@flintknapper, is it a huge improvement or so-so? Is your AC freezing you out?
Not a 'huge' improvement for me...but that is because I tend to keep my equipment in good working order.
It
might make a big difference for others depending upon what condenser they have in the vehicle now. Many condensers have been changed out over the years to who knows what in many of our vehicles. Also, the condition of each system varies widely.
I will only say that a NEW true parallel condenser (of good quality made by a trusted manufacturer) will give you the best performance (possible) assuming all else is up to snuff.
You guys in some of the Western States that see ambient temps of 110+°F are at the extreme end of conditions. When its 115 degrees outside and the sun is baking your Cruiser like a lizard laying on a flat rock...its going to be hard to cool it. It just IS!
With a perfectly working 'system' if you can get a 40° drop (vent temp) from ambient...you should be happy. Anything more than that...is just icing on the cake.
But let's say your unit is exceptional and you're getting a 50 degree drop and its 110 outside. That means you are enjoying 60° F. vent temps. Jesus....if THAT doesn't feel good to you then you are just expecting too much from the 80's A/C system.
I don't care if your Brother's Dodge truck will blow 40° air. The 80's series WILL NOT.
We can't compare one engineered system against a completely different one.
Will my 80 'freeze me out',
Not normally...but it does pretty good when ambient temps are in the 80-95° range. Under those conditions, I can expect to see 40-42° vent temps. BUT...I have an Aux fan, I have a newer multi channel flat tube serpentine condenser, I have a modded fan clutch, I charged the system myself so I know its right and I took the time to adjust the charge (compare pressure window to lowest vent temp) to get all I can out of the system. Most folks and NO shops are going to do that.
The 80 series (as designed) is pretty much a toaster. You get heat from the floorboards, you get heat (on sunny days) from the roof and the windows. The grill area is comparatively small and under-hood temps get pretty high at times. It is a challenging vehicle to cool when there are temperature extremes involved.
I spent 11 years as an Engineer for a high end Class A MotorCoach manufacturer. Part of my duties was to design the A/C systems (Dash and Ducted roof mounts), prototype them, test them and ultimately write the operators manuals. Not easy to cool down a 42' MotorCoach, but the 80 series would give it a run for the money.
Toyota Engineers (undoubtedly smarter than me) didn't have a lot to work with. I think they did a pretty good job... all things considered. But air conditioning was clearly not at the top of the list (of things most important) on this vehicle.
So...make sure you put the best components on it, charge it correctly and be happy with what you get.
Flint.
