Fitting air-con to a car without it, anyone done it?

[Ireland]

Have any of you fitted air-con to a Cerb?

There are a few available second-hand at present without it and I'm wondering if it is an option for me to go that route whan buying one?

I assume the wiring is all there for it and the compressor and condenser and pipes out front should be no bother.

The evaporator is the one I'm really curious about.

Does the dash have to come out to fit it and, if so, how big a job is this?

Also, are the parts available easily enough?

By trade, I'm a refrigeration engineer so the job is simple enough for me from that side, it's just the "pulling a Cerb to bits" part I'm curious about.


Thanks in advance.

[maddog-uk]

So you are going to get a TVR then!

[byker28i]

Get one with it. Mine's not working at the moment and it's a hot car without. You have to drive with the windows open otherwise.

I'd guess you'd have to disturb a lot of the interior fittings to fit one, if you could get the parts. You probably don't want to disturb too much on a TVR?

[Ireland]

maddog-uk said:

So you are going to get a TVR then!

I am.

But I reckon the Cerb is the most practical (if practical is a word you can use to describe a TVR) as I have two kids who will actually still fit in the back of it if I need to.

Now you know why I was asking so many questions on the FB5K about all the TVR's.

I'm actually going over to the UK next weekend to look at some cars and may even end up driving one home if I find a decent one at a realistic price.

[alinton]

Ireland, where are you? Mail me privately I may be able to help.

Andy.

[Ireland]

e-mail sent Andy.

All help appreciated.

[Tripps]

You'll need air-con with kids in the back when the weather gets really hot, mine's starting to go and we were sweltering, the family refuse to go in the car now It's also as blessing in traffic jams, I don't tend to use it most of the time as the draft from the windows is fine, but once you stop...

One of the guys in our region runs an air-con firm (for buildings but knows the right people) and looked to get it fitted to his 4.2 Cerb, IIRC he found something was missing in the engine to drive the compressor.

[simonsparrow]

Tripps said:

You'll need air-con with kids in the back when the weather gets really hot, mine's starting to go and we were sweltering, the family refuse to go in the car now It's also as blessing in traffic jams, I don't tend to use it most of the time as the draft from the windows is fine, but once you stop...

One of the guys in our region runs an air-con firm (for buildings but knows the right people) and looked to get it fitted to his 4.2 Cerb, IIRC he found something was missing in the engine to drive the compressor.

There is an extension to the crankshaft to drive the pulley for the aircon compressor, so if the car didn't have aircon originally, it most likely won't have this. I'm pretty sure you can fit one on, but I'm also pretty sure its an engine out job.

My engine is coming out to replace a mising camchain guide bolt, and you can't get the front cover off with the aircon pulley in place

[Tripps]

simonsparrow said:

There is an extension to the crankshaft to drive the pulley for the aircon compressor, so if the car didn't have aircon originally, it most likely won't have this. I'm pretty sure you can fit one on, but I'm also pretty sure its an engine out job.

That's the one, couldn't recall the techie bits

[ireland]

[quote]There is an extension to the crankshaft to drive the pulley for the aircon compressor, so if the car didn't have aircon originally, it most likely won't have this. I'm pretty sure you can fit one on, but I'm also pretty sure its an engine out job.[/quote]

I reckoned there must be something like that alright.

That has sorted that one out for me.