So I have a potential transaction in progress for a brand new old-stock ACDelco condenser, but when checking the part number, 52460894, I noticed it’s for 93-97 LT1 models, yet some parts catalogs also list it as compatible with LS1s and even the 3.8L. I know the compressors for the 3800 II vs the LS1 are different, so I’m initially hesitant to assume some catalogs are correct in their interchangeability, but I figured I’d ask here and see if anyone possibly had any first hand experience. I did see one member previously swapped in a used V6 condenser for his aftermarket LS1 condenser and had better cooling afterward, so that does lend some credibility to the idea that they’re all interchangeable, but I’d like to be as sure as possible before the seller and I would have to possibly deal with the hassles of shipping and whatnot.

Appreciate any and all input!

 

I entered 1998 Trans Am . Says it fits

 

I know 100% that they do not interchange. Can you make it work? Sure. You can aluminum braze the LS style block fitting onto the LT style hose fitting. Or have a custom hose set made with a threaded end for the inlet.
Otherwise it does not fit. They are the same size and have the same row count (OEM, not necessarily aftermarket)

I don't take pictures much but I found some that show exactly what I've seen with my own eyes when my 2002 LS1 condenser needed to be replaced.

LT Style below


LS Style

Lower connection is block style versus hose style.

 

These dealers need to fix the listings.


You shouldn't have to modify an OEM part from the dealer. ​​​​​​​

 

It's very clear when you look at a line of these cars in a junkyard and they are different between 93-97 and 98-02
It does seem like an unnecessary change, they should have kept them the same through 93-02.

 

Man, very solid posts for being such a new member! Appreciate it. I should have come back sooner and updated, but after further investigation I also came to the conclusion that it wasn't going to be compatible, which was a shame. I'll be doing a FMIC for the Procharger, so when it comes to mounting the intercooler, radiator and A/C condenser, there's a decent possibility I'll have to use a large, thick aftermarket condenser with custom lines anyways, so not a huge deal at present.

I did manage to snag a NOS evaporator core which had been extremely challenging to find, so it's not a total loss

 

Very nice find on the NOS evaporator.

 

SnIpEz. very, very nice score on the USA made, NOS evaporator! When I had to redo my WS6's AC 2 yrs ago, I was able to purchase a new Korean made compressor and condenser. My OEM compressor was also made in Korea.




I'm not certain about the OEM condenser. My new, Korean condenser was a bit smaller, lighter and more compact than the OEM.





The new condenser fit perfectly and has functioned well for the last two Houston summers.

Unfortunately all the other parts I had to buy were china made . The only part that I didn't need to buy was the evaporator since I was able to flush it. Lowest temperature I've been able to get is 44-45F. Makes me wonder if the smaller condenser is the reason. I like to see 40F or lower so I'm a little disappointed but it does keep me cool in my black car in these hot Houston summers.

 

Thank you! I was pretty surprised to find it, since prior searches over the last year or so didn't yield jack lol. The car originally belonged to my best friend who passed away almost 9 years ago to the day, and it's been in my life for almost 20 years now (and I just turned 30 six months ago). His mom wanted me to have it after he died and it was already in need of some restoration then (A/C had quit by that point and I had to drive it from San Jose, CA all the way to Fort Worth, TX in August heat without in which sucked as must as you'd expect). The car had a rear main seal leak among other issues, and constantly blew scorching hot air on my feet the entire drive (maybe the blend door?) but somehow miraculously made it to Texas where the alternator promptly died on me the next day. It sat for a year or so until I could get it replaced, then was my DD for a bit until engine issues parked it for good. Last time it drove was almost 6 years ago and the car is in dire need of an overhaul. I'm basically rebuilding the damn thing and I don't plan to sell it, so I'm trying to use as many OEM replacement parts as I can. I was equally surprised last year to find a new upper shifter console in ebony



And just the other day a new GM front bumper and splash shields arrived



I also have a brand new pair of NOS ebony door panels that I purchased in 2017 and have been wrapped in blankets since lol. There's quite a large amount of original parts going into it that are intended to be restorative and it's kind of thrilling when you finally find something you've been looking for or come across something you didn't expect to find and jump on it.

Basically, all of this is to say that the car means a ton to me and I'm trying my damndest to not cut any corners with it, especially for things that I want and expect to function flawlessly for many, many years.

Very nice score with the Korean compressor. I'm planning to go with Delphi as well. The ACDelco branded ones are discontinued, but Delphi was the OEM supplier for GM so that's fine with me. Really Delphi or Denso, either one should work as well as original from all of my research. The cheaper ones may, but frankly I'm taking the "once and done" approach as noted above. With everything I'm dumping into the car, what's another $150 extra to ensure a quality compressor?

However you described my exact fear regarding the A/C performance, and I live in the Houston area too

What's interesting is that upon seeing your pictures, I realized that you're the guy who's A/C build thread I read from beginning to end over on the AutoACForums last year! Small world.That whole thread was pretty interesting, always enjoy learning from the ones as detailed as yours where the timespan of the posts lasts over months. I was impressed that you went overkill and bought that whole damn recovery kit to supplement your refrigerant scale, so you have my respect haha! I empathize with your frustration though. Spending that much time and money for less-than-ideal results is arguably more frustrating than just not figuring out the problem entirely, in a way. Have you considered mounting a low profile fan to the condenser itself to supplement the cooling capacity? Some people here have relocated the condenser or used an even smaller condenser and relocated it, added a fan and report back ice cold A/C, though I haven't seen actual vent temp measurements to have objective data on those results.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/forced-in...l-16-fans.html

My gut feeling is that the reduction in core thickness is your culprit. I attached two SAE research papers regarding A/C studies, and the paper regarding condensers and opening area isn't exactly groundbreaking from what you'd expect, but also very revealing in terms of how x changes proportionally yield y% improvements in system Coefficient of Performance (COP). A low profile fan may be able to emulate increasing the opening area of the de-superheating zone of the condenser and get you to that sub-40F.

Another thing that will probably help, at the least certainly not hurt if you haven't done it already, is ceramic tint. I plan on having a Llumar IRX authorized shop install that on my windows as well as install the Llumar AIR80 film on the windshield. These ceramic films are an enormous improvement over traditional tint in terms of Total Solar Energy Rejection (TSER). They're not the cheap tint dealerships like to put on cars and try to upcharge you on.

 

SnIpEz, I read or at least tried to read the two links that you posted about condensers. The one written by the Korean engineers is quite technical. Anyway, I'm pretty certain that my new, smaller condenser is probably the reason that my system won't cool below 45F. It's like it hits a wall there and just won't go any lower. My car's cooling is fine but I would've liked it to be awesome. Perhaps another fan would help cooling but my two OEM fans pull a lot of air through the condenser and radiator. All radiator/condenser factory "air guides" are in place so none of that changed from stock.

Yes, that is my thread on autoacforum.com. It was a glorious feeling the day that I discovered the smoking gun-clogged orifice tube. Yes, I spent way too much money on it all. In the end, I didn't spend any more than if I'd taken the car to a professional HVAC mechanic and the bonus is that I know what parts I used, it was all done correctly and I have another piece of HVAC equipment in my possession.

 

A professional wouldn't have used that condenser, you say it doesn't cool as well as you wish it did. How is it done correctly?

 

Gene, don't try to tell me what a professional would or wouldn't use. Some pros use good quality parts others use the cheapest chinese crap that they can find. This condenser was an actual GM part that was made in Korea.

I didn't make the parts but I do my work correctly. My air conditioning cools well just not quite as cold as my standard.-40F. Honestly, I never measured the vent temps when it was OEM. For all I know, the temp is the same as the factory ac.

 

Heres the last a/c job I did on my stuff. On a 90 something degree day.



How many microns did you evacuate to?
Or you don't have a micron gauge because it's not important.

I'm just curious on what the average person considers a proper job. Just asking questions.

 

Gene are you a professional HVAC guy? You seem to be offended by what I said in post #10.

You're accusing me of being a hack. I'm not a professional HVAC guy and I don't know all the minute details of it nor do I need to know all of them. I've got my own vacuum pump and I vacuumed down for quite a while. 2 hrs? I can't remember as it was over 2 yrs ago.

Your ac's vent temp is fantastic. I've done enough research on non-professional ac system work to know that some people do and some people do not end up with temps like that. I'm also not naive enough to think that all professional HVAC shops end up with sub 40F vent temps. My 1991 Mustang GT that I converted from R12 to 134a blew 40F out of the vent with the blower on high, at idle in the Florida heat. I retained all of the OEM ac parts except for the accumulator. Even though the R12 condenser was less than ideal for R134a, I still managed 40F. I did that conversion in 2008 with all the HVAC equipment that I bought from Arizona Mobil Air, Inc. No micron gauge. I guess I am a hack.

 

Like I said, I'm just asking.
I don't understand how people determine that someone is offended by reading words.
Did I say you were a hack? I can't determine that based off what you typed here. I'd appreciate it if you don't put words in my mouth and make assumptions based off a few questions.

 

You know what you were implying here and so do I.

 

Shouldn't have used that condenser,