Baby, it's cold inside!

[jarrett at rpa.net (Jim Jarrett)]

Well, I've finally put the 8-car garage to use.  I finally completed the
replacement of a leaky A/C condensor in my Scirocco, along with a brandy-new
radiator ("Do I want to be here again?").

A couple of trips to (cue chorus of angels) Harbor Freight for tools to pull a
vacuum onto the system, and a care package from myself in NY, and voila!  Cold A/C!

Things learned along the way:

-You can't buy the R-134a recharge kits in WI.  So when I was back in Rochester
for my sister's wedding, I popped into Pep Boyz, and acquired myself one.

-FLAPS in Madison suck, compared to Rochester.  No large chains like Pep Boyz.
The staff at any of the others look at me like I've grown another head when I
say, "Volkswagen Scirocco." Hence, my search for a simple multi-pack of O-rings
took FOREVER.  I ended up having to go to a NAPA and single-ordering
replacements; they didn't even have them in stock.  Sheesh.  When I did the
retrofit on my '84, I just got a bubble-pack of O-rings, no prob.

-Never throw anything away.  I had done 3 different recharges on 3 different
cars, and it took pieces from ALL of them, plus an A/C pressure gauge/manifold
kit from (angels) Harbor Freight to find the right pieces & parts to hook
everything together.  But, those little $10 air-powered vacuum pumps?  Rock.

-I'm still slow as hell at working at things.  It took force+heat+chemicals to
break loose the bolt holding the A/C line bracket loose from the compressor. 
Force+heat+chemical = time, time, time.  And then other stuff going on conspired
to keep me from working diligently at this.

But, it's nice to have the cooling draughts of air, especially now that the
outside temperature and humidity are shooting back up to the 90's+ this week.

Oh!  And the compressor didn't even sieze.  Yet.

PS. Hey Matt - have you tried the A/C in the '84? Is it still working?

=================================================================
| Jim Jarrett,Madison, WI       94 Passat GLX                   |
| mailto:jarrett@rpa.net         81 Rabbit Convertible 16v      |
|                               86 Scirocco                     |
|    Any problem can be solved with the proper application of   |
|   Force, Heat, Chemicals, or Money.                           |
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