What are your A/C Temps? FZJ80 Looking for A/C help (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Feb 4, 2014
Threads
63
Messages
648
Location
Fountain Hills, AZ
I had my a/c compressor and dryer replaced as the pully had a bit of a wobble, was making noise, and the bearing was potentially going out. It blew cold air but I'm not sure how cold. Even in the worst of summer it was comfortable in the front row. Now, not so much. Mid-90's outside and I'm running about 60-61 degrees at the center vent. When it was 100+ I was more like 70 degrees. The book says the temp split should be 30-40 degrees but I swear it ran much cooler before. Probable more than a 40 degree split. A few notes:

-New Denso compressor
-New dryer
-R134a system - 30 ounces approx. We even dumped the freon after a couple of weeks and started over as these are very sensitive to the correct amount of freon. Same result.
-System held vacuum for about 20 minutes to spec.
-Pressures are correct.
-Found this cool hack but it didn't help more than about 1 degree Adjusting water valve to maximize A/C performance - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/adjusting-water-valve-to-maximize-a-c-performance.173731/
-My rig has <160k miles on it. Not sure if the other compressor was the original.

Wondering if some of you could post your vent temps along with ambient air temps and looking for any help troubleshooting. Much appreciated!
 
I had my a/c compressor and dryer replaced as the pully had a bit of a wobble, was making noise, and the bearing was potentially going out. It blew cold air but I'm not sure how cold. Even in the worst of summer it was comfortable in the front row. Now, not so much. Mid-90's outside and I'm running about 60-61 degrees at the center vent. When it was 100+ I was more like 70 degrees. The book says the temp split should be 30-40 degrees but I swear it ran much cooler before. Probable more than a 40 degree split. A few notes:

-New Denso compressor
-New dryer
-R134a system - 30 ounces approx. We even dumped the freon after a couple of weeks and started over as these are very sensitive to the correct amount of freon. Same result.
-System held vacuum for about 20 minutes to spec.
-Pressures are correct.
-Found this cool hack but it didn't help more than about 1 degree Adjusting water valve to maximize A/C performance - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/adjusting-water-valve-to-maximize-a-c-performance.173731/
-My rig has <160k miles on it. Not sure if the other compressor was the original.

Wondering if some of you could post your vent temps along with ambient air temps and looking for any help troubleshooting. Much appreciated!
@richardlillard1 and I have chased good A/C performance for several years, because we are typically running trails twice a week, all year long. One key component that has made a big difference for me is the condenser- they become less efficient over time, and there are better designs now then those that were available in the 90's. I changed mine to a Nissens parallel flow unit and added some electric fans. Now it regularly gets down to 43 degrees and cycles off if I'm at speed, and holds 60 degrees at an idle and low speeds- ambient temps be damned. I also run Envirosafe refrigerant, which runs at lower pressures so it's easier on the system, and has proven to produce colder results on several vehicles I tested it on. Richard has experimented with changing out the evaporator core (same theory- degraded performance over time) as well as the condenser and also has very good A/C performance now, running 134A and a single electric fan IIRC. We both run modified fan clutches that pull more air through the condenser and radiator than the stock configuration.

@ChaseTruck / @DSRTRDR may have something to contribute to the thread as well- I know at least one of their vehicles has excellent A/C. To be fair, in my experience that's not typical for 80s, so be prepared to work/pay for it.
 
My ac will get into the low 40’s on a 115-120 day in PHX on recirc while moving. I went through it about 7 years ago after an evaporator then expansion valve failure. Definitely post your high/low pressures, could be an airflow or expansion valve issue.

Everything spike said is good info. I am running 134, but have run es12a in many vehicles with great success. Can’t remember now why I didn’t switch the 80 over back then, but it’s great stuff. I have an original condenser too, but a modified fan clutch.

When I pulled my evaporator core it had about 2 handfuls of crap blocking it. You cannot get a proper charge via pressures unless the engine is at the proper rpm, you have a thermometer at the cowl, one in the center vent, the hood is closed and everything else is working properly.
 
IMG_7988.JPG
 
Can't provide much help here, but just a few tidbits re our fleet:

The LX is at the top when it comes to A/C performance, it'll freeze your hand to the steering wheel. I wish we knew why it's sooo good.

The '93 80 has good A/C, converted to 134A before we got it, new compressor ~6 years ago, and new evaporator core ~4 years ago. We had A/C trouble when the vehicle was in Baton Rouge. Hooking up the gauges, it would hold vacuum - but not pressure. Only option I had available at the time was compressed air, so, 90 psi from my little compressor, and spray soapy water all around the engine bay at all A/C components. Nothing, except a clean engine compartment. Then I stuck my head in the passenger footwell, and could hear a very faint hiss - turned out to be a defective O-ring at the expansion valve...

The '85 K5 A/C is reasonable for working such a big box of air. On that vehicle I had tried EnviroSafe but couldn't get it to perform; not sure why, components were relatively new at that time, but it's back to 134A. Coming back from summer 'wheeling in Sycamore (sometimes at 115°F) and turning on A/C after air-up at Sugarloaf, by the time I'm just past Bush the vent temp will be 57°F, but that's as low as it'll go. So 60°F at center vent in an 80 is definitively not ok.

The '72 FJ40, with bikini top and tube doors, has the most A/C of all. Vents blow everywhere and from all possible directions. You just can't set the temperature... :)
 
@richardlillard1 and I have chased good A/C performance for several years, because we are typically running trails twice a week, all year long. One key component that has made a big difference for me is the condenser- they become less efficient over time, and there are better designs now then those that were available in the 90's. I changed mine to a Nissens parallel flow unit and added some electric fans. Now it regularly gets down to 43 degrees and cycles off if I'm at speed, and holds 60 degrees at an idle and low speeds- ambient temps be damned. I also run Envirosafe refrigerant, which runs at lower pressures so it's easier on the system, and has proven to produce colder results on several vehicles I tested it on. Richard has experimented with changing out the evaporator core (same theory- degraded performance over time) as well as the condenser and also has very good A/C performance now, running 134A and a single electric fan IIRC. We both run modified fan clutches that pull more air through the condenser and radiator than the stock configuration.

@ChaseTruck / @DSRTRDR may have something to contribute to the thread as well- I know at least one of their vehicles has excellent A/C. To be fair, in my experience that's not typical for 80s, so be prepared to work/pay for it.
Good info. Thank you!
 
The '72 FJ40, with bikini top and tube doors, has the most A/C of all. Vents blow everywhere and from all possible directions. You just can't set the temperature... :)
I control the temperature in my FJ40 with altitude :rofl:
 
Can't provide much help here, but just a few tidbits re our fleet:

The LX is at the top when it comes to A/C performance, it'll freeze your hand to the steering wheel. I wish we knew why it's sooo good.

The '93 80 has good A/C, converted to 134A before we got it, new compressor ~6 years ago, and new evaporator core ~4 years ago. We had A/C trouble when the vehicle was in Baton Rouge. Hooking up the gauges, it would hold vacuum - but not pressure. Only option I had available at the time was compressed air, so, 90 psi from my little compressor, and spray soapy water all around the engine bay at all A/C components. Nothing, except a clean engine compartment. Then I stuck my head in the passenger footwell, and could hear a very faint hiss - turned out to be a defective O-ring at the expansion valve...

The '85 K5 A/C is reasonable for working such a big box of air. On that vehicle I had tried EnviroSafe but couldn't get it to perform; not sure why, components were relatively new at that time, but it's back to 134A. Coming back from summer 'wheeling in Sycamore (sometimes at 115°F) and turning on A/C after air-up at Sugarloaf, by the time I'm just past Bush the vent temp will be 57°F, but that's as low as it'll go. So 60°F at center vent in an 80 is definitively not ok.

The '72 FJ40, with bikini top and tube doors, has the most A/C of all. Vents blow everywhere and from all possible directions. You just can't set the temperature... :)
ditto on the LX: hands-down the coolest A/C of all 9 in our fleets - as far as available records can show, nothing was ever done on the LX's A/C :cool:

I'd rank the 80 second-best, followed by SWAMPGX and the RX, DSRTGX works a bit harder at it but still performs good

my Miata is the only one still on R12, but every few years, a recharge is needed (like, right now, again) :rolleyes: - [when it's newly charged, the A/C is as awesome as you can expect in a softtop with little interior volume when closed] - Michael's new-to-him BMW convertible will have to work up to that . . . :flipoff2:

we can post numbers for the AZ vehicles at the end of the month
 
Last edited:
ditto on the LX: hands-down the coolest A/C of all 9 in our fleets - as far as available records can show, nothing was ever done on the LX's A/C :cool:

I'd rank the 80 second-best, followed by SWAMPGX and the RX, DSRTGX works a bit harder at it but still performs good

my Miata is the only one still on R12, but every few years, a recharge is needed (like, right now, again) :rolleyes: - [when it's newly charged, the A/C is as awesome as you can expect in a softtop with little interior volume when closed] - Michael's new-to-him BMW convertible will have to work up to that . . . :flipoff2:

we can post numbers for the AZ vehicles at the end of the month
Thanks neighbor!
 
I've noticed this on the 80s board:


That condenser looks intriguing. Might be something for our '93 when it comes back from surgery.
 
I've noticed this on the 80s board:


That condenser looks intriguing. Might be something for our '93 when it comes back from surgery.

I can recommend it. I believe Richard has also installed one on his truck, and possibly a few others.
@richardlillard1 and I have chased good A/C performance for several years, because we are typically running trails twice a week, all year long. One key component that has made a big difference for me is the condenser- they become less efficient over time, and there are better designs now then those that were available in the 90's. I changed mine to a Nissens parallel flow unit and added some electric fans. Now it regularly gets down to 43 degrees and cycles off if I'm at speed, and holds 60 degrees at an idle and low speeds- ambient temps be damned.
 
Mine works pretty good now. In my 94. I changed out the expansion valve and evaporator core. It was full of crap. I’ll try and get a temp. I have a modded blue can clutch and an electric fan for idling.
 
55 low / 325 high
What was the air temp at the cowl when those pressures were taken?

Was the ac on outside air or recirc?

What was the temp in the center vent?

Was the hood closed?
 
@Arizona Jeff thanks for posting this.
I’m in the same spot. 97 LX.
Blue fan clutch mod and less than 1000 miles on whole system.

New OEM (or Denso)
Compressor
Condenser
Expansion valve
Filter/Drier
Evaporator
Radiator is new TYC.

Engine runs in the low 190s always.

Not getting cold dash temps at idle or at speed. Only gets to mid 60s to low 70s.

I installed an electric fan but it’s not working right yet.

I need to check pressures too.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom