Director’s Thoughts for July 2014

Happy Summer Everyone! I can’t believe that it is July! Here we are, 1⁄2 way through 2014 already. The obvious thing that comes to mind when I think of July is Independence Day. When I sit back & close my eyes, I can see flags waiving all across our nation; not only honoring our independence, but also honoring those men & women that have fought, & are still fighting to maintain our independence. I also picture families spending the day together @ a big picnic. Some might have BBQ’s @ their homes, while others may pack a basket & have a picnic in the park. I have fond memories from when I was a kid, of 4th the park. We would rent a pavilion & relatives that we didn’t get to see most of the year would come from all over the LV, all w/ their special covered dish. Oh boy! I can taste those hot dogs & Aunt Clair’s potato salad now! There would always be plenty of games; bean bag toss, scavenger hunts, & of course, Bingo was always a favorite. /I didn’t win very many times, but I sure had fun trying. Then @ night after the sun went down & everything was cleaned up, my dad would always get out several boxes of sparklers (we kids really loved them)! I guess that is a kid thing, because my children, & now my grandchildren love them too. As the sun would go down over the horizon, we would all hike up to the top of the hill in the park that overlooked a nearby high school. Here we would all watch the July 4th & aaaah’d over! I was so tired when we got home to our house that my dad had to carry me inside & put me to bed. Now that I think about it, mom & dad were probably pretty tired, too. Thinking back on those picnics, I think the best thing about them was spending time w/ July 4th the family. This is something we don’t do enough of in today’s society. So, w/ that in mind, I would like to wish everyone a very happy 4th of July, & encourage you to make the time to celebrate w/ your families on this very special day! Don 

“Free Spirit” Meeting Minutes, June, 2014

The Chapters’ annual picnic was held on Sunday, June 8th in Macungie, Pa in lieu of the summer hiatus. Meetings will reconvene in September, 2014. 

• Members = $13.50 per member _____________________________________
• Member Child(ren) (4-17) = $10.50 per child __________________________
• Guest(s) = $29.00 per guest ________________________________________
• Guest Child(ren) (4-17) = $21.00 per child ____________________________
• Make checks payable to: “Free Spirit” Chapter of PA.
• Mail to: Sandy Sylvester, 1010 Redwood Drive, Breinigsville, PA 18031.
• Questions: 610-366-7151. Please respond by July 1, 214.

Fig 2

Auto A/C System Components
Figure 2 presents a schematic configuration of the typical automotive A/C system. The compressor is the heart of the system. Although the configuration of this group can vary, the typical capacity is about 27,000 BTUs or 2 “tons” of cooling @ 2,000rpm. This is the typical “average” summertime heat load from the sun & outdoor temperature on the exposed surfaces of a car’s passenger compartment. The compressor is belt-driven & the pulley sized so that it operates @ about 1,000rom 2 idle & 6,000rom @ 100mph for most collector cars. The pulley is integral w/ an electrically actuated clutch so that it can be disconnected when cooling is not desired. The automotive condenser is located in front of the radiator & is quite similar in appearance. As the compressed refrigerant vapor passes through the condenser from top to bottom, air is passed through the fins & tubing by the action of the cooling fan or movement of the car. The temperature of the outdoor air, the speed of the fan, & the speed of the car determine the extent of cooling. The cooled vapor becomes a liquid & flows to the bottom of the condenser & then is routed to the dryer/ receiver. The dryer/receiver contains a desiccant material that removes water & impurities from the liquid refrigerant. The clean, liquid refrigerant is temporarily stored w/in the dryer/receiver. Some dryer/receivers contain a sight glass permitting the observation of the liquid refrigerant flow. If properly charged, there should be no air bubbles visible in the sight glass. 
The expansion valve, or sometimes a fixed orifice, meters the flow of liquid refrigerant in response to the needs of the evaporator. It operates by sensing the pressure & temperature of the refrigerant vapor leaving the evaporator to assure that the entire liquid refrigerant has been vaporized. If liquid refrigerant enters the compressor, damage to the compressor could result. 
The suctioning throttling valve (POA=pilot operated absolute) maintain the evaporator @ a temperature above freezing by not allowing the suction pressure to fall below 28 lbs/square inch. It does this by spring pressure. If pressures rises above 28psig, the valve opens, allowing more refrigerant vapor through to the compressor. 
On the air side of the system, an enclosure houses the evaporator coil & a heating coil that is supplied by hot water from the engine through which a centrifugal squirrel cage fan pushes air. Air is routed from the outside or from the car’s interior over the evaporator or heater coil by a system of manually or vacuum-operated dampers & through dash & floor outlets. Sizing these components to function in varying climates from winter to summer throughout the world & to be manufactured @ an affordable cost required a series of compromises. The design process took into account surface area of metal & glass of the passenger compartment, air flow quantities, compressor displacement, heat transfer area of evaporator & anticipated conditions, plus engine speed, outdoor temperatures, humidity & heat transfer through glass. Through the design process & testing of the system, the engineers determined the actual performance of the system under varying temperature & humidity conditions. Most shop manuals provide this data for diagnosis of system performance & problems. The warmer the outside air & the higher humidity, the greater the load applied to the A/C system. As the temperature climbs, particularly over the condenser, the compressor has to work harder & is able to circulate less refrigerant. With less refrigerant circulating, the system has less capacity to cool the air being forced over the evaporator. And, if humidity is high, it takes even more refrigerant circulation to cool & dehumidify the air.
Refrigerants
The ideal refrigerant will have favorable thermodynamic properties, be non- corrosive to system components, & be safe. While many chemicals can be refrigerants, not all possible chemicals are ideal. The automotive industry settled on Freon (R-12), a chlorofluorocarbon, because it was non-flammable & non-toxic, & its thermodynamic properties were best suited for the practical considerations of automobile A/C systems. It was used from the earliest days until 1995. Then, its use was outlawed because of its potential to deplete atmospheric ozone. The replacement refrigerant chosen because of its minimal impact on ozone was R-134a, a hydrochloroflourocarbon. Most recently, global warming concerns have dictated abandoning R-134a. The latest standards require automotive A/C systems to use a refrigerant w/ a global warming potential (GWP) of 150 or less. The GWP of R-134a is 1410. 
Impacts on Collector Cars
Most of today’s collector cars w/ A/C systems were designed to use Freon, which was outlawed in 1995, w/ all components sized to a vehicle’s thermodynamic properties. Also, since 1995, those working on automotive A/ C systems must be certified by the U.S. Environmental protection Agency. Additionally, it is illegal to vent a refrigerant to the atmosphere. So, it is best to leave A/C work to those certified. However, if a certified technician evacuates the refrigerant, anyone can remove & replace A/C components. Charging the repaired system must also be performed by a certified technician. While the primary concerns are the refrigerant type & maintaining a proper charge, even a 1993 car is 20 years old. So, I recommended that if some work on the A/C system is needed, the entire system should be restored to as-new for optimum performance. Specialists exist that can rebuild existing units, & functional replacements exists if 1 is not concerned about authenticity. The replacement refrigerant can be Freon. It is still available to EPA-certified techs, although somewhat expensive compared to R-134a ($13-$20/lb vs. $3.50-$4/lb.). Additionally, given that 20 years has elapsed, not all shops have retained the equipment needed to handle Freon as it can, or be mixed w/ R- 134a. However, using Freon w/ a fully restored systems ensures that it will function as it did when new. Today’s common refrigerant, R-134a, can be used in a system originally designed for Freon. However, it is necessary to change the oil in the system. Automotive A/C systems carry the oil needed for essential compressor lubrication w/-in the refrigerant. R-134a requires a synthetic oil containing esters instead of mineral oil used w/ Freon. It is necessary to change the fittings to accept R-134a charging equipment. Early advice on conversation to R-134a suggested it was necessary to change the system seals & hoses. Experience has proven this not to be true.
Additionally, it has also been established that a system designed for Freon should be charged to 90% of its full capacity w/ R-134a to obtain optimum Performance. Shop manuals provide system refrigerant capacities & oil quantities. The downside of using R-134a in a system designed for Freon of a 10-20% reduction in cooling capacity; some say it is as much as 30%. This may or may not be a significant issue, depending on how the collector car is used & the operating ambient temperature conditions.
Summary
Collector car air conditioning systems will benefit from a comprehensive restoration to restore optimum performance & eliminate nagging refrigerant leaks. Freon, the design refrigerant for most of these systems, remains available & will maximize an original system’s cooling potential. R-134a refrigerant can also be used if appropriate procedures are followed. There are no other simple replacement refrigerants. While there are other available refrigerants, their installation requires precise servicing techniques. 

SEPTEMBER 2014
2 – Monthly chapter meeting, Starlite Diner & Lounge, Rts. 100/78, supper 
@ 6:00pm, business meeting @ 7:30pm. This months’ guest speaker is Mr. 
Tremba, AAA representative to talk on “Aggressive Driving”.
6 – Funfest Show, Downtown Hazleton, PA, 570-455-1509
20 – Carbon County Shrine Show, mmickey@mvnrc.com
21 – Star Buick/Oldsmobile/Pontiac Show, Easton, Pa.

• 1927 Buick Sport Roadster (54) 3p, very rare car. Jack Bennett, representative for Rose Nemeth, (Erno’s wife,) Ringoes, NJ 908-303-5391
• 1955 Buick Century Riviera 2-dr htp, maroon/white, 122,000 miles. Is a daily driver, not a show car. $9750. Howard Kriebel 610-489-1253 after 6 pm.
• 1956 BUICK Century Riviera Series 60 – 4 dr htp. Original 322 “Nail Head” V8 Road Master engine (255hp) w/ “Dyna Flow” A/T & factory dual exhaust. PS, PB, PW & S. Sonomatic push button radio, factory deluxe lighting pkg. 72,700 original mi. Frame/body solid. Garage kept. Pics available. $15,000.00/negotiable. 570-309-2367, Robert.stavish@gmail.com
• 1964 Buick LeSabre 4-dr, original interior, repainted once. 98K miles. $7,700 Rein Brueggeman, 864-882-8079rbbrueg@bellsouth.net
• 1968 Buick Electra 225 Limited 4-dr Htp, Cameo Cream with black vinyl top & interior, excellent unrestored condition, 38K mi. All power, AC, 2nd asking $10,900. 610-530-1553, dwebster80@gmail.com
• 1968 Buick Skylark Custom Conv – garage kept, Artic white w/ red int. 117K miles, original 350 2b, $15,750. 610-770-0532, info@auto-motives.com
• 1969 Skylark Convertible – kimberly.pavlick@scranton.edu
• 1981 Buick Regal – 4 dr dark green in color. Garage kept in Berks County. 75,000 mi. 717-576-7588, dgetz101@hotmail.com
• 1937-38-39-40 Buick Straight 8 Engine Motor, $1500 OBO, 610-349-7760, robinbrumfield@rcn.com
  In Search Of
• 1951-52 Buick Roadmaster RH grille bar extension. C. Wenger @ 443-710- 6624, crewzn@broadstripe.net
• Late 1980’-Early 1990’s Buick LeSabre/Electra – In good running condition for daily driver use in local town driving, reasonably priced. Does not have to be in perfect condition. Harold, 610-826-2639.