
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by sansouci »

Song,
Great progress. Glad to see your indy shop used new hex bolts on the oil pan.

Having used pop rivets on my boat, I would caution you that the consumer versions are soft aluminum and may not stand up to engine vibration. Check with Cherry Aerospace in Santa Ana for higher spec rivets used in aircraft and other critical applications. As to the hard lines vs flex hose, I am guessing that the designers looked at theses factors: overall cost (not a big deal on a one-off); ease of assembly (you may have to snake them through your engine compartment); durability (hard is better?); availability (you may need a tubing bender and flare set); appearance (flex hose with the rondel would be nice, but a Gates logo-meh). Your call as to the mix of hard and flex.
BTW: wonderful, instructive pics.
--Ken
Sansouci
84 E24 633Csi Auto, Bronzit/PearlBeige 6997510
93 E32 740il M60 Auto, Alpenweis/Ultramarine
60 528i M30 5-speed Green/Beige (crushed)
71 240Z 4-speed White/Blue (rusty & sold)
65 396 Chevelle 4-speed, Marina Blue/Black (stolen)
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by sansouci »

Sansouci
84 E24 633Csi Auto, Bronzit/PearlBeige 6997510
93 E32 740il M60 Auto, Alpenweis/Ultramarine
60 528i M30 5-speed Green/Beige (crushed)
71 240Z 4-speed White/Blue (rusty & sold)
65 396 Chevelle 4-speed, Marina Blue/Black (stolen)
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by songzunhuang »

sansouci wrote:Compressor Dress Up Item:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sanden-508-CHRO ... 2726395660
Haha, I don't think I'm at that level yet. I need hoses! I can't find time to goto the hose shop, which is only open 8-5 on weekdays. I've got too much to do at work and around the house. I'm considering taking a vacation day just to go deal with hoses, otherwise it may be another month. This is so annoying as all the "hard" stuff has been done.

=====< UPDATE July 6th >=====

First run to the hose shop was a boondoggle. They cannot touch the car for insurance reasons. So I only figured out what ends I would need and they will order the ends. It looks like I will delete the hard lines and then re-locate the receiver/drier. There's no way to leave it in the stock location without using hardline. I can't use stock hardlines as the parallel flow condenser doesn't have the same ends as the original condenser.

Anyway, it's been a few weeks and the hose ends have arrived, but I have not had time to deal with this. :evil:
Still waiting for a free day to climb around under the car. The best course of action would be to mock up all the hoses and then take it to the shop to have them made. Looks like I have to be real careful of the angles of the ends if everything is to fit.
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1984 633CSi
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Receiver/Drier mounting and soft hoses

Post by songzunhuang »

Today, I finally figured out how I am going to mount my receiver/drier and use soft-lines for all of the new A/C hoses. Recall that the stock location uses a lot of hard-lines since it's extremely tight around the receiver/drier and how it snakes around the carbon filter. There was no way to get new hoses through the tight spots where the hard-lines go.

First, I realized that if I could mount the receiver/drier higher up, it would give me some space to route the softlines over the carbon filter. I needed to move the receiver/drier unit about 4 inches up. Used a Simpson strong tie (galvanized steel) and bent it into a "C" shape. The top and bottom was 2.5" and 4" high. I drilled the holes needed to mount the receiver/drier to the "C" bracket and also a bolt and nut with a lock washer in order to mount in the original slot.
The &quot;C&quot; bracket that'll lift the receiver/drier up 4&quot;.
The "C" bracket that'll lift the receiver/drier up 4".
Bracket.png (1.11 MiB) Viewed 11199 times
Here's a shot of the area where the receiver/drier will be mounted. In this picture, I've moved the washer fluid container out of the way so it's easy to see the space I am working with. The red circle is where the original mounting location for the receiver/drier goes. The orange rectangle is where the hose will route to the front of the car. There are 2 hoses. (1) Hose the goes from the high side of the compressor to the top of the condenser. (2) Bottom of condenser to the receiver/drier.
Receiver/Drier mounting area.
Receiver/Drier mounting area.
InstallArea.png (1.33 MiB) Viewed 11199 times
After installing the assembly, I can figure out where how to route the hoses. Here, I've sketched out the lines. They go over the carbon filter and split to the left of the filter in this picture.
Hoses route over the carbon filter.
Hoses route over the carbon filter.
InPlace.png (1.33 MiB) Viewed 11199 times
Just to make sure I have enough room for everything to clear and with the headlight cover / air diverter and washer container in place. You can see it's snug, but there's room! Benefit is that the service port is super easily accessible.
Making sure that the hoses will clear with washer container in place.
Making sure that the hoses will clear with washer container in place.
ClearedBottle.png (1.74 MiB) Viewed 11199 times
Now, I have to go back to the hose shop and get all the hoses made. I think I've figured out all the routes. Tomorrow, I visit the hose shop again. Here we go...
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by sansouci »

So if I want to build hard lines or use hard lines to EZ clip assemblies, what is the tubing size and metric threads of the components? Is there a good flaring set and does it need a double flare to seal properly instead of the lower pressure single that is used on copper.
I am asking as I am going to follow Song's rebuild with my own and among the issues is that the ports for compressor and condenser are not in the OEM location. I'm not even sure the Behr receiver dryer is exactly where the OEM was, particularly given the strategy to rise the location a few centimeters.

BTW, does the charcoal unit (I think that is what is next to the receiver dryer) ever need to be replaced?

Great job and much thanks to Song for his great documentation....

Ken
Sansouci
84 E24 633Csi Auto, Bronzit/PearlBeige 6997510
93 E32 740il M60 Auto, Alpenweis/Ultramarine
60 528i M30 5-speed Green/Beige (crushed)
71 240Z 4-speed White/Blue (rusty & sold)
65 396 Chevelle 4-speed, Marina Blue/Black (stolen)
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Half the AC hoses done - $166

Post by songzunhuang »

Well my second visit to the hose shop was more successful, although a bit more expensive than I expected. Since I am eliminating hardlines, I have to create 4 custom hoses.
1) Low pressure from firewall to Suction on Compressor.
2) High pressure from firewall to receiver/drier (upper port)
3) High pressure from discharge port of compressor to top of parallel flow condenser.
4) High pressure from bottom of parallel flow condenser to receiver / drier (lower port)

Today I was able to complete the creation of hoses #1 and #2. The other parts needed to be ordered. Here's what I was able to complete.

First, I would test the fitting and clock them to the right direction. Then I used a piece or old garden hose and cut it to size and then made marks so that when the shop crimped the hose, they would keep the proper turn of the end of the fittings. Here's an example of that.
After test fitting, mark the angles before crimp.
After test fitting, mark the angles before crimp.
Clocking.png (609.12 KiB) Viewed 11174 times
After all is well, they cut the real barrier hose and then send it to the crimping machine. Here's a picture of hose#1. This particular one was $93 complete. :shock: The top 90 degree (#10) fitting with the charge port was expensive. That piece with the charge port alone was $45. Then the rest was for the other fitting (#8 at 45 degrees) and the hose assembly. The hose length was 24".
Finished hose #1. Nice crimps!
Finished hose #1. Nice crimps!
Complete.png (1016.8 KiB) Viewed 11174 times
I repeated the process with hose #2. This one had a 90 degree (#6) fitting at the firewall and a 45 degree (#8) fitting at the receiver/drier. It was 34 inches long and came to $60. It's a good thing that there is a big rubber boot connecting the air filter to the Mass Airflow sensor. The new 90 degree fitting with charge port of hose 1 contacts the rubber boot and the "give" of the connecting boot is needed. I'm not sure how good the clearance would be if the boot didn't flex.
Here's a picture of both hoses installed at the end coming out off the firewall.
Both hoses connected to the steel tubes coming from the firewall.
Both hoses connected to the steel tubes coming from the firewall.
Firewall.png (794.91 KiB) Viewed 11174 times
Finally, relocating the receiver drier higher about 4 inches allowed me to use a 45 degree fitting coming off of the receiver/drier and routed down by the charcoal canister. Here's a picture of that in position.
A pretty tight but good fit with a 45 degree fitting.
A pretty tight but good fit with a 45 degree fitting.
RD Connect.png (715.74 KiB) Viewed 11174 times
So that completes 2 hoses. For the remaining hoses, we determined the fittings and I had to get them to order them. It won't be in for a few days and I'll have to return to get those hoses made. I actually think the hard part is done now. Here's what I believe the remaining hoses will be:

Hose 3 - 90 degree (#8) from compressor high side to 90 degree (#10) on upper port of parallel flow condenser.
Hose 4 - 90 degree (#8?) from lower port of parallel flow condenser to 45 degree (#8) on receiver drier lower port.

I'm hoping I can get to this on Friday morning and that these two hoses are about $60 each. I'll means I'll have spent about $286-$300 on custom hoses. Ugh. The good news is that I am so close....
Last edited by songzunhuang on Tue Jul 11, 2017 3:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-----
Song Huang
1984 633CSi
Last 7 of VIN: 6997383
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AC Hose routing - a few more pictures

Post by songzunhuang »

So someone asked for a "roadmap". I sketched this out a while back and thought I would share. I am using this as a reference as I am hooking everything up.
Sketch of where all the hoses go
Sketch of where all the hoses go
Roadmap.png (392.59 KiB) Viewed 11170 times
And finally since I can post multiple pictures, here's a shot of how the 45 degree connector comes off of the suction port of the compressor. You can see that is passes right by the exhaust manifold and onto the ledge where the original hose and hardlines were fastened.
Angle of 45 degree fitting off of the compressor suction port.
Angle of 45 degree fitting off of the compressor suction port.
At compressor.png (510 KiB) Viewed 11170 times
I'm thinking of getting some heat shield wrap wherever the hose come within a few inches of the exhaust. That can't hurt. After I get all the routing finalized, I'll use some clamps to secure everything - just like OEM.
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by hornhospital »

That's some fine work, and even finer documentation. Thanks from all of us that face the same problem. =D>
Ken Kanne
'84 633CSi "Sylvia"; '85 635CSi "Katja";'85 325e "Hazel Ann"; '95 M3 "Ashlyn"
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by sansouci »

Song,
I see some Sanden 508 clones with two brass ports on the back that yours does not have them. Yours are located on the top. Where did you buy your compressor and what was the p/n?
Sansouci
84 E24 633Csi Auto, Bronzit/PearlBeige 6997510
93 E32 740il M60 Auto, Alpenweis/Ultramarine
60 528i M30 5-speed Green/Beige (crushed)
71 240Z 4-speed White/Blue (rusty & sold)
65 396 Chevelle 4-speed, Marina Blue/Black (stolen)
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by songzunhuang »

sansouci wrote:Song,
I see some Sanden 508 clones with two brass ports on the back that yours does not have them. Yours are located on the top. Where did you buy your compressor and what was the p/n?
Oh, I bought mine from JCS (Jay) on this forum. As for the part number, I have a picture way back in a previous post. It's got the numbers cast onto the compressor. Here's a link (viewtopic.php?f=25&t=25858&start=325) scroll down to the page a bit.

There's a bunch of them on eBay that look like mine (http://www.ebay.com/bhp/sanden-compressor) for $110-140.
The marking on mine says B508XF 05.
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Really slow progress...

Post by songzunhuang »

So I am STILL waiting for the hose ends to complete my AC hoses. The shop I ordered them from hasn't received the order yet. It's kind of annoying. So like any good car buff, I've been poking around at other things that my car needs and of course I can't leave well enough alone.

The first thing I got was a new expansion tank. Mine works fine, but it's opaque. I know they all eventually turn opaque, but I may as well enjoy a few years of being able to actually see my coolant level. So, I've got a new OEM BMW Expansion tank.
If you are going to get a replacement, you may as well get the real thing.
If you are going to get a replacement, you may as well get the real thing.
ExpansionTank.png (443.54 KiB) Viewed 11103 times
Next thing was a way to block heat. I saw that some of the OEM A/C hoses had heat shielding on them. I did a bit of poking about and got some self adhesive fabric based heat shielding. It's supposed to block 90% of the heat. I'm planning to use this around the hoses that pass by the exhaust pipes. Let's see how it goes.
Hopefully this will keep the hoses cool.
Hopefully this will keep the hoses cool.
HeatShield.png (1.1 MiB) Viewed 11103 times
I'm looking forward to getting my hose ends in. I really want to get my AC working before the summer is over... :roll:
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by sansouci »

Song,
Where is the expansion valve located and did you change that as part of the rebuild?
I am assuming the pressure switch is that green thing by the receiver dryer....
Sansouci
84 E24 633Csi Auto, Bronzit/PearlBeige 6997510
93 E32 740il M60 Auto, Alpenweis/Ultramarine
60 528i M30 5-speed Green/Beige (crushed)
71 240Z 4-speed White/Blue (rusty & sold)
65 396 Chevelle 4-speed, Marina Blue/Black (stolen)
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by dwcains »

The expansion valve is in the evaporator box:

Image
Dean
Lutz, FL

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

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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by songzunhuang »

sansouci wrote:Song,
Where is the expansion valve located and did you change that as part of the rebuild?
I am assuming the pressure switch is that green thing by the receiver dryer....
Yes, the pressure switch is the green thing on the receiver/drier.

It looks like you got the answer to the location of the expansion valve (it's in the AC box under the dash attached to the evaporation core). I have one of those and plan to change it out. From what I have read, the odds are good that there is a lot of debris in the housing of the evaporation core. Also there was probably some foam or other barrier that prevented the air from moving around the evaporation core and not getting cooled. The odds are good that this foam is deteriorated. I have some replacement foam ready to go as well.

I was going to remove the A/C box under the dash and completely clean out the area, evap core as well as change the expansion valve. During this process I'll flush the evaporation core as well with acetone to get any old incompatible oil (R12 and 134a use different lubrication). Finally, if needed I'll straighten any damaged fins on the evaporation core. The entire last step was something I was going to do at the end, right before the evacuation and recharge.

So, the hose fitting watch continues for me. Until I get all the hoses in place, I wasn't going to open up the system. I didn't want too much moisture to develop in the system.
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by sansouci »

Dean,
Thanks for the pic. Looks like an ugly job but unless it is all cleaned out, it could risk the new components....
Sansouci
84 E24 633Csi Auto, Bronzit/PearlBeige 6997510
93 E32 740il M60 Auto, Alpenweis/Ultramarine
60 528i M30 5-speed Green/Beige (crushed)
71 240Z 4-speed White/Blue (rusty & sold)
65 396 Chevelle 4-speed, Marina Blue/Black (stolen)
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Teeny bit of progress

Post by songzunhuang »

Another trip to the hose shop this morning and I was able to get the hose from the Compressor high side to the top of the condenser created. this hose was 28" long and had two #8 90 degree fittings on it. The fittings were clocked 90 degrees from each other. This hose cost me $60.

Here are a few pictures showing how it was attached. First is a picture of the hose at the compressor. There was lots of room to work from below and this was rather easy. I did some from above as well because I didn't want to spend all my time under the car. You can see how the low and high hoses pass by each other. There's a good amount of room here. This picture is looking from above and the high pressure (discharge) on the compressor is the lower port.
90 degree fitting from high side (bottom) gives good clearance.
90 degree fitting from high side (bottom) gives good clearance.
AtCompressor.jpg (133.73 KiB) Viewed 11059 times
Next is where this hose passed through the front by the headlights. In this picture, I have removed the headlight cover and the air duct, both on the passenger side, so it's easy to see the routing. I am going to split a hose and put it around the opening so that I'll not have any metal rubbing on the hoses.
Length is perfect, it looks like I can do this without contacting the opening.
Length is perfect, it looks like I can do this without contacting the opening.
ThruFirewall.jpg (126.24 KiB) Viewed 11059 times
Finally is where the hose attaches to the top of the condenser. This was tricky to get on as my arm was not quite long enough coming from below. This picture is looking up from the ground. That made it a bit tricky. Notice how much room I have with the 90 degree fitting. Scooting the condenser over towards the driver side a bit made sure I had lots of room to maneuver the hose. I had read about this issue and didn't want to make that mistake.
Hose attached to the top of the condenser.
Hose attached to the top of the condenser.
AtCondenser.JPG (78.42 KiB) Viewed 11059 times
Finally, here's a picture showing how I would mock up the hose with a piece of old garden hose and make the marks with the permanent marker. Unfortunately, this piece from receiver dryer to the bottom of the condenser, did not get made. They had to custom order another part. As it turns out, the fitting they have (one 90 degree and one 45 degree) was made for different diameter hoses. They had to reorder with fitting made for the same diameter hose.
Testing the fit and marking the &quot;clocking&quot;
Testing the fit and marking the "clocking"
TestFitjpg.jpg (90.59 KiB) Viewed 11059 times
I accidentally showed you something interesting in the picture above. You can see the AC fitting end before and after the crimping. The one with the garden hose (green) is before the crimp. Of course the one above has the crimp completed. Pretty big difference.

So it looks like one more trip to the Hose Shop next week and I'll finally be ready to tear into the Dash. I'll keep everyone posted.
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Song Huang
1984 633CSi
Last 7 of VIN: 6997383
baders
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Location: Perth Australia

Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by baders »

Excellent info Song. I will be tackling just this issue in the near future.
1986 635csi LOCUTUS / Arktis Blau Metallic / Pearl Beige / S38B36/ Close ratio dogleg 5sp
2002 E46 M3 / Topaz Blau Metallic / Black Nappa / 6 speed SMG software tuned / Bilstein PSS10 Coilovers / CMP RACP reinforcement
songzunhuang
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Location: Silicon Valley, CA
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Last A/C Hose - the long saga, a lesson learned.

Post by songzunhuang »

Picking up where we left off, I got a call that my final hose (from condenser to receiver/drier) was ready to go. The shop had assembled it and I thought it was going to be a quick pickup and install. Well, nothing is that easy. When I initially tried to install the hose, it was too long and the hose kinked. I had to cut off the end and re-clock it and re-assemble with another fitting. The hose was close to $100 with the re-make.

Here's a picture of how the hose attached to the bottom of the condenser. In this picture you can see the Bottom and Top hoses attached with 90 degree fittings. Both hoses route through the same hole into the engine compartment.
Looking up from the bottom of the car with both hoses attached.
Looking up from the bottom of the car with both hoses attached.
CondenserView.jpg (51.3 KiB) Viewed 10973 times
In the engine compartment, you can see how the two 45 degree #8 fittings come off of the receiver/drier. It's tight, but it all works. I had to change the routing of the hose to prevent a kink.
Both fittings attached at the receiver/drier side.
Both fittings attached at the receiver/drier side.
WithoutCover.jpg (97.22 KiB) Viewed 10973 times
After the installation, I re-checked clearances with the air diverter in place. Everything works!
Everything assembled with the air0diverter in place.
Everything assembled with the air0diverter in place.
WithCover.jpg (91.14 KiB) Viewed 10973 times
Finally, here's a picture from the fittings at the firewall looking to the front of the car and down into the engine compartment. You can see the compressor hose fittings. Also, you can see how the hoses neatly route along the ledge caused by the frame. You can also see how the hoses run pretty near the exhaust manifold the left. I plan to wrap those hoses in the heat reflective material.
Here's how the hoses to the compressor.
Here's how the hoses to the compressor.
LongRoute.jpg (82.73 KiB) Viewed 10973 times
Lesson: I didn't realize that I would have to create 4 new custom hoses at a cost of nearly $300. The cost of a custom parallel flow condenser with the proper stock fittings location was about $300-350. So in the end, I am not sure it was such a good value. However, even if I went with the custom unit, I would have to replace 2 of the metal lines since they had a section of old hose, the ones that the R134 molecules will eventually seep through. So the good news is that I have all new barrier hoses, a new condenser and the satisfaction of knowing how to put all this together myself. It was a nice learning experience.

Next, I need to find time to do the work on the evaporator code under the dash. The end is near... I just need a full day to do everything. One full day.
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Song Huang
1984 633CSi
Last 7 of VIN: 6997383
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