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1987 Crx Sanden A/c Rebuild Project W R12


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#16
greasemonkeyreborne 5x1g's

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    • Drives: 9 crx's: #1 228k 87si beater, #2 concours 25K, #3 108K 87si, #4 98K parts car, #5 213K 87si parts car, #6 84 straman, #7 86si 150k #8 67k parts #9 129K si for straman conversion
Hey Na! How was the move? Keep me posted on the swap. I am interested i’ve got most what i need. If CSP needs something, make sure he gets first dibs.. Been driving the hatchie much?

CSP, lol, yah, i take it a little over the cliff. Gives me the opportunity to go through my parts. What i like the best is pulling these assemblies apart and comparing then. i can identify what’s trashed and what’s got life left in it . Hopefully some of this can help other down the road.

I updated the topics above. CSP, yup. brackets and other parts are different between sanden and keihin. I was packing stuff back up for storage. Sanders are much lighter than keihins as well

updated flare wrenches needed. i bought used on ebay to ensure i got the widest wrench possible. i’m afraid of messing up the aluminum nuts.

updated problems had removing more seals from the clutch bearings

got the hoses ready to ship out for rebuild. need to clean up the schrader port first. some of the rubber from the core is still stuck inside
Keepin' it OEM

#17
CSPCRX

Keep up the great work.

 

I don’t need an EW3 I was just asking since there are two EWs


Victor
86 K24 Powered CRX SI (SMF Solo2, HPDE-4 NASA & TA-A Time Attack

85 CRX DX totally original
07 Harley FXST Softail

2021 Tacoma Tow/Daily


#18
na-spirit

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Move has been great! Painting cars again..and just closed on a house today ha. So yep the civic progress continues sooon.  

 

Civic has been in storage for the past few months. It's going back under the knife for suspension/brake stuff, and Just ordered my K swap mounts... so that confusion will begin ha.

 

Glad to see your enjoying your projects! 


Edited by na-spirit, 09 September 2022 - 08:27 PM.


#19
greasemonkeyreborne 5x1g's

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    • Location:Foreign national in TX
    • Drives: 9 crx's: #1 228k 87si beater, #2 concours 25K, #3 108K 87si, #4 98K parts car, #5 213K 87si parts car, #6 84 straman, #7 86si 150k #8 67k parts #9 129K si for straman conversion
congrats n the new house! extra room for the hatchie?.
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#20
na-spirit

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Thanks! 

 

yep 2 stall garage... I could fit 3 cars in there probably seeing the civic is so tiny ha. 

 

I'll be driving it to it's new home tomorrow morning, I'll throw some pics up :)


Edited by na-spirit, 09 September 2022 - 09:49 PM.


#21
greasemonkeyreborne 5x1g's

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    • Drives: 9 crx's: #1 228k 87si beater, #2 concours 25K, #3 108K 87si, #4 98K parts car, #5 213K 87si parts car, #6 84 straman, #7 86si 150k #8 67k parts #9 129K si for straman conversion
Can’t wait to see! Congrats!,,
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#22
greasemonkeyreborne 5x1g's

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    • Drives: 9 crx's: #1 228k 87si beater, #2 concours 25K, #3 108K 87si, #4 98K parts car, #5 213K 87si parts car, #6 84 straman, #7 86si 150k #8 67k parts #9 129K si for straman conversion

Odd, but some one was selling 2 TR70 nos Sandens  last month.  I assumed they were Sanden  aftermarket.  Turned out, they came in Honda boxes.  Our original ac units came w a foil label w blue background w serial number decal placed near the radiator

 

these are clearly from a different lot.  I assume Sanden sold as aftermarket while supplying Hondas parts logistics.

 

Later on I’ll drain the oil.  My original nos tr70 didn’t come w a box.  I assumed it was a sanden direct aftermarket.  Now I know these were sold by Honda from Sanden supply

 

Now I’m fairly certain the oil charge on a dry system is what’s in the manual.  I pulled 3.72oz out of the first one.  Sanden says there’s 1/2 once left that can’t be drained.   I’ll assume 4.2 oz system capacity.  Which matches the range Helms says.

 

I hadn’t looked at ac compressors for years at junkyards.   Now I’ll start to look for this version.  I’ll know it’s newer and snag them

 

 

52442020686_cf05b824df_c.jpg
 

 

I’ve only seen rebuilds over the years.   I’m certain I’ll change out the seals before use.  But they’re clean and no wear


Keepin' it OEM

#23
CSPCRX

Wow awesome find!  My Sanden, on my 85, is noise which has me worried.  So far it has held a charge for over a year after not being charged for who knows how long!


Victor
86 K24 Powered CRX SI (SMF Solo2, HPDE-4 NASA & TA-A Time Attack

85 CRX DX totally original
07 Harley FXST Softail

2021 Tacoma Tow/Daily


#24
greasemonkeyreborne 5x1g's

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    • Drives: 9 crx's: #1 228k 87si beater, #2 concours 25K, #3 108K 87si, #4 98K parts car, #5 213K 87si parts car, #6 84 straman, #7 86si 150k #8 67k parts #9 129K si for straman conversion
check ur idler bearing first. i like to use a stethoscope to isolate the source.

is ur sightglass clear? that will tell u condition of crap mixed w refrigerant
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#25
CSPCRX

Glass is clear, we converted it to 134r.  We filled it, flushed it and filled it again.  It is noisy only while it’s cycling, if that makes sense.


Victor
86 K24 Powered CRX SI (SMF Solo2, HPDE-4 NASA & TA-A Time Attack

85 CRX DX totally original
07 Harley FXST Softail

2021 Tacoma Tow/Daily


#26
greasemonkeyreborne 5x1g's

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    • Drives: 9 crx's: #1 228k 87si beater, #2 concours 25K, #3 108K 87si, #4 98K parts car, #5 213K 87si parts car, #6 84 straman, #7 86si 150k #8 67k parts #9 129K si for straman conversion
pretty sure not the idler pulley

get underneath and use the stethoscope. if it’s a sanden, then all those bearings r near the head (main pulley side). u can isolate source

sounds like a bearing makes noise under load

clear glass is great

do u recall how much oil u recharged w?

i’m now believing the sanden charge is 4.5 oz. ish from flushed system, not 7-8oz as aftermarket companies publish

i’d figure it out to prevent an internal bearing failure contaminates the system potentially

odd is crx#1 had no oil in it. bearings seized and rusted. yes oil leaked out w the charge, but not all of it. i’m convinced it ran w low oil for a long no time. thinking these r more resilient than i thought

134a is like 20% less efficient. it’ll work harder and at higher pressures. wear things out faster
Keepin' it OEM

#27
CSPCRX

Not sure about the amount of oil as a friend did most of the work.  He’s a long time Honda mechanic, worked for Honda for 25plus years.


Victor
86 K24 Powered CRX SI (SMF Solo2, HPDE-4 NASA & TA-A Time Attack

85 CRX DX totally original
07 Harley FXST Softail

2021 Tacoma Tow/Daily


#28
greasemonkeyreborne 5x1g's

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    • Drives: 9 crx's: #1 228k 87si beater, #2 concours 25K, #3 108K 87si, #4 98K parts car, #5 213K 87si parts car, #6 84 straman, #7 86si 150k #8 67k parts #9 129K si for straman conversion
to have 25 yr honda mechanic as a friend, that’s awesome. no question of technical competence there. he’s the right guy to do conversion. would have done them back in the day honda shops were to oem spec. would know ins/outs.

next time u chat, ask his opinion on keeping r12 other than cost. and his experience w how much oil to recharge on dry system. keihin vs sanden. i think i’ve beaten the dead horse enough on the topic. but to find a guy w that experience from honda is amazing

keep me posted on pinpointing the noise. i did have 2 compressors w a slightly bent clutch. bent them back easily. doubt this is an issue, measure the clutch clearance. easy to do. ur car just doesn’t have the mileage to wear out the compressor. unless a reman was installed of unknown history
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#29
CSPCRX

I will ask him, it is good having friends with his knowledge.  He’s the one that actually recommended the conversion.  I had concerns since we had no idea if the AC worked, when it was last charged or what possible issues there were.  She has held and cools good enough for how I use her.  I never remember the AC in my 86 being amazing, nothing like modern cars.


Victor
86 K24 Powered CRX SI (SMF Solo2, HPDE-4 NASA & TA-A Time Attack

85 CRX DX totally original
07 Harley FXST Softail

2021 Tacoma Tow/Daily


#30
greasemonkeyreborne 5x1g's

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    • Drives: 9 crx's: #1 228k 87si beater, #2 concours 25K, #3 108K 87si, #4 98K parts car, #5 213K 87si parts car, #6 84 straman, #7 86si 150k #8 67k parts #9 129K si for straman conversion

CSP, keep me posted on what ur friend says.  And what u end up doing w the ac

 

 

52491582805_8d74b81ab6_c.jpg

 

 

picked up 4 cans of r12 off Craig’s.   About $85 total or $25/#

 

Ebay has 30# cylinders $900-1200.  Or $30-35/#

 

12-14oz cans on eBay run $30-60/can.  Or $35-70/# depending on shipping and can size

 

If your considering r12, I’d look to buy over winter.  I’m thinking after holidays when sellers need cash to pay bills.  Demand is down.  Think of it as a commodity 

 

if you buy a cylinder, tare weight is usually 6.5#.   Must confirm confirm sellers actual weight of refrigerant minus the weight of the cylinder

it’ll cost me about $50 to recharge the crx.   Just to give you an idea of cost.  Autozone 134a is about $13/can or $30 to recharge from a flat system


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