| Author |
Message |
Busfool (Chuck)
Registered Member
Username: Chuck
Post Number: 73
Registered: 12-2004
Posted From: 206.172.106.131
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 27, 2006 - 10:06 pm: | |
When I purchased my mc9 the seller told me he had changed the air condition fluid to the new r134 . He told me the compressor was still working but the new fluid damaged the hoses etc. Any one familiar as to what it would cost to get the bus air back on line. What would need changing and would it be worth the agro? |
Bob greenwood (Bob_greenwood)
Registered Member
Username: Bob_greenwood
Post Number: 389
Registered: 7-2006
Posted From: 4.226.237.127
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 27, 2006 - 10:17 pm: | |
NO...way too much maintenance ,plus it takes 24 pounds of 134 |
Jerry Campbell (Jerrync)
Registered Member
Username: Jerrync
Post Number: 40
Registered: 7-2006
Posted From: 76.182.44.149
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 27, 2006 - 10:23 pm: | |
No way |
Douglas Wotring (Tekebird)
Registered Member
Username: Tekebird
Post Number: 26
Registered: 10-2004
Posted From: 69.136.90.146
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 27, 2006 - 11:15 pm: | |
well worth it in my opinion |
Kyle Brandt (Kyle4501)
Registered Member
Username: Kyle4501
Post Number: 244
Registered: 9-2004
Posted From: 65.23.106.193
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 28, 2006 - 8:20 am: | |
134a is a smaller molecule than the freon 12 or 22. This is why 'they' recommend hose replacement when changing over so the stuff won't leak out thur the hose wall as fast.
A GOOD hydraulics shop can custom make the hoses you need, usually for much less than you can get them from the bus store.
Is it cost effective to fix your A/C? That is dependant on YOUR needs for the bus & your plans. |
John MC9 (John_mc9)
Registered Member
Username: John_mc9
Post Number: 128
Registered: 7-2006
Posted From: 66.217.107.84
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 28, 2006 - 8:42 am: | |
The OE bus air was designed to cool down a bus full of
passengers, and keep them cool, whether the door was open
or not... or if it remained open the entire time the bus sat
at a stop.... (you really need that?)
The OE air only runs while the engine runs... Nice for going
down the road, but at $2.50+ per gallon, do you really want
to use it while you sit?...... When you can run a genset that
uses a tiny fraction of fuel, and conventional RV air conditioners
to do the same job?
(After you see what's inside that ductwork, you'll be reconsidering
the OE system anyway....) |
Busfool (Chuck)
Registered Member
Username: Chuck
Post Number: 74
Registered: 12-2004
Posted From: 206.172.106.141
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 28, 2006 - 9:03 am: | |
Thanks for all the insight . rv air is the way to go |
Brian Elfert (Belfert)
Registered Member
Username: Belfert
Post Number: 23
Registered: 7-2006
Posted From: 132.148.80.215
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 28, 2006 - 9:53 am: | |
My bus came from the factory with R134A. All of the A/C lines are hard copper except the final connections that are hoses for the last 9 inches or so.
I don't know if copper or hoses are normally used in a bus, but the copper should certainly hold the R134A better.
The A/C on my bus had popped a fusible type plug and lost all the R134A. I decided not to spend the money to fix it and found out later that it appeared two condenser fans were bad and probably caused the system to overheat. It appears the condenser would have had to come out to replace the fans.
Brian Elfert |
John Peterson (Hafftrack)
Registered Member
Username: Hafftrack
Post Number: 2
Registered: 10-2006
Posted From: 130.76.96.15
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 28, 2006 - 3:02 pm: | |
i know the rv a/c is the way for some but i am in useing these i houston. i have one in front and one in back with the old condencer out made room for the out side unit. with only one (front) it held the timp at 70 in september
http://www.minisplitsystems.com/cgi/display.cgi?item_num=AS09HR&gclid=CIn7sNG_6ogCFRSBSAod fz7lkA |
Mark Renner (Boomer)
Registered Member
Username: Boomer
Post Number: 4
Registered: 11-2006
Posted From: 12.180.53.193
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 28, 2006 - 3:15 pm: | |
Sounds like whoever converted your system did not do a compressor oil change. R12/R22 uses a different oil than R134A. If you use R134A without 1 to 3 compressor oil changes, the lining in your hoses will break down, destroy the hose, and plug your reciever drier, expansion valve, etc. You don't mention which compressor you have, 5F30 or 05G, but 134A is not recommended with a 5F30. I owned a fleet of MC-9's and we finally settled on the best solution of a 5F30 with either R-22 or a refrigerant called Freeze 12. Head pressures are a problem on MC-9's due to the small condensers when operating in hot climates. Other posts recommending elimininating your bus A/C are pretty good advice. There is a lot of maintenance and cost associated with keeping a coach system operating at it's designed efficiency, particularly keeping it leak free.On a good day, when the coach was brand new, it was only capable of lowering the cabin temp around 25 deg. from outside temp. 134A further degrades this. Another factor is the maintenance and weight of your condenser and evaporator motors, which includes routine brush inspection and replacement, and keeping the compartments sealed up. And, finally, to run the factory A/C system, you will have to keep that big 50DN alternator, which presents another set of problems. If you have the gear driven alternator, and the bearings fail, it will likely take out the gear train at the back of the engine, essentially ruining the entire engine, because if the timing fails, pistons hit valves, heads crack, etc, etc. Much simpler to eliminate the entire A/C system, and 50DN alternator as well. You can run a small 24V alt. off the front cam pully. Detroit made a nice little alternator bracket for this application that uses the bolt holes where the block heater mounts at the left front of the engine, under the exhaust manifold. I believe that most of my fellow bus nuts would agree that retaining "bus air" in a motorhome application is not cost, weight, or maintenance effective. But, to each his own. Thanks for listening. |