Wanted To buy or rent an A/C Condenser for a 1990 HZJ-73 (1 Viewer)

[peterb]

Location

United States

Hello All
I received my 1990 HZJ-73 when I returned from vacation on June 19th (a nice find in my driveway upon arriving home)! I got the A/C system charged and it worked great that evening but the refrigerant leaked out overnight. The tech found a corroded area in the corner of the condenser that cannot be repaired.
I am looking for a new replacement and have contacted Amayama, ENS Industrial, University Toyota in Mexico City, beno, G&S Cruiser Parts, Joekatana, Akella and others. I am still waiting to hear back from a few folks but am concerned I won't be able to source one prior to leaving on a trip out West on July 8th.
The part number is 88340-60010. If anyone has a spare, please contact me. If anyone can suggest another source to check, please pass on the info.
Also, if someone has their truck out of service and will rent me their condenser for few weeks, I would be most appreciative. I am not looking forward to a 3000+ mile trip out West in July with no A/C.
Thanks everyone!
Peter

 

[rick_d]

I have one on my '87 that is not in use. Switching out engines soon and can free it up. It could be a couple weeks though, I have one good foot at moment.

email at
ranch dot hand at comcast dot net

 

[BiffS]

ive got the one from the LJ 78 and one from a Hilux LN106. Both are the same in overall appearance so probably would fit. I'll check part numbers.

 

[peterb]

Great, thank you Biff!

 

[Delancy]

Try 88460-60180.

Shows available and should (operative) be the same condenser, but possibly dealer add, which may explain the different part number.

 

[OGBeno]

Not available in US market.

 

[Delancy]

Not available in US market.

If US market availability were a determining factor, it'd make for some interesting yard art around la casa Delancy.

 

[peterb]

Hello All
Initially, I want to thank @rick_d, @BiffS, @Delancy and @beno for their generous offers and information. I apologize for taking so long to reply. It was unMud-like to not respond.
Due to running out of time before I left, I ended up taking the condenser out of my 74 and putting it in my 73 for my trip out West. Had to use a line or two from the 74 to get everything to work but it did fine during my trip. I've now swapped the 74's condenser back to the 74.
I took Delancy's advice (roll of the dice, I know) and ordered a condenser out of the UAE. After comparing it to the leaky unit from the 73, the actual condenser unit looks to be the same. I believe what Toyota does is use the same unit for the three part numbers and changes the mounting brackets on the sides (maybe just one side) for the different applications.
If this is the case and we can find another example of the unit being used on an application in a North American vehicle, we could then go to local dealer to find a replacement and use our own side mounting brackets.
Thought this info might be helpful for someone else in the future.
Peter

 

[tohox]

Hi @peterb

I have the same 88340-60010 condenser in my 1991 PZJ77 and am currently looking for a replacement. Judging by your last post the 88460-60180 replacement you bought was a close enough fit. You did however mention some mounting bracket changes across the different part numbers. Did you have to relocate some of the mounting brackets for the new unit to fit? Did you also have to replace some pipes and/or fittings?

Judging by these images (credit Megazip) the order of the fittings and mounting brackets is different and the 88460-60180 appears to be slightly taller.

I would greatly appreciate if you could confirm these differences and mention any required modifications.

Many thanks!

 

[peterb]

@tohox as you know, this has been some time ago. My recollection is that the replacement condenser was the same dimensions as the original. I just swapped the original brackets to the replacement condenser and it bolted right in. That part was easy.

The hard part was the fittings. I went to several shops in Lexington, KY and one in Louisville, KY and no one had seen the fittings on the replacement condenser. I thought I was sunk. This is where the hero comes in: @jblueridge had already gone through this process and offered up Fred at Hensley's Radiator in Charlottesville, VA. He attached the needed fittings on the replacement condenser so I could then use my original hoses. I installed it, had it charged at a local shop and it has been working as it should without issue.

If you are going to go this route, you will have to find a shop to replace the fittings. You might look for a franchise of Tubes and Hoses: Hensley’s Hydraulics - https://www.tubesnhoses.com/system-locations/hensley%c2%92shydraulics near you. I think Hensley's was a franchisee and had what was needed to do the fit up. I suppose you could also buy the needed fittings from them and have a shop local to you install them for you.

Good luck with your project!
Peter

 

[tohox]

@tohox as you know, this has been some time ago. My recollection is that the replacement condenser was the same dimensions as the original. I just swapped the original brackets to the replacement condenser and it bolted right in. That part was easy.

The hard part was the fittings. I went to several shops in Lexington, KY and one in Louisville, KY and no one had seen the fittings on the replacement condenser. I thought I was sunk. This is where the hero comes in: @jblueridge had already gone through this process and offered up Fred at Hensley's Radiator in Charlottesville, VA. He attached the needed fittings on the replacement condenser so I could then use my original hoses. I installed it, had it charged at a local shop and it has been working as it should without issue.

If you are going to go this route, you will have to find a shop to replace the fittings. You might look for a franchise of Tubes and Hoses: Hensley’s Hydraulics - https://www.tubesnhoses.com/system-locations/hensley%c2%92shydraulics near you. I think Hensley's was a franchisee and had what was needed to do the fit up. I suppose you could also buy the needed fittings from them and have a shop local to you install them for you.

Good luck with your project!
Peter

Thanks for the quick reply!

Did the shop simply cut and weld the original fittings from your old condenser onto the new one or did they manage to find new ones with the proper size/threads? If I was able to source the proper fittings I might be able to TIG weld them onto the new condender. I haven't removed the condenser yet so I can't really tell if this is a sensible course of action. Perhaps it is just a matter of cutting the tubes, changing the nuts and flaring again.

Again, many thanks!

 

[peterb]

They did not have the original condenser so I suppose they had the needed fittings in stock and used them. If you are a competent aluminum welder I do not know why you couldn't reuse the nuts/fittings from the original condenser. this would be a much simpler solution.
Please update this thread after you try this for future reference.
Peter

 

[jblueridge]

Hey!
Mr Fred Hensley used great experience and specialized equipment to cut and expand some tubes so another tube could fit inside it, like plumbing or exhaust piping.
I believe he hard soldered the fittings together.
All the equipment relates to his hydraulic hose business, which as Peter says is a Tubes and Hoses franchise.

 

[kkahkes]

Hey quick question on your original AC recharge --- I know this was 5 years ago.

Did you take your HZJ to a standard mechanic/ AC shop ? What sort of refigerant do the HZJs use? did you have any instructions on paper for the recharge itself?

 

[peterb]

kk
I took my truck to a shop that specializes in AC work. No special refrigerant I am aware of. They did change the fittings to accept modern refrigerant. Once the fittings were changed, it was just like any other vehicle.
Good luck
Peter