A/C installation from scratch
Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2024 6:36 am
I'm curious if anyone's done this before? Not repairing the A/C, but installing a system in a car that has none.....
I'm moving this project up on my Euro restoration car (77 528) because the car is otherwise generally unusable in my Texas climate.
I'm dividing my installation into three stages as my restoration is being done one major project at a time with some driving
in between.
Stage 1 (in progress): Switch to U.S. center console and install the blower box with a new fan. I call it U.S. as the donor car is for these parts - clearly the center console front and side panels are different for A/C cars. Even the extra fan will help before A/C is actually in. As I just had all the carpet out, I took the time to drill three new holes for later: condensate drain and the hi-side/low-side lines behind the glove box to the engine bay. Fortunately, I was able to precisely place these using measurements from my 530i. I'm cleaning up a donor blower box from a 79 E24 (E28 box also interchangeable, or at least from 84 528e). Latest headache here is discovering the need for peripheral parts, notably the base plate and the "covering piece" which is duct work.
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showpa ... Id=64_0361
The base plate is shared with E28 and E24, so I can probably locate used. I expect a bit of fabrication need to close the gap for the covering piece.
Stage 2: A/C components in the interior, namely the evaporator and expansion valve. I have these new for the E28 and will be going that route of aluminum lines and o-rings. I'm probably also buying a bender for aluminum tubing.
Stage 3: Everything in the engine bay. Relatively easier for me since I did all this in converting my 530i to R134a...There's also
more room out there to customize and I can leverage various A/C kits and parts from other M30 cars. I already got the compressor stuff here since it's direct application for us with that nice bracket from our E28 friends: https://www.acsolutions.co/
There's a little bit of light wiring to navigate in all this as well.
I'll drop some pictures later.
Robert
I'm moving this project up on my Euro restoration car (77 528) because the car is otherwise generally unusable in my Texas climate.
I'm dividing my installation into three stages as my restoration is being done one major project at a time with some driving
in between.
Stage 1 (in progress): Switch to U.S. center console and install the blower box with a new fan. I call it U.S. as the donor car is for these parts - clearly the center console front and side panels are different for A/C cars. Even the extra fan will help before A/C is actually in. As I just had all the carpet out, I took the time to drill three new holes for later: condensate drain and the hi-side/low-side lines behind the glove box to the engine bay. Fortunately, I was able to precisely place these using measurements from my 530i. I'm cleaning up a donor blower box from a 79 E24 (E28 box also interchangeable, or at least from 84 528e). Latest headache here is discovering the need for peripheral parts, notably the base plate and the "covering piece" which is duct work.
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showpa ... Id=64_0361
The base plate is shared with E28 and E24, so I can probably locate used. I expect a bit of fabrication need to close the gap for the covering piece.
Stage 2: A/C components in the interior, namely the evaporator and expansion valve. I have these new for the E28 and will be going that route of aluminum lines and o-rings. I'm probably also buying a bender for aluminum tubing.
Stage 3: Everything in the engine bay. Relatively easier for me since I did all this in converting my 530i to R134a...There's also
more room out there to customize and I can leverage various A/C kits and parts from other M30 cars. I already got the compressor stuff here since it's direct application for us with that nice bracket from our E28 friends: https://www.acsolutions.co/
There's a little bit of light wiring to navigate in all this as well.
I'll drop some pictures later.
Robert