Difference between V6 & V8 aircon condensor besides 3 x price

[Circlotron]

Gotta get a new aircon condensor for the VP because the old one is so clogged up hardly any air gets through. Had a (careful) go with a pressure washer but basically didn't do a thing. So I got to looking on ebay and new 6cyl condensors are about $95 but V8 ones are about $295! What could possible be so different about them? They are both dumping the same amount of heat - nothing to do with engine size. Are just the outlet pipes different so you can't use one in place of the other?

[Jxw]

don't have access to a v8 to check but here's a pic of the connections on a 91 v6 vn for you to compare, are the connections on the passenger side for a v8?
from the images on the ebay listings (can never trust those pics though) it seems it has a pipe either side on the v8 instead of both on 1 side. if you have access to a plumbers flaring tool, pipe bender and can get the right fittings you could possibly make a v6 one fit by adding a length to the high pressure side, a lot of stuffing about to save though.

By clogged is it just grime and dirt or the fins has been pushed over? tried soaking it repeatedly with degreaser then use a normal garden hose once it is soaked right thru with the degreaser? only problem with a pressure washer is it'll bend the fins over.....

[Circlotron]

Yeah it's just grime and dirt. I did bent the fins just a =tiny= bit to make sure I squirted it as hard as possible.
Thanks for the pic. Mine has the inlet pipe from the compressor coming from the driver's side and going to the top, and the outlet from the bottom to the cabin exiting to the passenger side. I suppose if you were handy with an aluminium welder you could alter the pipes, but that I am not.

[Circlotron]

Looks like it's all in the pipes.

6cyl --> Holden Commodore Air Conditioning Condenser, VN VP, V6 | eBay

8cyl --> HOLDEN COMMODORE CONDENSER New VN VP 91-93 V8 | eBay

VN/VP V8 one looks pretty much identical to VL V8 one.

[Jxw]

from those pics it really doesn't look that bad, if looking straight on through can you see the radiator easily between fins?
a few fins bent but not pushed completely into the ones beside it, another problem is if you change it you can only really get r134a gases put back in it which don't work as well as the old now illegal r12 (even less efficient running in an older system, think it was 1994/vr when cars were released with the r134a systems)
as you're in vic you can get a butane/propane mix and the oil to refill it (some ppl don't like that idea apparently the 300 grams of gas used is more scary than driving around with a 60 liter tank of a very similar thing in the boot, but if all the valves and o-rings are new and you check for leaks with the ol soapy water technique there's no problem)
You have to vac the system to get all the air out before re-gassing as the air will turn to ice in the system and block it if you're doing it yourself and venting the current gas is illegal...

i wouldn't be surprised if the VL one would fit, they really didn't change the body to much in the floor pan (apart from the bump for the cat converter) and radiator support area from VB-VP, alot of the suspension, k frames, brakes etc are all interchangeable, radiator in the 6 versions changed due to the different inlet/outlets on the engine but the 8's were all the same.