'98 Ford E-150 conversion van with 36,000 btu rear a/c

Keith wrote: K> Hi, K> I have a '98 Ford E-150 conversion van that came with rear heat/air. K> I have a medical condition that is made worst in the heat. I had the K> rear system replaced with a 36,000 btu, 650 cfm rear evaporator and K> added a 58,000 btu skirt mounted condenser with dual 10' electric K> fans. I asked the dealer if this combination would work well for slow K> speed, around town driving. He said I would be able to "hang meat" K> inside the van.

K> My problem is that the inside temp just isn't that cool. On a 94 K> degree day, the temp at the vents is 65 and the overall inside temp is K> 75. The dealer said the pressures are correct and that vans are so K> big, they are impossible to cool. That's why I went with the larger K> BTUs and CFMs. I figured the extra CFMs and BTUs would compensate for K> the larger cubic feet. The dealer charged me $3,600.00 for the work.

K> Any ideas what would help this combination? K> Thanks, K> Keith

Keith,

Your AC should do better than 65 at the vents. I assume you've measured the temps while idling. Is the situation better at cruising speeds, or you use the van mostly in the city?

The '98 models came with the new R134 that is just not as good as the R-12 used to be. You increased the rear unit's capacity, and your compressor may not be able to keep up with the bigger system. If the system is correctly charged (I'd still would try to add a pound of freon, and see if it'd get better) and there are no leaks, you might try replacing the compressor with a larger one. That's a big-ticket item. You can also add a pusher fan in front of the front condenser, and install a Variable Orifice Valve. This latter two would help your idle/low-speed problems

Having said that, I know (have a '88 E-150 conversion) that your van is a big one, and it'll be difficult to cool it down to a comfortable temp when it's hot outside and the sun's beating down to that big metal body.

Another (probably hopeless) proposition would be to go back to the old R-12 system.

Good luck to you with your van! -Bela

I thought about the compressor before I added the bigger parts. Some ambulance and EMS units have dual compressors, one for the front and one for the rear. The shop said that increasing the condencer and evap assys would do fine. My girl friend has a '96 Escort wagon with

150,000 miles and she gets 42 degrees while idleing in the parking lot.

The tempature does come down to about 56 after you have been driving on the interstate for 10 - 15 min. I do 95% of driving stoplight to stoplight.

Thanks for the > K> Hi,

I have the factory unit (FS10). I haven't found a web site that lists compressors by size, only by year, make and model. Is there a site that gives displacements? It would be nice to find a larger one rather than trying to mount two seperate units. Thanks, Keith