My air-con quest progress

[lubu]

Since I couldnt really find any complete threads on how to install factory air-con into 260&280z I thought I would make a progress thread so people who, like me can find the infos that they need in completing the conversion.

This conversion will take months, since Im not always at home so bear with me.

You will need:

Phillips screw driver

Plier

Set of hex

Beers

First thing is to take off your dash, I thought I can do it without taking it off, which I kinda did but I couldnt install the air-con assembly this way coz it is way bigger than normal heater assembly. So save yourself the hassle and take off the dash first.

Negative cable off.

Empty the coolant (you dont have to but might as well)

Unhook the inlet and outlet hoses

Remove the blower according to these instructions

Follow these instructions and remove the heater. The normal heater doesnt have the two screws circled in red.

You are half way there. Spoil yourself with some beers...

Now just install the aircon assembly and blower in the reverse order of removal.

Enjoy the blower on 4th speed

Ill attack the condenser, vaccum lines, valves....tomorrow.

BTW where is a good vaccum port I can hook up to?

[lubu]

Update,

Screw in your solenoids and vacuum tank to the strut tower. Connect all your vacuum hoses to their correct places (see diagrams). Vacuum source can be connected to the intake manifold (thats where I connect mine).

Hook the connectors together.

Cover the A/C lines by the firewall with something like this. Drill 2 holes and you're done.

From the selector connect the vacuum hoses to their correct places.

Since my car didn't come with any air ducting I didnt know (still dont) how they are all connected. So I made up a 3way air-duct. Basically air from the unit outlets are diverted to 3-way ducts which distribute air to the side vents and defrosters. The 3way duct itself has two large and a smaller openings, one large opening is to accept air from the unit outlet the other large leads to the side vent and the smaller opening is to the defroster, this means that most of the air will flow to the side vents and little will go to the defrosters, but if I pull the knob to shut the air then the defrosters will get all the air flow.

My descriptions is crap, picture says a thousand words (better words).

Connect the inlet/outlet hoses for the heater matrix, you should have a fully functional (minus the air-conditioning) climate unit at this stage. Start the engine, warm it up and test all the settings include heat, look/hear for any vacuum/water leak. Make sure all the connections are secure and tight, change broken/leak hoses if necessary.

[lubu]

Here is a diagram from FSM :classic: