vintage air below Stato dash

[utevanwgn]

006.JPGHi , don't know if its a vintage air unit but I found it on ebay $200. It is barely good enough but if you can find a way to boost the fan speed it would be better, I know this because I did with a separate power inverter which I use to power other stuff and it is good for 40+c days.
The whole system including the crimping tool for the ac hoses cost under $1200 that is with all new stuff and a bit of shopping around. The hose kit came from the USA and had all the fittings and dryer the condenser , under dash unit and compressor from AU.
Here are some shots of my van , some may have done the firewall differently but I figure it can be put back to std easily.
I would seriously consider the intake mod fix for the bracketing you can find some shots of it in my other rides thread .
mazda turbo build 009.JPG

[wbute]

I might have it wrong but, it can't work in the cavity behind the b pillar. It is a low pressure area with no flow through air at all. The fan has to pump air through the evaporator which then travels out the vents. You would have to run vent tube all the way to the dash outlets. The evaporator needs to be close to the vents to cool efficiently?

[utevanwgn]

No such thing as cant and pressure is relative all you would have to do is open a vent into the cab and it would recirculate

[wbute]

Ok it can work. Pressure is not relative. Hence why bonnet scoops work better facing the windscreen than the front of a car. It's also why your air conditioner draws its air from the same low pressure area at the front of the windscreen and not the grill. You will also have a massive problem with condensation on the inside of the windscreen in cold weather. Most car ventilation systems draw air from outside when on the defogger setting. Never on recirculate.
I think the under dash vintage air is a good way around the problem. You need to think about draining the condensation that forms on the receiver drier though. It will rust the floor pans out the way it is.

[utevanwgn]

I don't know about cars drawing air from outside when in defog.
In my experience in very humid conditions some manufacturers recommend using the ac circuit to dehumidify the air and if needed the heater to worm it up again. Have a read of the owners user manual.
The inderdash units all have drains for condensation that it is going to make water is a given.
Blowing hot wet air at a cold windscreen is instant fog material. Ive allways had better results demisting screens with the ac on. Try it sometime or don't you have aircon.
Air pressure between the sealed cavity behind the B pillar (if it is sealed ) and the inside of the cab is not going to be effected by outside air pressure .
There is also no such thing as never.

[308mate]

Thanks for the banter guys. Heres a pic of the engine bay

bay.jpg

Another of the pano

pan1.jpg

I think the movement of the throttle body is a great Idea, but I dont think I'll go that way. I think the V6 conversions solution will suit. Not too certain on the evaporator however...

[utevanwgn]

Nice . So its a vt 5l sequential injection ,4L60e ?
I understand leaving the tb where it is means the covers can stay.
All my stuff is VR and I don't care much for the covers . Plus for all the searching I did I didn't find those brackets .
I like the air cleaner mod however here in WA the plod would knock it back (for emissions reasons ) so we are forced to fit factory airbox .
Even though there is no dept of transport emissions testing here in the great state of WAIT A WHILE.

[damienengland]

Thanks guys.

As Utevan mentioned, the problem in the engine bay is the throttle body position, so I think the V6 conversions solution to move the alternator
and put the compressor where it goes is a good one.

I have a catalogue with the same evaporator as you picutre Damo. I think its just an evaporator & has no heater, which could mean that I could keep my existing WB Stato fan & demister & possibly plumb it up un the rear cavities, if it fits. According to my calculations it might be just too large. Have you tried that evaporator for size in those side panels?

I was not really thinking of runnin a split or twin system, although I'm sure the cooling would be amazing. It seems you are saying that the vintage air is adequate Utevanwgn. Which model did you use, how'd it go under the dash?

Cheers in advance

Hi 308mate. I haven't got to the install stage so i don't know the physical implications of this unit in the void area, but i am keen to see what you do so please keep this thread updated. Cheers

[wbute]

I don't know about cars drawing air from outside when in defog.
In my experience in very humid conditions some manufacturers recommend using the ac circuit to dehumidify the air and if needed the heater to worm it up again. Have a read of the owners user manual.
The inderdash units all have drains for condensation that it is going to make water is a given.
Blowing hot wet air at a cold windscreen is instant fog material. Ive allways had better results demisting screens with the ac on. Try it sometime or don't you have aircon.
Air pressure between the sealed cavity behind the B pillar (if it is sealed ) and the inside of the cab is not going to be effected by outside air pressure .
There is also no such thing as never.

Yeah I fitted the integrated air into my WB. I have also had to keep the AC working in 35 year old tractors on my farm for the last 10 years, plus all the other gear on my farm.
Once again someone has not read the thread and then replied half cocked. I actually wrote; most cars draw the air from outside when on defogger. Not on recirculate.
Yes it is a given that you run the heater and AC to defogger your windscreen. But never on recirculate. If yu put the evaporated in that cavity, it effectively has no option but recirculate. Your car will fog up fantastically even with heat and AC on.
The other point you didn't read was the receiver drier, not the evaporator. It will build up condensation and rust the floor out. It needs to be in the engine bay. Not to mention you have to pull the dash out when ever you re-gas because you need to change the receiver drier. Just trying to point out that it is just dripping straigt onto the floor pan. I realise the evaporator has a drain.

[utevanwgn]

All taken in good humor but the drier is in the high pressure line and in my experience it does not get cold I may be wrong but I haven't had water condense on it.
As for changing it, it is no more difficult than most cars. I don't have to pull the dash out to get to it.
Im no rocket scientist and I didn't mean any disrespect but 308mate wanted some input from folks who have used similar systems so that's what I did.