Designing A/C System Using Other Cars Parts?

[HusseinHolland]

Back to the duct work. Had to do this before the steering wheel & glovebox got back in.

This is the diagram I found for the AC ducts

Driver's side doesn't match the vent I bought listed as being the driver's side, and no way the one I bought will work on the DS. The one I bought listed as pass side is correct for the DS - I found two captive nuts set into the over steering column section of the dash frame. The duct is significantly shorter than the illustration, which threw me off while I was trying to figure out where either vent could fit.

pass side ducts. I will have to mod the glovebox, as the AC duct sits into the glovebox area, due to the offset of the non-factory evaporator box width

Trying to fit the vertical port on the right - just not going to work so I need to locate another horizontal vent

bracket the the vent is supposed to attach to

found a pic online of what the right side bracket for the vent should look like

 

Edited October 15, 2023 by HusseinHolland

[HusseinHolland]

Painted & reinstalled the dash vent panel today, and put the steering wheel back. No horn pad, as I don't know yet if it's centered exactly. Can't drive it until the new clutch slave arrives & replaces the blown out one.

Edited October 16, 2023 by HusseinHolland

[HusseinHolland]

Rainy days. I made a bracket for the right AC under dash vent. Not sure why the factory one has an angle bend, I made mine flat & long enough to put the vent somewhat centered under the glovebox. 

Used relatively heavy gauge SS sheet metal, that way I don't have to paint it

folded one edge for rigidity, like the factory bracket

Hopefully the rain gives over later today to I can install it, and then get the glovebox modded to clear the AC ducting, and installed. When I put the DS duct elbow in, I dislodged one of the tach illumination bulb holders, so that has to come back out so I can access the bulb holder, or I can pull the tach out. Problem with that is the lower ridge of the tach body is scraping the vinyl of the dash opening 😞

[HusseinHolland]

Installed the vent, and cut & welded the glovebox. Not perfect by any means, but functional

repurpose the cut sections to clear the ducting

test fit to check clearance before adding additional fill section

Edited October 22, 2023 by HusseinHolland

[HusseinHolland]

Finally figured out how I can use all the 5 speed settings of the Volvo resistor pack. Been looking for a 4 speed switch without any success, ones I did buy listed as 4 speed, were not so.

I decided to add one of the micro switches originally installed with the aftermarket AC.

Modified the supplied bracket (sectioned, spot welded to correct the offset) so the microswitch lever sits behind the fan speed switch in the off position, and turns on between off & first speed detent

[HusseinHolland]

Driving this afternoon, I got stuck in heavy highway traffic for about 20min. With the A/C on, idling, the coolant temps started to creep up over normal. I don't want to have to turn the A/C off in such situations, so I'm adding a second condenser fan that will run as long as the A/C is on. The existing fan ONLY comes on by way of the Trinary switch, which is set to engage it when pressure exceeds 254psi - which basically means it doesn't come on very often, definitely not when I need it to. On the Volvo pickup, I had rewired the fan onset when the stock pressure switch died - it made the A/C keep cooler & lowered the high side pressures.

Added rivnuts to the AC condensor

riveted anchoring plate at the top

2nd Fan installed, now I just have to fiinish wiring it

 

Edited June 18 by HusseinHolland

[HusseinHolland]

Did the wiring for the 2nd fan. Took awhile. I ended up running a completely new circuit instead of tapping into an existing.

Relay connections

Racetronix SPST (Delphi components) relays

fused power (Y)

Switched power from AC T/stat (Gn)

90ºF outside - duct temp 55ºF, not bad. I do need to recheck the system pressures. May need a little more freon (R134a)

 

 

Edited June 19 by HusseinHolland

[heyitsrama]

Nice and chilly! 🙂

[HusseinHolland]

On 6/19/2024 at 6:09 PM, heyitsrama said:

Nice and chilly! 🙂

Yes! On the road, it's actually running just under 50ºF, so I'm happy with that