Air Conditioning

[pspeaks]

As I live in Texas, air conditioning isn't really a luxury so I'm giving it some vary serious thought, probably Antique Air because I would like heat and defrost as well.  Does any one have a source for a small condenser that will work with that unit?  Not much room in front of the radiator you know.  



Paul

[britcars]

Paul:
Try these forlks.  Thy sell complete kits as well as accessories and condensors.

http://nostalgicac.com/british-ac-complete-kits-accessories/mgb-complete-kits.html

http://nostalgicac.com/british-ac-complete-kits-accessories.html

[mowog1]

Nostaligic Air can put together a custom unit for you...I specified which Compressor, which condensor, etc that I wanted for my V8. The hoses come uncut and uncrimped...

[BlownMGB-V8]

I'm using the NAP condenser and accumulator/drier, seem like decent pieces at a good price. I plan to build an airbox for the evaporator sometime in the future.

Jim

[pspeaks]

I checked the Nostaligic Air site and really like their, MGB Condenser with Drier, Fan, Relay, Brackets, & Binary Switch, Part #44-7476, but though I've never tried it, I read where the fan mounted in front of the radiator is less efficient.  Am I in left field here, or is it really a big deal?  They do sell the same thing without the fan. for about $50 less.


Paul

[mstemp]

Paul,

Puller is always better than a pusher fan but ...A lot of OEM's have both.

[pspeaks]

Now that's an idea Mike, I already have a puller, the addition of a pusher can't hurt can it!  Thanks for all the advice everybody.


Paul

[classic conversions]

Paul, I am installing of of their units, btw great people to deal with in all areas, the unit is well built.

As for the fan, the 10" mounted in front it will be used as an auxiliary and used only when needed.

If you have a fan behind the radiator  is capable of cooling the system with the condenser , then it will be no need for the front fan, but nice to have just in case.

My 454 SS truck has the same set-up huge fan that is mechanical, soon the replace with an electric fan.
The system has 2 small electric fans mounted in front at one side of the radiator that come in at different temps. I have only heard one fan come in once and that was when the radiator fail (plastic tanks)

[pspeaks]

Thanks Bill,  I have a 22" Tru-Cool Aluminum Cross Flow Radiator and a 13" swirl fan that can be set to automatic or manual with a toggle switch; I would have preferred a 15" fan, but there just wasn't room.  It may be a while before I add the other components, but I didn't want to remove the radiator again and do more cutting to get the condenser and dryer installed.  Better to do it all the first time I thought.  Does your front fan have a sensor to turn it on?


Paul

[classic conversions]

Yes it does, I think the instructions has the how to wiring. Rick Ingram. has one in his GT and many others. I saw one in TN and the AC really put out cold air. P.J. also has one in his GT and he loves his. He does not have have the 10" fan in front, he has just a mechanical fan.
All of them Vintage air.

You should be good to go Paul.

Not much experience with AC. But I have read the following:

The distance between the condenser and radiator is critical, same with the open space between the the two, that space should be seal with foam or any other material. The unit from Vintage air is already space as needed, it is made to fit the MG radiator.

I have since looked into several aftermarket AC install and factory units and 90% of them the space is filled to avoid hot air re-circulate.

I have not install mine, but just making sure I do it right. Still looking.

[kerbau53]

You have Old Air Products in south Ft. Worth.

[pspeaks]

Thanks Geoff, I'll check them out.  When I first bought my GT back in 1976 it had a dealer installed under-the-dash AC system with a York compressor about the size of the motor, and it worked great.  AS LONG AS, you either used the AC, or drove the car, but not both.  It would over heat like crazy, so, I took it off and sold it.  Then later I installed a Suzuki system and it worked much better, but my ex-son-in-law messed it up.  That's not the reason he's an ex, but it would have been enough for me.  I hope I don't have another overheating problem, but I'm pretty sure my 302 is capable of turning the compressor much better than the little 4.





Paul

[danmas]

I'm pretty sure my 302 is capable of turning the compressor much better than the little 4.

Oh, yes!

[kerbau53]

Paul,

I used Old Air Products evaporator and condenser. Hurricane unit requires a bit more cutting than Vintage Air Gen II. It does however fit on top of the transmission tunnel. I put a couple pics of install on my build journal.

[hirot]

Paul, not sure if what I have read is correct but when I was looking to put a puller fan in my GT I read a few threads which stated that you have either a puller or a pusher and not both. The reasoning was that whilst the puller is best adding a pusher in front of a puller can put no more air through than what the puller would suck ie they don't add together and they can even produce a resonance and you get less air. At worst the pusher is blocking out air that the puller could have sucked.  It seemed to make sense.

I settled for two 9" high power puller fans which have got me through a 2 hour almost stationary traffic jam on the M25. I have louvres in the bonnet which lets the air out when moving below about 20mph and with the windows open you know when the fans come on. The engine temperature stayed at 85 with an outside temperature of about 21/22 c .

Ian

[pspeaks]

Thanks Ian, I was kind of thinking that myself.  I think two 9" fans side by side would have been better for me too to give the pulleys a little more room, and I might do that in the future.  I woke this morning to a rather white and icy day here in Dallas, TX so I wish I was in Manchester where my daughter lives.  Instead I'm going to spend the day in the garage tinkering with the GT.  There's always something I can find to do, after all, it is a MG, but I love it :-)


Paul

[K9RWR]

I installed the nostalgic A/C system in our 67 MGBGT a couple of years ago and it works great. I am also installing the same unit in my MGB V8 conversion with one puller and pusher electric fan. I think you will be happy with their unit. We also live in the Waco TX area so having A/C is really not an option if you want to drive it in the summer.

[mstemp]

Ian,

I have read the comments about the use of 1 pusher and 1 puller fans many times. Funny though if you look at many new cars from the 1990 and even today you will find this exact setup in use. I think the trick may be in having them not overlap the same area of the cores.

Mike

[hirot]

Mike, that would make sense. From what I had gathered a problem could occur when the two fans were opposite each other or overlapping and I guess in the confined space of a V8 in the B the fans will more than likely overlap.
 
I settled for a fan either side of the original pulley set at the top of the radiator. I had the original MG yellow plastic fan and decided to not use it.

The other thing I have not as yet added is an oil cooler as it interfered with the bottom of the radiator and am still trying to work out where to put it. I was just thinking of getting a finned copper tube which would add a little more oil in the system and fastening somewhere out of direct line of the radiator....but where ?

The down side to the two fans is that if you use the V8 oil filter bracket, you can't change the oil filter without removing the oil pipes. So, another fun job is to move that somewhere.

Ian

[pspeaks]

OK, it's now 20 degrees here in Dallas and I've abandoned the garage for the computer and a mug of hot chocolate.  Got to get a bigger heater for the garage I think.  Thanks to you guys I think I've got my HVAC system planned out with a pretty good parts list.  I've been toying with the idea of installing my MG oil cooler (a new one with better hoses that is) but can't find a location I like either.  There seemed to be plenty of room before the 302.


Paul

[mstemp]

Heater for the garage? In Dallas, come on Paul!

Just fired mine today, it's was -30 C last night here so I think I am justified. Hot chocolate does not help at these temps, maybe a full bottle of single malt will.

Mike

[pspeaks]

Believe it or not Mike, it was 20 degrees here last night but I think you're right a good single malt might help.  It isn't so much the cold as it's been in the low 20's for three days and everything is still covered with ice.  I'm not complaining about the temp but I guess I need to make myself feel better about putting my feet up and not getting stuff done on the GT.  Actually I just made that up, at my age I don't really need a reason.  Besides, that's not cold compared to the north and it not unusual for Texas.  Is this what they mean by global warming :-)


Paul

[rficalora]

Heck, I think it's COLD!  It was in the 30's here in Houston...  I had to put the top up earlier this week.  Even hooked up my heater which hadn't seen power for 8 years prior to that .

[hirot]

I can appreciate the need for air conditioning in the sort of temperatures you have but how do you get the under hood temperature down even before you add the extra heat created by the aircon radiator ?

Above about 25mph my engine runs around 82 and stays there even on a hot (UK hot) day and below that speed the two 9" puller fans cope easily, however, when I stop for 5 minutes the heat just soaks in and the fuel evaporates, making starting a pain. I am about to try a phenolic spacer to see if it helps.  

I can't start to imagine how hot it must get in the very confined engine space in your heat, as at slow speeds one problem is getting enough air through the radiator and the other is getting it out through the engine bay.  I have louvres above the wrapped exhaust headers, which go out through the wings, and when my fans come on the hot air blows out the louvres and straight down the heater vent by the wind screen. The upside is that it will keep the ice of the screen, the downside is it gets hot in the car in summer.

Will your aircon replace the MG heater box ? if not where will you draw the air to pass through the the cooling matrix ?  I only ask as I would like to remove the MG heater box and use the vent to feed cool air into my Edelbrock.

Ian

[avbates]

My AC unit picks up fresh air from the passesnger footwell