I took out the A/C in the '87 Westy my son just got and was planning to toss it.  It was empty from leaks, and the PO destroyed the cabinet trying to fix it. 

You need to drop the cabinet to access the evaporator, or possibly you can see dye on the evaporator if you remove the rear grille, it's just got two screws. To remove the A/C cabinet the first step is to remove the metal plate at the edge of the top bed and then the long storage tray over the sink.  Then you can remove the distribution cowl. You'll need to remove the rear closet to access the hoses and all the control bits there, which requires removing the evaporator and seat to get it out of the vehicle.   

Lots of work (took two of us about three hours), but the Bentley has good instructions.  The PO was clueless and just ripped the bottom off the cabinet. Idiot.

I have all the bits (in unknown condition) you can have for shipping and a $20 handling fee. (Seattle).

Stuart  

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of David Bjorkman
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2014 8:10 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: A/C problems

Hi All;
I'm having A\C problems. I have a 87 Westy with a FAS Gen V engine with a new compressor, lines, etc. When I started to lose pressure I had dye put in the system to try to find the leak. The problem has gotten worse with time. When checking for dye, none could be found in engine bay, lines, front radiator or any place I could see. I am worried that the problem is in the overhead cabinet where nothing was done (ie: just connected new system to it, after flushing etc.). I have heard that replacement parts for that part of the system are hard to find. Can someone give me an idea of what's in there that can and cannot be replaced with new parts?  Info on where one can find them, especially the condenser, would also be helpful.

Dave B.