How to maintain your Delorean for less than $500 a year and put 10,000 miles on it

[stevedmc]

Well its done. I got anxious and decided to call my insurance company's 24 hotline. I'll be hearing from the adjuster on Monday.

Now I just need a thousand dollars.

[dmc6960]

The main reason I want to buy from Hervey for this order is because he has a larger AC condensor than what the Houston guys are selling.

Now how do you know this? The condenser I got from Hervey in 2006 was pretty much the same size as the original (will need to go back and measure to know for sure), but it was a tube and fin design VS the OEM serpentine design. Quick lesson on AC condensers...

There are 3 types of condensers used on automotive AC systems. In order of efficiency, worst to best....

- Tube and Fin
- Serpentine
- Parallel Flow

The tube and fin I got was unpainted, VS the NOS which is painted black. That black paint acts as a insulator between the metal and the air. Therefore, I do believe the efficiency of a NOS condenser and a new tube an fin is about equal. I just dont want false information floating around, Hervey's tube and fin condenser is not bigger than DMC's NOS serpentine.

Now a whole 'nother story would be fitting the largest Parallel Flow condenser possible. That is something which would need to be custom fitted though as no vender I'm aware of already has one fitted and modified to properly mount on the radiator. I will be assisting another person doing this later this year, but that doesn't help you in the here and now. I have been very successfully running Hervey's tube and fin for 6 years now, but if I'm very successful in fitting the parallel flow, I'm going to get one for myself and do the same.

And I agree, and always have, with everyone else's opinion.
Incidental damage should not be counted towards maintenance costs!

[stevedmc]

I think Hervey brags on his website about his condensers being larger capacity for r134a. That was my reasoning that his was better.

I figured the bigger the condenser, the more air would hit it and cool down the refrigerant.

Hmm, I just checked Hervey's website and it says. "Handles R134A higher pressure". I'm not sure why I thought his were bigger. Thats all it really says about it.

[sean]

Now I just need a thousand dollars.

easy, just mark those iPads up.

[stevedmc]

easy, just mark those iPads up.

Suprisingly I can't find a buyer. I've marked the price down to cost + $50 and still haven't gotten any bites.

[DMCMW Dave]

I
I figured the bigger the condenser, the more air would hit it and cool down the refrigerant.
.

It really can't be bigger, it wouldn't fit. I've seen both, and the important thing is surface area of the freon tubes for air flow. The difference is round tubes vs flat tubes.

I don't see how at all how a round tube design could have more surface to the air. In fact, it seems to me that a round tube of a given cross-section (needed for a given flow) would have the least possible outside surface area compared to something flat(ter). This is mitigated by the use of fins, but that is done in both cases, and even the fin contact to the tubes should be better with flat tubes for the same reason.

I strongly suspect the round tube designs are simply much cheaper to manufacture, and if space isn't an issue that's what you use. I don't believe that in a given overall size they can be any more efficient.

[DMCMW Dave]

Suprisingly I can't find a buyer. I've marked the price down to cost + $50 and still haven't gotten any bites.

Maybe folks have finally figured out that if they wait a week or two they can buy it at normal list price. Or can order direct from Apple as well.

[DMC5180]

It really can't be bigger, it wouldn't fit. I've seen both, and the important thing is surface area of the freon tubes for air flow. The difference is round tubes vs flat tubes.

I don't see how at all how a round tube design could have more surface to the air. In fact, it seems to me that a round tube of a given cross-section (needed for a given flow) would have the least possible outside surface area compared to something flat(ter). This is mitigated by the use of fins, but that is done in both cases, and even the fin contact to the tubes should be better with flat tubes for the same reason.

I strongly suspect the round tube designs are simply much cheaper to manufacture, and if space isn't an issue that's what you use. I don't believe that in a given overall size they can be any more efficient.

I have the double row round tube version (installed by PO) about the only possible advantage I can see from it would be the overall length of tubing within the unit itself.

I think mine has more length than the stock flat tube style. Theoretically the gases would have more time to condense. Of coarse one could say the design is less efficient thereby needing the extra tubing to function properly.

[DMCMW Dave]

I think mine has more length than the stock flat tube style. Theoretically the gases would have more time to condense. Of coarse one could say the design is less efficient thereby needing the extra tubing to function properly.

Just for grins, compute the surface area of a flat tube vs a round tube at a given cross sectional area. Then measure the lenght of the tubes (would not be hard, measure one and multiply). I'm assuming the cross-sectional area should be constant to avoid restricting the flow. The hard part to calculate would be the efficiency added by the non-fluid-bearing fins.

[DMC5180]

2-row round tube type. 20 years ago I think this was considered the Heavy Duty / high performance version. Hard to say, I just know it works.

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Time to get back on topic.