Need a little help with some a/c bits please :)
Discussion
Car is finally in bits, old heater box is out, and new a/c heater box going in.
I am clear about all the pipework behind the radiator as photos of these engine bays seem easy to find but need some help with the bits in front of the radiator.
1. Does the condensor get screwed to the radiator or does it get fixed to the outside (front) fibreglass hole in front of it? Which way round does it go, in/out pipes to drivers side or passengers side?
2. I have two pipes going into the space in front of the radiator in the nose, I understand the driver side goes straight into the drier, but I am not sure what happens next, does another pipe go from the drier to the condensor (top or middle) and then another pipe go from the condensor to connect to the pipe coming from the evaporator on the passengers side..correct?
3. what does the drier get fitted to? do I tie it to the condensor or do I need to fashion a bracket with a large jubilee clip and find somewhere to screw this to?
4. Do I need to change the tensioner on the belt? I see two types sold, one with ribs and one without.
5. Does anyone have a pic of where the condensate drains out from. There are a couple of clear hoses about a foot long each under the heater box in the area between the heater matrix and the evaporator, that run vertically down, but I cant work out where it would be useful to open up the holes for them to pop out.
For 1-3 I guess a couple of pictures taken up the nose from the front will answer these questions.
Thanks
I am clear about all the pipework behind the radiator as photos of these engine bays seem easy to find but need some help with the bits in front of the radiator.
1. Does the condensor get screwed to the radiator or does it get fixed to the outside (front) fibreglass hole in front of it? Which way round does it go, in/out pipes to drivers side or passengers side?
2. I have two pipes going into the space in front of the radiator in the nose, I understand the driver side goes straight into the drier, but I am not sure what happens next, does another pipe go from the drier to the condensor (top or middle) and then another pipe go from the condensor to connect to the pipe coming from the evaporator on the passengers side..correct?
3. what does the drier get fitted to? do I tie it to the condensor or do I need to fashion a bracket with a large jubilee clip and find somewhere to screw this to?
4. Do I need to change the tensioner on the belt? I see two types sold, one with ribs and one without.
5. Does anyone have a pic of where the condensate drains out from. There are a couple of clear hoses about a foot long each under the heater box in the area between the heater matrix and the evaporator, that run vertically down, but I cant work out where it would be useful to open up the holes for them to pop out.
For 1-3 I guess a couple of pictures taken up the nose from the front will answer these questions.
Thanks
Edited by jazzdude on Saturday 18th February 17:00
Hi, here is what i can tell you of my system. the condenser is mounted with "Z" brackets back onto the panel that the rad. is mounted to.
the hoses on the condenser go to the drivers side with the fixed hockey stick at the bottom and coming out half way up the condenser where it joins onto the receiver/dryer [which is mounted on the condenser] the pipe work will determine where this goes as its all solid pipes at this point.
from the receiver/dryer there is a small pipe maybe 11 or 12mm o.d. which goes up to the top of the condenser and along and down on the passengers side where it goes to rubber hose and up inside the l/h wing to the evaporator in the car.
the large pipe on the evaporator comes out in the engine bay goes through a fuel cooler and onto the front fitting on the compressor. the rear fitting on the compressor goes out through the drivers side inner wing [in rubber] and onto the remaining top fitting on the condenser.
i use my a/c a lot and i know my car wouldn't get the use it does if it didn't have a/c.
re. the drain from the evaporator mine seems to have two clear plastic pipes [around 10mm bore] running down the l/h inner footwell to the left of the battery and i think they go into the cavity that the outriggers occupy and exit below the outrigger pipe itself. next time i have the car on the hoist i will se if i can get a shot of them. i say i think they are the drains but i don't think i have ever seen water dripping from them? I have just returned from a three hour drive to drop my daughter off at the ferry terminal using the a/c for about half of the journey an no water dripping under the car? it may be blocked and filling up the evaporator but never seems to leak?
the hoses on the condenser go to the drivers side with the fixed hockey stick at the bottom and coming out half way up the condenser where it joins onto the receiver/dryer [which is mounted on the condenser] the pipe work will determine where this goes as its all solid pipes at this point.
from the receiver/dryer there is a small pipe maybe 11 or 12mm o.d. which goes up to the top of the condenser and along and down on the passengers side where it goes to rubber hose and up inside the l/h wing to the evaporator in the car.
the large pipe on the evaporator comes out in the engine bay goes through a fuel cooler and onto the front fitting on the compressor. the rear fitting on the compressor goes out through the drivers side inner wing [in rubber] and onto the remaining top fitting on the condenser.
i use my a/c a lot and i know my car wouldn't get the use it does if it didn't have a/c.
re. the drain from the evaporator mine seems to have two clear plastic pipes [around 10mm bore] running down the l/h inner footwell to the left of the battery and i think they go into the cavity that the outriggers occupy and exit below the outrigger pipe itself. next time i have the car on the hoist i will se if i can get a shot of them. i say i think they are the drains but i don't think i have ever seen water dripping from them? I have just returned from a three hour drive to drop my daughter off at the ferry terminal using the a/c for about half of the journey an no water dripping under the car? it may be blocked and filling up the evaporator but never seems to leak?
That's brilliant thank you so much.
So the condenser is fixed to the bodywork, on say 2 Z plates on each side or are there top and bottom too?
Do you have a shot of the other side showing the drier and its fixing to the condenser?
Also if possible a shot if (it can be seen from the top) of the pipe coming through into the engine bay from the evaporator so I can see where to drill the hole. It looks like it comes through at an angle just behind the access hole.
Do the drain lines go through the floor separately or are they joined together?
So the condenser is fixed to the bodywork, on say 2 Z plates on each side or are there top and bottom too?
Do you have a shot of the other side showing the drier and its fixing to the condenser?
Also if possible a shot if (it can be seen from the top) of the pipe coming through into the engine bay from the evaporator so I can see where to drill the hole. It looks like it comes through at an angle just behind the access hole.
Do the drain lines go through the floor separately or are they joined together?
Bit hard to see the other side with everything in there [washer bottle,horn,wiring etc.] but try this. that rusty looking bracket is holding the dryer.
just 4 "Z" brackets i.e. 2 each side but as i say they appear to have a strip welded on each side pair to prevent them from rotating and allowing the condenser to drop down and rub on the bottom iyswim? will try and get a shot under bonnet soon.
just 4 "Z" brackets i.e. 2 each side but as i say they appear to have a strip welded on each side pair to prevent them from rotating and allowing the condenser to drop down and rub on the bottom iyswim? will try and get a shot under bonnet soon.
Ok I see how the drier bracket could work.
With the bits I bought from the breakers yard, I got a drier but it has two short hoses on it that were cut off so I don't know what they connect to.
The aluminium pipe running across the top of the condenser clearly angles down and connects to the hose going backwards.
The hose going forwards from the compressor, with the valve, was also cut off so I don't know what is at the other end.
It seems I will need to make up the condenser, the aluminium pipe, the drier and the other connections on the bench and fit the whole lot in and then hopefully connect the two pipes running backwards from the holes in the front of the car. Fun times ahead.
With the bits I bought from the breakers yard, I got a drier but it has two short hoses on it that were cut off so I don't know what they connect to.
The aluminium pipe running across the top of the condenser clearly angles down and connects to the hose going backwards.
The hose going forwards from the compressor, with the valve, was also cut off so I don't know what is at the other end.
It seems I will need to make up the condenser, the aluminium pipe, the drier and the other connections on the bench and fit the whole lot in and then hopefully connect the two pipes running backwards from the holes in the front of the car. Fun times ahead.
Happy to help, anything to keep more of these amazing cars on the road the two drain hoses go into the sill about 50mm apart. the rear most hole is about inline with the rear face of the battery and the other 50mm forward of it.
the cold hose goes through the l/h inner wing just forward of the engine wiring loom. picture not very clear but its the silver wrapped hose just ahead of the loom. its directly below the wiper motor bracket you can just see it in this shot.
the two drain hoses go into the sill about 50mm apart. the rear most hole is about inline with the rear face of the battery and the other 50mm forward of it.the cold hose goes through the l/h inner wing just forward of the engine wiring loom. picture not very clear but its the silver wrapped hose just ahead of the loom. its directly below the wiper motor bracket you can just see it in this shot.
OK checked again, luckily the old drier I have also has its mounting bracket on it (with two rubber sleeves protruding out, which I assume fix to something on the condenser).
I looked at the passenger side on the bulkhead under the windscreen wiper motor, and there is already a large hole there with a rubber grommit, sort of 5cm forward of the heating pipes and slighly higher, that has just a couple of wires going through it going towards the wiper motor.
I am thinking maybe to use that, a but tricky I know with the small cable already in it but it seems it might be OK.
I have to also drill a hole through the back panel above the fusebox for the hose to go forward above the wheel to the front of the car, although I dont know how I will get a rubber gromit in there once I have pushed the box in.
As for the drains, I have two clear tubes, about 5cm apart which look like they will come down on the back of the wheel arch, next to the fusebox. Not happy about having any water above the fusebox (crazy place to put water hoses) so might look into doing something about that. Maybe plumb in a couple of 90 deg angled joints to move them to one side out of the way and join them together so they come down in one pipe.
There is another hole (OD 10mm) under the evaporator box, sort of at the centre point of the matrix itself (you can just see the aluminium in it, the same distance from the edge as the back one, with nothing in it. I think I will just seal that one up.
I really cannot imagine how this thing was even fitted in the first place. TVR must have employed a bunch of 5 year olds to do it as I could barely get my head under there, on my back looking up my shoulders would not go in, and my feet in the air resting on the hood. I am still aching all over two days later.
I looked at the passenger side on the bulkhead under the windscreen wiper motor, and there is already a large hole there with a rubber grommit, sort of 5cm forward of the heating pipes and slighly higher, that has just a couple of wires going through it going towards the wiper motor.
I am thinking maybe to use that, a but tricky I know with the small cable already in it but it seems it might be OK.
I have to also drill a hole through the back panel above the fusebox for the hose to go forward above the wheel to the front of the car, although I dont know how I will get a rubber gromit in there once I have pushed the box in.
As for the drains, I have two clear tubes, about 5cm apart which look like they will come down on the back of the wheel arch, next to the fusebox. Not happy about having any water above the fusebox (crazy place to put water hoses) so might look into doing something about that. Maybe plumb in a couple of 90 deg angled joints to move them to one side out of the way and join them together so they come down in one pipe.
There is another hole (OD 10mm) under the evaporator box, sort of at the centre point of the matrix itself (you can just see the aluminium in it, the same distance from the edge as the back one, with nothing in it. I think I will just seal that one up.
I really cannot imagine how this thing was even fitted in the first place. TVR must have employed a bunch of 5 year olds to do it as I could barely get my head under there, on my back looking up my shoulders would not go in, and my feet in the air resting on the hood. I am still aching all over two days later.
This the underside of the heater box on the bench.
As you can see it has two hoses at the back but another hole in the middle of the evaporator enclosure.
I am thinking of joining all three holes together with piping and angles and then just having one vertical pipe going down and out of the floor.
As you can see it has two hoses at the back but another hole in the middle of the evaporator enclosure.
I am thinking of joining all three holes together with piping and angles and then just having one vertical pipe going down and out of the floor.
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