Hi Brickheads. How is everybody? My girlfriend and i want cool air for the wagon. Which would be the best for the wagon and the cheapest?Get the old system recharge or get volvo conversion to r134a? Thanks.

I have a 93 245, which came stock with an R134a system. It's pretty cold, even in Dallas. It came stock with an electric pusher fan that comes on when the A/C is activated. I suggest that you compare a 93 A/C system to your own. That will give you an idea what parts you should get. At a minimum, you'll need a new receiver, the pusher fan, flush out and evacuate the system, correct oil, etc. Also, check the condensor - typically, when manufacturers convert to R134a within the same model, they install a more efficient condensor. Don't know if Volvo did that with the 240 in 93, but maybe one of the techs can answer.

We did AC work on both of our 83 wagons last summer--first one (V8) got a repair, new receiver/drier and R-12 re-charge (an o-ring had failed). Second (w/ 86 b230f) got the Volvo conversion kit and 134. Total "out of pocket" cost was about the same for each (I installed the conversion kit, so no labor $). The 134 conversion seems to cool at least as well as the old R-12 setup, but then the conversion has lots of new parts . . . . Have already decided that if the V8 needs a/c work in the future, I'll convert it to 134.

Hope this helps,

Steve A-
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Steve Anderson (3 x 83 + 91 = 700k+ miles)

I would go with the R134 conversion. The Volvo kit is worth the money, IMO, they give you a bunch of important parts.

My car (also a 90 240) was converted to 134 using some generic kit, and the air blows pretty cool. Something else that helps is to add a pusher fan in front of the A/C condenser, and have this fan turn on when the A/C is on. This will help the A/C during low speed driving. If you need to find this fan, I think it comes on all 91-93 240s. Also some intercooled turbo 240s will also have this fan, but you have to bend the bracket a bit to make it fit.

Greg

Greg, how did you connect the pusher fan to go on with the ac? Did you install a relay or was it a seperate switch? i am thinking of converting my 1990 240 to the 134a using the Volvo kit.Any ideas are helpful,thanks,Nelson.

The thing to do is find the wire that is for the A/C compressor clutch, and then activate a relay in parallel with that. Then the relay will turn the pusher on/off.

Greg