gmenounos
Vendor
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2003
- Location
- Watertown, MA, USA
- TDI
- '99.5 Golf GLS, '01 Jetta GLX Wagon (TDI conversion)
So I'm almost done replacing the compressor, condenser and receiver drier on my 99.5 Golf. I was reading this how-to on Vortex ( http://forums.tdiclub.com/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=12 ) and it said "Note: The top and bottom bolts are different sizes, so make SURE you label them properly!". Well, everything on my car is very corroded so I ordered replacements bolts and ETKA says that the top and bottom bolts for the receiver drier are the same (M8x18 - N90242804) - both on the 99.5 and newer MKIV years. But my old bolts were different; the bottom bolt was longer. Well, I decided to trust ETKA and, what do you know, when I was torqueing the bottom bolt down it suddenly got really easy to turn. I removed it and it had pulled out a couple of threads from the soft aluminum receiver drier. I switched to the original longer bottom bolt and was able to torque it to spec. It's currently holding vacuum fine but I don't think I should trust it so I'm going to replace the receiver drier tomorrow before I add refrigerant.
I suspect that the bottom bolt was the same that is used on the back of the compressor (M8x24 - N90304203). Does anyone know the deal with these 2 bolts? Why is the bottom longer? Why is ETKA wrong? And why does the MKIV Jetta use a different receiver drier than the MKIV Golf / Jetta Wagon?
I suspect that the bottom bolt was the same that is used on the back of the compressor (M8x24 - N90304203). Does anyone know the deal with these 2 bolts? Why is the bottom longer? Why is ETKA wrong? And why does the MKIV Jetta use a different receiver drier than the MKIV Golf / Jetta Wagon?