What to do about the air-con?

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adamskibx
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What to do about the air-con?

Post by adamskibx »

It seems that the free BX TRS I picked up from Oxford has aircon. I havent yet tested it for definate but I think it is working. As I need the engine out of this car, does anyone know whether any of the aircon has to be taken apart? I havent had a good look at it all yet as its dark. Basaically, im interested in putting this aircon in the GT but dont know if the MK1 BX is compatible with it. If its not, or if its going to be a mega amount of work and a very very difficult job, I have a spare aircon system that im sure someone would want but it would be awsome to be able to transfer it across, even if it means a bit of DIY electrical and piping work.
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Vanny
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Post by Vanny »

at the end of the day its a machine so everything is possible. i havent really played with aircon much, but its only piping! There is no reason why it cant be done, and it shouldn't really affect the use of the car if your having the engine out!!

Failing that, im in the market for aircon as soon as i have some pennies together!
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Oscar
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Post by Oscar »

You'll never do it. Not a chance. Never in a million years.

Tell you what, I'll take it off your hands and save you all the aggro. How does a fiver sound? :D
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Post by tom »

Oscar is right. Mark 2 Aircon won't fit. It is the very bugger of a job anyway. Mend the mark 2 and throw away the Mark 1. The a/c makes it worthwhile. Better still, find a diesel for the mk2.
adamskibx
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Post by adamskibx »

Umm. Right. OK. Well if anyone wants to give me a hand with the engine change they can have the aircon :) No seriously though. as nice as aircon is I really dont see it as essential to me as its only hot enough to warrant it about 2 weeks of the year in total, and given the overal better condition of the GT bodywork and interior wise and its rarity the engine change will be worth it. Having seen the car in the light now I can see that its below average condition really, with a bit of aerosol spray on one door and paint peel on a front wing, so I dont feel quite so bad about breaking it. OK so ill have an aircon system that someone can have. I looked at the Haynes on removing the engine and it says that I need to get the aircon professionally depressurised before removing any components. I know nothing about aircon at all and dont even know what it connects up to. What I need to know is, do I need to depressurise it at all, and if I do, what will need to be done to bring it back to life in another car as I want someone to have it and use it and therefore I dont want to wreck it. I think the aircon is working as the compressor kicks in and out every minute or so and one pipe to the aircon rad is hot, the other cold.
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Ian_Fearn
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Post by Ian_Fearn »

Adam, your in Loughborough right?

I can give you a hand. I'd love an Aircon system!
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Post by Stinkwheel »

If its a conveniany weekend type of job and to be done in loughborough then i could probably pop along and help a bit, but probably not of worcester.
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Post by Vanny »

loughborough shouldn't be too hard for me to get too once the brakes are fixed and the exams are done!!!


Can i see a frost bite meeting coming up? (i meet the outside meeting with low air temp trying to swap an engine with pittifully icey hands and not battles for the aircon)
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Post by AlanS »

I can see this frought with potential problems, but not impossible.
First: what are you going to mount the compressor to?

Next: will the evaporatotor fit in the matrix box.

Next: Is there any wiring there?

Next: How many fans do you have on the radiator and how many in the car?

Next: Which side of the upper front crossmember does the radiator fit?

As I say, interesting project that should just work, I hope you have enough time to commit to it; scares me; I must be getting too old??


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aircon

Post by Barnsley BXer »

I know Mark Lightfoot installed aircon for a chap in the CCC and said it was a right B'stard of a job and would never do it again :evil:
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Post by tom »

As you all know, I've done it and lived to tell the tale.
The engine can come out without depressurising tha aircon (Which bloody well works! What a result!!) Depressurising should be done by a pro. Yo. u'll need the sump and spacer as well as the clutch cover plate from the old lump to do a conversion.
It is a doddle. A weekend to swap the heater, A weekend to fit sump and pump, A weekend to wire it and another to check it all out. Make sure the recipient shell is an aircon shell , preferably estate and find a good tizzydee lump. Bingo! dreamspec BX, You will instantly become more affluent and a magnet for the opposite sex You'll also have a very good motor car. Oh, and Adam; The aircon is much more useful in the winter than in the summer.
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Post by Philip Chidlow »

Tom, I found that the air con is useful in demisting but I am a bit at a loss - can I combine aircon wih heat????
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Post by tom »

No, The correct use is Fan on full (Fans for those of us lucky enough), Aircon on, Recirc on, temperature fully cold. A well charged system can clear all the condensation in an estate within 90 seconds of startup.
adamskibx
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Post by adamskibx »

The car's are based in Malvern, Worcestershire at the moment unfortunately. I have them both together now and am thinking about either hiring or buying an engine crane to do the swap. As the engine transplant is a big enough mission for me at the moment I think ill give the aircon system transplant a miss. Ill be happy enough to have a MK1 BX that goes really-wanting aicon too is asking too much lol. So yeah the aircon is definately surplus to requirements:-)

Having seen the TRS in the light today, its not as good as I thought it was. The paint is poor in places etc and the arm bearings are actually very bad, so I dont feel as bad about breaking it as I first did. Are bad arm bearings characterised by a massive gap between the rear tyre edge and the bottom of the rear wing, as opposed to a small gap? Its just that the TRS supposedly has worn bearings and thats the car with the massive gap between tyre and wing, and the GT has a very small gap- Its just that a friend of mine had a BX a few years back and the tyres would rub when cornering due to the worn arm bearings so I though it was the other way round.
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Post by DavidRutherford »

Worn rear arm bearings will make the rear wheels lean in at the top, out at the bottom. Look at the car from behind and you'll no doubt see that the wheel is not perpendicular to the road.

Adam... I am VERY interested in this aircon BX, as the only reason I don't drive a BX at the moment is because I MUST have a/c and a pollen filter for about 6 weeks in the hayfever season, and my current 405 has a/c. If you are in need of assistance in the engine swap, I'm sure there's something I can do to assist, as you're only about 1h30m/1h45m away from me, or the offer of the use of my overhead gantry and garage space is still open.

I also think I might be breaking the GT DIGIT at some point too, as the body really is rather crapl. Would be better to have the DIGIT dash in a much better (and Diesel) car... thus there would be spares available for your GT.
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