GF04RCE

Hi All,

928 S2 MY1985 Euro Manual

Based in the UK we don't really have the same level of aftermarket access to 928 parts as you do in the US (Roger does a lot of international shipping especially when it comes to AC alternatives / solutions. My AC was removed by a PO and so I am looking to rebuild it up, probably by making my own AC lines, refurbing a Denso compressor, fitting the fan relay etc..
By making my own lines (if I can actually find somewhere in the UK that supplies the barrier hoses and connectors!!) I believe this gives me a lot more flexibility on choosing the Condenser that I would use. So my question is... Has anyone found a good condenser from another vehicle that fits and would be a good low cost alternative to the bespoke 928 ones? standard size is around 600mm (23 3/4 inches) x 330mm (13 inches)I believe...

My view is that as long as I keep the dimensions of the hoses the same using the standard Evaporator and Expansion valve I should be able to pick and choose other components.... Any thoughts suggestions greatly appreciated as always....

David M
Oundle, UK
928 S2 MY1985 Euro Manual

FredR

If there is anything that is plug and play in the UK then Richard Armstrong would be the most likely source for such info- his company name is Ritech systems and he probably knows way more than anybody else in the UK about the 928 air conditioning system. He is based in Devizes, Wiltshire as I recall.

I picked up an after market ac condenser in our local market for little more than 25 quid equivalent but decided I did not need to try and fit it after removing and cleaning the stock item. Doing so would be a bit tricky but doable nonetheless. The manual model condensers are better as they have more surface area but the auto model is smaller because of the need for a tranny cooler- still in the UK it is not exactly hot and the auto variant ought to be more than adequate. Maybe Paul in Stroud might have a s/h stock item?

GF04RCE

Hi Fred,

I had a response from Richard who is looking at building a kit up but is not there yet..... I am always looking for alternative ways of doing things and trying to adapt and use mass market solutions to solve Niche problems.... I think I have found a source for making the AC lines (Hosedirect.co.uk) they even do the EZ-Clip connectors I have just got fixated on finding an alternative condenser because they are so common and available its just about finding the right one.... (UK cost is around £400 / $560)

David
1985 S2 Manual

FredR

David,

With you on the alternatives bit given the price of 928 components these days. I recently sourced what I presume to be a Chinese made knock off of a Mercedes model expansion tank for $30 delivered New York from California- cost me as much to get it here. Not a perfect fit for the 928 and not an identical replacement but easy enough to adapt if the original item goes **** up as I fully expect it will one of these years [OEM items cost $500!]!!!

My auto tranny gearbox mounts sagged a few years ago- solved that with a packer made of rubber from an inner tube- the engineering of the home brew packer was magnificent! The plastic mount for the cruise control cable fell apart- fixed that by cutting a slot in two steel nuts and my favourite fix was on the nipple that supplies vacuum to the passive reservoir- the crappy little plastic nipple sheared off- fixed it with a section of telescopic antenna from a radio controlled command module that I saved after it broke off- a bit of two pack epoxy plastic metal secured it. Oh and I managed to fix the flexplate clamp issue with a few drops of Loctite 290 some 21 years ago when there were no solutions available on the global market whatsoever.

There is a lot to be said for lateral thinking- and if all else fails one just has to be prepared to shell out!

Good luck with the mission. Let me know if you need details of the universal condenser I have sat in my garage as a standby project.

DHS928

have you tried looking at a custom shop like https://www.restomodair.com they have several sizes and state they are much better than our OEM ones.

Dan

Shawn Stanford

Maybe we should get together as a community and pool a little money to buy 'alternative parts' to send to one of the gurus (Sean, Stan, Roger, etc.) to evaluate for suitability. I'd eagerly kick in the price of a tank of gas if it meant expanding the list of non-OEM things that work well in our cars.

GF04RCE

Nice site..... found this nice high efficiency parallel aluminium unit $139 ... surely not that easy...
https://www.restomodair.com/shopprod...e-22-x-12-x-1/

David

DHS928

Yes with all the parts cars out there sending a old unit to them as a template so we can upgrade these 30+ year old A/C systems would be nice, I would chip in for that.

Shawn Stanford

Not what I meant, really.

I was talking about finding commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions. If we ask someone to do something special, they become the sole source and the prices are commensurate.

For instance, a 175amp alternator for a 911 costs $1,000, because it's fitted for a 911 and sold by 'Classic Retrofit'. A Delco CS130-family alternator that puts out 200amps is $200, because it's fitted to a huge variety of GM products and it's sold by NAPA.

gazfish

I got one of these a couple of years ago, the drier bracket was all wrong but otherwise fitted fine.

http://obsoleteair.com/products/78-7...ir-92857314303

A weaker dollar now helps a bit too

Guy

You are right on the money with this. I have sent a few emails of some off the shelf alternatives to Roger over the years to help provide some parts availability where none existed before.