Automotive Air Conditioning Information Forum

Hi, first post here.
There are a lot of receiver/dryers on the market for my car, and they vary a lot in price - I can find them as cheap as 22.00, and it goes all the way up to over 200.00 for the OEM part, with several options between these extremes around the 50-60.00 mark. The car is a 1988 Porsche 944S. Will the system suffer in performance from the aftermarket dryers? Is the 200.00 OEM price tag mainly Porsche tax, or is there a quality factor to be aware of in a receiver-dryer? The system is R134A.

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With respect, that doesn't answer my question!
I'm all for supporting Tim, but I still would like to know if there is a difference or not in cheap vs expensive.

I myself would not use a 22 dollar R/D. The stuff coming in from overseas is of very low quality. These things can have their desiccant beads break apart inside and clog your system.

The advantage of buying any AC components from Tim, our board sponsor, is that he strives for quality, so I would second Cusser’s advice

I cut open my old drier once. A drier is essentially a metal can that contains a small bag of desiccant pellets; you'd be surprised how small that bag is. However, if that bag breaks and pellets get stuck in your system, you'd be in deep doo-doo.

I've seen that a few times, Cusser. The beads get caught at either the OT or TXV, whichever appies. The result is the same: System stops cooling, with the LS pressure dropping very low or even pulling into a vacuum. In the case of a CCOT system, the beads travel through the compressor, ruining it, and lodge in the condenser and OT, stopping there. A big, costly mess either way.

Thank you all!

icb wrote: ↑Thu Jul 04, 2024 5:34 pm With respect, that doesn't answer my question!
I'm all for supporting Tim, but I still would like to know if there is a difference or not in cheap vs expensive.

There is no way to tell by the price, especially on a Porsche. Some triple the cost because it is a high-end vehicle. The cost might be in play if it is truly an OE item.

I stay away from anything eBay. Not that all are bad. I know some of those sites buy old surplus. We are out of stock on that item.

Thanks Tim.