Before I do much more reassembly, I. Need to decide how to proceed with the A/C. I want to stay as much OEM looking as possible so VA is out, but I'm converting to R134a.So far I have verified that the evaporator doesn't leak and has been flushed, replaced the heater/AC vacuum lines, new expansion valve, new heater core, all heater/AC actuators work, new dryer.
My plan is to use the PRO6TEN compressor and a cross flow condenser. My questions are:
1. Can I expect reasonably cold air?
2. Do I need to do anything with the POA valve?
3. Where can I source a "plug-n-play" cross flow condenser?
4. Is there a better way to do this?

Thanks

 

I think your headed in the right direction,

A well put together system with the OEM parts will cool just fine (30* coil temps)

No special adjustments are needed to make r134a work in an r12 system

I don't know of a drop in parallel flow condenser for the vette

An auto adjusting orifice will cool better than a fixed orifice any day if operating correctly

Air free and a CLEAN system is key to making it work

Neal

 

I converted the AC in our 1988 C4 to use R134 and it was a very simple and easy to do swap over. I flushed the lines and then replaced the drier before pulling a vacuum and then let it sit for a couple days to be sure it was sealed completely. Then after the delay I put the oil and R134 into the system and it worked great. The need for the new condenser was not needed on the 1988 as the system works great with the existing condenser. I used a conversion kit from my local auto parts store and it had all the parts I needed other than the Freon and the Vacuum pump.

Harbor freight has a good deal on Vacuum pumps and I bought a two-stage unit for less than ~$80 and the Freon I had purchased at a Auto chain closing their doors for less than a $1 a can. For my C4 the swap was really not very hard to do as long as you have a decent vacuum pump and the conversion kit. I would try the "easy way" first before going all out and replacing all the parts in your list above. My 1988 is still using the original compressor and condenser that came with the car and it gets very cool very quickly and then cycles while driving on warm days. I have been very happy with the simple low cost method of converting the system. I think the most important part is to get all the old oil out of the system and flush it before testing it with a vacuum pull.

One important thing is to clean the condenser if it has much corrosion on it. I use Coil Cleaner from Home depot that is designed to clean the coils on a Home AC system. It is inexpensive and really does a great job of making the condenser work at its best as it removes the corrosion from the surfaces. The techs that come tune up your Home AC systems usually use some coil cleaner to ensure the best heat removal of the condenser. The only catch is that you don't want it to get on the paint and if you do just wash it off right away. I also use Coil Cleaner to clean my aluminum radiators in my C3 and C4 as it ensures that they transfer heat as effectively as possible. I did the conversion of my C4 back in the 1990's and it still works great even with the giant greenhouse in the rear of the coupe. I have also converted other cars for friends this same way and have had great success using the low cost method.

If you do any aluminum welding then you might have the aluminum cleaner used before welding aluminum. The aluminum cleaner is essentially the same as Coil Cleaner but might be stronger in some cases. Before welding aluminum you need to get to the base metal and that is what the coil cleaner does. The stuff I have says it removes 100% of the corrosion on the aluminum in one application.
Good Luck and I hope that your system works great after you are done! Having a vacuum pump really makes the job a lot easier and it is amazing at the other applications you will find if you have one available. An inexpensive digital scale makes it easier to get the accurate amount of Freon back into the system, I borrowed the one from our kitchen.

 

I personally would stay with all OEM parts including R12 refrigerant. The R12 refrigerant, while no longer manufactured in the US and several other countries, is still widely available for about $30 a can (Ebay and other sources). It is being produced in Mexico. Actually R134A is being phased out too and is already illegal in some new vehicles effective in 2021. Besides, you may find yourself unhappy with R134a after the conversion. Get some R12 with some spare cans for use down the road. The A/C system your Vette came with does a good cooling job when operating properly. Just my 2 cents...

 

Thanks to all who replied.
Does anyone have any experience with the PRO6TEN compressor? I was going to paint it black to resemble the A6.
Anyone been able to source a plug-n-play cross flow condenser?