I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: air conditioning layout
Evening all,
I’m in the process of fitting a/c to my mk2.5 sport. I know there’s many on here that will say to not bother, but this is my only car and and I do about 12k miles a year. Last year I really struggled in the summer months as it was too hot to have the roof up and I’m at the point where I either fit a/c or change the car.
So far I’ve gathered a near complete kit:
ac lines
used compressor and bracket
new condenser from Japan
evaporator with housing and clamps
AC switch and relays
mounting brackets and bolts
ND-8 oil
power steering belt
It would be a great help to me if any mk2.5 owners (preferable 1.8) with AC could share some photos of their engine bays. In particular the routing of the AC line. I’ve spent a lot of time searching online but can only find LHD cars.
I have an RHD JDM 1.8 NBFL with air con fitted - if you let me know what you want photographing in more detail I’ll try and help (Not being very hands on re servicing all I know is it has two radiators - one for the A/C and one ‘normal’ one - so you’re going to have to explain a bit more, soz).
Hi Super_7, thanks so much for offering to help.
I haven’t replied sooner as my mx5 has been off the road. I suspected something major but luckily it’s just the water pump bearing that’s shot.
During trying to diagnose the issue I actually found all the connectors for the air con.
The one area I still need some help with is the route of the low pressure line. This is the thinner one that comes through the firewall on the right of the pair. It then disappears behind the screenwash reservoir before finishing on the side of the condenser. Any photos of this would be extremely helpful and also confirm if it’s one or two pipes.
Hi Id92 - thanks for the clarification - I’ll try and get something to you this week.
As an aside how much does all the stuff you’ve aquired weigh - very approximately? I’m half thinking of removing the a/c in mine as I never use it and the car is almost only ever used for hillclimbs and sprints.
(I was inspried by the Fiat 500 at Curborough at the weekend who’d junked 6 speakers and 7 airbags if I remember correctly)
AC in a 5 weighs approximately a tank of petrol however unlikely that may seem.
If similar to a Mk1 system. I know this from weighing a friend’s up on his bathroom scales when we binned everything many years back. About 40 lbs all in…every pipe, nut, and bolt.
We were surprised.
The compressor and bracket is 6kg
The condenser is 1.85kg
Airbox and evaporator about 1.8kg combined
The lines are very light so I’d say another 1kg for all of them with fittings.
The fan is probably another 1.5kg as well.
So that’s just over 12kg, which is about 0.3 tanks of fuel. (50L x 0.79kg/L).
Hi - hopefully these help / are what you are after - if not let me know and I’ll see if i can do better. I can;t really see the line after the air box and it’s hidden by various plasic covers / the wheel liner / engine undertray etc.
I have had a look and can’t get any useful photos as the pipe joins I think you’re interested in are effectively hidden.
As I wasn’t sure what a condenser looks like I did a search and found a couple of links that might be useful if you’ve not found them before.
(See images at the end of the thread)
I’ll have a car at the Club Blyton Park track day on the Sunday should you be there.
If you can post a picture of the condenser you have that might help locate the pipe joins etc - I think it’s the second slightly smaller radiator that’s in front of the standard radiator?
Sorry I’ve only just seen the above. I’ve done this to my mk2.5 and has transformed the car on long journeys.
Have you got white plastic adapter for where the air con unit behind dash joins heater box ? How much was condenser from Japan ?
If you need any advice or more photos get in touch. All the wiring is there already just tied up out of the way.
That’s good to hear, how powerful is it in terms of cooling?
I have got that white triangle adapter, the person I bought the kit from insisted it wasn’t a thing but I knew better. I bought that from Japan too. The condenser was £142 but then had to pay import duty on top of that. It’s a brand new aftermarket model but looks very good quality and all the fittings are correct.
At the moment the two biggest risks are:
the compressor not being fully airtight when it’s gassed us, it’s used but fees very smooth to turn so I’m hoping it will be fine.
I’m still unclear on if I have the correct pipe between the firewall and the condenser. I’ll know when I test it this weekend for sizing.
A lot of the lines have patches of corrosion so I’ve been looking into aluminium brazing ac lines to repair them.
The AC fan I bought is extremely squeaky and sourcing a new replacement motor has proved impossible so I’m going to fit a shrouded double radiator fan. Currently debating buying the mishimoto one or making my own with SPAL fans.
Very effective when working, mine has had very slow leak for past 2 years so would have to re gas every few months. Think this was down to condenser and have replaced that recently so fingers crossed.
I do fairly regular trips down to Cornwall and usually have to have hard top on but even with roof down transmission tunnel gets so hot especially in the hot weather we’ve been having it feels like your melting without it.
Took me 2 years to find clean 2nd hand condenser (even tried main dealer for new) so think that’s good price from Japan .
It’s slightly more complicated to buy from Japan now but I can share the part number of the one I bought if you need it in the future?
Regarding the transmission tunnel, I lined mine in butyl backed sound deadening and then closed cell foam and I don’t notice any heat from it now. Only the gear knob gets warm. Probably worth a try if it bothers you!
Once I’ve test fitted some of the parts I may have some more detailed requests for photos. Right now I need to get the fans sourced and check the compressor clutch engages.
That’s super helpful thanks!
So it turns out I have all of that. I couldn’t work out if my liquid tube no.2 was complete because it turned out to be bent. I’ve straighten it out now based on @Super_7 photos and it’s now looking about right. This was before:
And here’s the part number @rutlandsurfer
N053-61-480E
I ordered it from Yahoo Japan which you need a VPN to access now, the manufacturer is “cooling door”.
If you do remove it Super 7 and it is in more or less good working order I might be interested in purchasing all the bits.
Despite using mine on the hills and sprints, global megalomaniancs not withstanding, I am thinking of driving mine round the world when I retire I understand it can get a bit too hot in some parts to rely on just having the roof down.
Hi Art_Tidesco - will do. If it gets removed it’ll probably be when it goes in for its annual maintenance at the end of the year (so rather than the next week or two). Much better if it gets used rather than ending up in a scap bin too.
