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  #1  
Old 11-02-2023
bobbiemartin's Avatar
bobbiemartin bobbiemartin is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Jacksonville
Posts: 766
Default Reviving Dash Air in a SP36

When we bought our 91 SP36 the dash air was inoperative. Actually the compressor had been removed and the rooftop condenser was in a sad state. While you can (and we did) run the generator and the rooftop air units, we really wanted a working dash air. So, I started looking for the components we needed.

I bought a Sanden SD 508 compressor. The mount needed to be reworked. On the Cat 3208, the mounting bracket holds both the alternator and the AC compressor. After physically laying the compressor in the mount, I figured out what was needed to mount the compressor and where the pulley needed to be to line up the belt. I took the mount and compressor and left it with a local shop that does race car fabrication. They did a great job fabricating and welding the mount. I installed it with everything and it only needed slight modifications for everything to fit. I bought a Balmar alternator adjustment arm which simplifies belt adjustment. I wanted to use one for the alternator as well, but there was not sufficient room to fit it. After I was happy with everything, I had the mounting bracket powder coated.

Once the compressor was sorted the next thing was a new condenser. I found a new roof mounted unit on eBay. It's a Frigiking 109 with two fans. I fabricated an aluminum mount to fit on the existing rooftop brackets and the Frigiking mounts. The same fab shop welded it up for me and it was powder coated silver.

Next was the evaporator. I wasn't sure how long the unit had set unused, so it was removed. I removed the expansion valve, cleaned the fins and flushed the evaporator and at the same time, the existing hoses I planned on reusing. A new expansion valve was installed and the entire unit reinstalled in the bus. The fans worked fine, so they were reused. A binary switch was installed in the system, it never had one originally.

The final piece was sourcing and making up the hoses I needed. Fortunately, there is an AC hose place only a mile or so from my work. I was able to get all the hose ends and hose I needed there. At the same time, a friend was installing AC in his MGF so we went in on a hydraulic hose crimper. It cost less than $200 and works great. Having a crimper makes it much easier to make the hoses. I was able to make up new hoses to the evaporator and new dryer and from the existing hoses in the engine compartment and the compressor. I installed charge ports in the compressor hoses. I guess I should mention everything was set up for R134a refrigerant.

One thing I haven't got sorted is the air duct hoses from the evaporator to the vents. They original hoses had cracks. Plus they really don't fit well on the fan outlets and make a rather sharp bend immediately. With a little searching, I found a silicone reducing elbow that fits the fan and duct hose. I don't have the ducts the way I want, I ran out of time before WOG but will get it sorted over the winter.

I finally got it all installed and vacuumed the system and to my delight, it held vacuum! With that I installed 4.5 pounds of freon. It cools, but I don't think that is enough freon. Once it warms up I'll play with the freon levels and hopefully it will cool better than it does. But all in all, I'm happy with the results.
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1991 SP36
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  #2  
Old 11-02-2023
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bobbiemartin bobbiemartin is offline
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Pictures of the compressor and condenser.
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1991 SP36
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  #3  
Old 11-02-2023
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bobbiemartin bobbiemartin is offline
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Pictures of the evaporator core with expansion valve
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1991 SP36
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Old 11-03-2023
Sooner1 Sooner1 is offline
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Very cool, gives me hope I can do something similar this winter.
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Old 11-04-2023
Martha & Joe Martha & Joe is offline
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Thanks for posting. Our dash air works but just can't jeep up. Maybe a curtain behind pilot/copilot will help by reducing area trying to cool. We could use generator and run roof air if unbearable. Actually probably won't travel in heat of the day!
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Old 11-04-2023
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Mike Hohnstein Mike Hohnstein is offline
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Replacing the original roof top condensor w/large 134a spec unit resulted in a ice cold air flow from the outlets, cooled most of the salon underway. Replaced the leaky York w/ a ag application Sanden retrofit. Pulley is way off, waiting to locate a correct piece. However these days I find the front 13.5 roof top does the job for my sprints to the drag strip 100 miles away.
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