Air Conditioner Realization

[illflem]

I always thought that the reason to turn off your AC on a long grade to keep from overheating was due to the added load of the AC. Playing around with my intake temp gauge today I realized it's the heat coming off the condenser that causes the problem. Going downhill and flipping on the AC caused my intake temp to jump from 80° to 130° almost instantly, that's a lot considering the intake temp usually doesn't rise much when the pyros temp/boost is up. Drawson's idea of relocating the condenser away from the inner cooler now makes more sense. Just sharing something I never really thought of before.

 

[Michael Hughes]

Have you changed your air box (filter box) any?

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1999 2500 ST LB 4X4 Metallic Red, 5-speed, 3. 54 gears, LSD, camper and tow package
Westach Boost/EGT (pre and post turbo) mounted on A pillar.

 

[Sled Puller]

illflem,
Did you work for ABC Sports?

 

[illflem]

Michael, I have a stock airbox with K&N, snorkel intact that has been modified to draw air flow the vent cowl. Underhood temps aren't the problem, I think it's the hot condenser air passing thru the inner cooler that causes the intake temp rise.

Gene, seems like there was a sportscaster named Bill Fleming, but it wasn't me.

 

[Michael Hughes]

I will have connect my Snap-On MT-2500 up to the truck and see what mine does.

What was the tempature when you did this?

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1999 2500 ST LB 4X4 Metallic Red, 5-speed, 3. 54 gears, LSD, camper and tow package
Westach Boost/EGT (pre and post turbo) mounted on A pillar.

 

[illflem]

Michael, it was about 75°, but the cab temp was much higher, maybe over 100°, truck was parked closed up in the sun before I drove off, turning on the AC. Turning off the AC caused the intake temp to drop right away, I was very surprised at the effect it had. Since then I've played with it more, the AC effects the intake temp more than any other thing I've done, including an open 0880 and Phscotty.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Very interesting observations, Bill. That explains the marked increase in smoke and drop in power I see while running with the A/C on (which has been all the time with a week of 90-100F). It would have been interesting to see what my intake temps were last Wednesday running around this past week.

There are too many things at the front of the truck that depend on air flow. . . your intercooler, A/C condensor, radiator, air intake, and for the auto guys. . . transmission cooling #ad
It would be nice if everything could be plumbed so that heat given off by one item doesn't get passed on to the next #ad


Vaughn

 

[fmj]

Did you notice any change in the transmission temps? I was at my place in the desert last week and the outside temps were 110+. My trans never gets up above the 140 mark while running empty, but comming back home I noticed it was running about 150 to 160 while pulling long hills. Not enough to worry, but noticeable. You might have explained it. As I remember you were one of the guys that had a temp reader that took temps instantly. Have you measured the condenser normal and while running the AC? It would be interesting to see how hot it gets.

 

[illflem]

My infrared temp gun is packed up since I'm moving, but I can tell you from experience that the condenser gets hot enough to burn you after the AC has been on for a while when it's hot out.

 

[drawson]

I took a reading today at the condenser. It was 82 deg outside and the A/C had been running for 10 minutes the hot side was 175 deg and it cooled to 150 on the cool side. I looked at it pretty good today trying to figure how to be able to fit the condenser on the inside of the intercooler. There is going to be some fab for mounting but it looks as if the A/C hoses have enough slack to allow the move w/o making new hoses. The down side is the A/C system will have to be drained and recharged.

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EAT'M UP
97 2500 Club 4X4 3. 54, Forrest Green/Driftwood, LSD 5 speed, & Psychotty Air System, TST #11, 370 HP injectors, timing at 16 deg. , 16CM2 housing, AFC spring kit, TST EGT gauge & 0-60 boost gauge in A Pillar, Cat-be-gone, 4" Dynomax Bullet muffler, Crome 4" turn down, 3 Electric Fans, One inside, One in front of A/C, One in front of intercooler, AmsOil Through out, Geno's trans filter kit, AmsOil Bypass system, Lund Winter front, Leer Cab Level Shell Driftwood , 255/85R16, South Bend's Hypo Clutch*NRA/USPSA member and proud of it*

 

[jsimpson]

The Banks intercooler for the early 1st gens mount in front of the AC condensor. But you don't get something for nothing; the AC cools considerably more poorly when an intercooler is heating the air in front of it. The Dodge engineers obviously figured you could always turn off the air to increase power, but you can't turn of an intercooler to make the air colder!!!

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http://coffeewithJesus. homestead.com/web1.html 89 1-ton, Amsoil, K&N, cleaned-up exhaust with Dynomax straight-thru, rebuilt injector pump, thermostatically controlled twin 14" PermaCool electric fans, intercooler, 16cm housing, modified 518 OD transmission, Gear vendors OD controler, Reese Titan 2. 5" receiver, R-134 refrigerant, louvered front fenders, 93 aftermarket smoothie grille, Chromacolor black, redlined black rubber rubstrip, black headlights, powdercoated bumpers & door handles, Hadley Ambassadors; 78 35'Avion, 93 Lance 900 slide in with generator . To see my truck, Click on: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1169022&a=10097213&f=0

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1169022&a=10097213&f=0

Jesus saves!

 

[Jetson]

Corvair guys know this problem well since the a/c condensor sits on top of the engine and causes it to run hot, plus the a/c doesn' work as well. But, lets see who is willing to do something about it. One of the Corvair club's solutions was to run the freon line around the perimeter of the bottom of the car, so the temps were lower before entering the condensor. This worked very well. You can also get little round disks to slide over the line to act as cooling fins where there is enough room.

 

[Mog]

A lot of heavy equipment have the condensor mounted behind the cab with electric fans blowing air through it.
Maybe you could mount it somewhere else and mount fans on it. You would have to wire the fans so they come on with the A/C.

 

[Michael Hughes]

illflem

I have had the scanner connected to the truck for the last couple of days, but the sun hasn't been out. I will let you know what I find when we get a sunny day.

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1999 2500 ST LB 4X4 Metallic Red, 5-speed, 3. 54 gears, LSD, camper and tow package
Westach Boost/EGT (pre and post turbo) mounted on A pillar.