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940 AC condenser upgrade to R134a type

DET17

DET17

Reformed SAABaholic
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
Location
NW GA / East TN
I'm overhauling my 92 940..... part of the scope is a total refresher of the AC. Got new hoses, filter/dryer, will have the variable orifice tube, and NOS compressor.

The 91-92 Turbo cars show the same condenser, the last of the R12 cars. Then the 93-95 Turbo cars show a single PN, which I'm sure was for the R134a.

Will the later condenser play with the early hard lines & ancillary parts? Or would a total upgrade to the 93-95 hard lines to/from the unit be necessary?

Hoping one of the few 9 series guys has been down this road.... thanks in advance.
 
I know both my 93 and 94 940's (factory R134A) had two or three sensors on the bottom of the condenser. I don't have much knowledge on the 92-older cars but they can't be that different.
 
Matt86 said:
I know both my 93 and 94 940's (factory R134A) had two or three sensors on the bottom of the condenser. I don't have much knowledge on the 92-older cars but they can't be that different.
Click to expand...

The 92 also has the triple set of sensors. I've pulled the schematics down from a Volvo parts retailer and will compare. They show the 91-92 as the same PN, and the 93-95 also as same. From the pictures, they are physically different shaped; the early version is a rectangle, and the later units have an extended "notch" section of the condenser. Working on the 92 last night, and I'm not certain there is room for the larger unit in my early car.

Hopefully one of the few 9 series guys has studied this conversion. If there is a clear advantage for the later R134a unit, this would be the time to convert it.
 
I converted my 740 to R134 and only changed the orifice and some o- rings. I used ester oil and vacuumed it down and installed r134- worked great.
It had the early type condenser.
I just threw away a late 940 condenser with the 3 sensors when I was doing some spring cleaning.
 
I'm going r134 on my 1990 240 simply because we have a $6,000 r134a machine that kicks butt and I have had great succees.

I will likely upgrade the condenser.

What else needs to be done?
 
There really is no difference in the condensers, other than the fittings in/out. 92-early 93 use a threaded connector. Mid 93-95 Volvo changed the design to a slip fit connector with a retaining plate that is notched to slide over the tubes from the side and clamp against a rib on the tube. If you use the later condenser, you also need both hoses that go to it.

Also, the cut out area is required on the NA 940 for the air box snorkel to pass through the condenser.
 
Last edited:
2manyturbos said:
There really is no difference in the condensers, other than the fittings in/out. 92-early 93 use a threaded connector. Mid 93-95 Volvo changed the design to a slip fit connector with a retaining plate that is notched to slide over the tubes from the side and clamp against a rib on the tube. If you use the later condenser, you also need both hoses that go to it.

Also, the cut out area is required on the NA 940 for the air box snorkel to pass through the condenser.
Click to expand...

Thank you. Well if I find a deal on a 92 version I may buy it.... mine is peppered with mini-gravel stuck between fins, and will be a bugger to clean. I also have the "inline muffler" which apparently was used on the early cars, then deleted. I see from some of the replacement hose offerings they once made a #3537375 hard pipe to replace all the muffler parts and teed off connection (not sure what that one was planned for.... there is no HIGH side port their, but perhaps could have been - moot point as my new JAPAN NOS compressor has a high side fitting right at the line connections).

The cut out makes sense...... I did not that OEM parts lists show a separate part # for NA and Turbo cars. Undoubtedly that collapsed into a universal part.
 
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