I did it too...Pro Cooler Mod for my A/C - Page 2

Elu · 08-10-2005, 05:39 PM

delicate bump

wanabe911 owner · 08-18-2005, 11:23 AM

I also upgraded my air but I changed the rear condensor to a paralell flow unit and installed a 12" Puller fan, I had to backdate my heat though. Here is a pic

Elu · 08-18-2005, 01:41 PM

That's a really interesting install for the electric fan. How does your system work?

88911coupe · 08-18-2005, 02:23 PM

Alex, can you provide some details on the condensor, i.e. supplier/manufacturer and price? It looks curved as if designed for a 911 rear deck. Did you do anything else with your system and what were the results...are you happy with it?
TIA

wanabe911 owner · 08-19-2005, 09:41 AM

Hello, I guess by my original post it would imply that "I" myself changed the condensor out. I had Vertex Auto do the AC upgrade, they changed everything, compressor (Sanden) rear condensor, added puller fan, hoses, RD, exp valve, evaporator (aftermarket) blower motor (again aftermarket). My A/C blows freaking cold! But it was not cheap, $2k installed...

88911coupe · 03:45 PM

Alex,
What evaporator did they put in?

bigchillcar · bigchillcar's Garage

elu,
great writeup..hanks for taking the time.

it would have been an interesting data point just to see what difference it would have made if you had just bought a cheapo receiver/drier from like napa for about $30. they supposedly work just fine..i think the jury is still out on the exact gain with the procooler. great idea on fabbing the rear deck to accomodate two 10-inch fans. this means i can go this route instead of cutting up my air box this fall. i'm going to add barrier-style hoses this fall as well. what about you?
ryan

Elu · 08-22-2005, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bigchillcar
elu,
great writeup..hanks for taking the time.

it would have been an interesting data point just to see what difference it would have made if you had just bought a cheapo receiver/drier from like napa for about $30. they supposedly work just fine..i think the jury is still out on the exact gain with the procooler. great idea on fabbing the rear deck to accomodate two 10-inch fans. this means i can go this route instead of cutting up my air box this fall. i'm going to add barrier-style hoses this fall as well. what about you?
ryan

Ryan,

To be hones, I didn't want to just try the standard receiver/dryer...and I could have...but from everything I have read everywhere (huge amounts of information) everyone said the same thing, their air conditioners just didn't work. Mine worked when I got it but had a small leak in the York compressor. It lasted a few weeks at best and didn't blow cold at all....just cool at best..Probably fine in CA, but living in New Mexico with 100 degree temps, I couldn't take it and I didn't really want to spend the money on the compressor only and experiment to see if that would fix it...so I opted on the procooler mod. I have read a few positive reports on it and I believe that everyone who has done it says that is does give you an extra 20 degrees and I wanted every extra bit I could get. Even my mechanic said that mine was the coldest he has ever seen. He didn't think that doing what I wanted to do to it would fix it and he tried to talk me into (3) condensers. For $5000 total price...I don't think so. He wouldn't do the work because he said it most likely wouldn't work and he didn't want to be responsible. So I did it myself and had him vacuum check the system and recharge it. He had installed a pro-cooler on another one earlier this year, but it was nominal at best and he could not figure out why mine was so much colder. I honestly think it is the combination of everything I did to it, procooler included.

The electric fans are definately helping as well. I was worried about noise, but you can't really hear them over the engine. I don't know what kind of hoses are in my car. I know that the system was upgraded a couple of years ago from the R12 to a 134 system. So I imagine that the hoses are newer. They seem to be in pretty good condition. How can you tell if they are barrier type or not?

wanabe911 owner · 08-22-2005, 12:08 PM

Ryan: They used a evaporator from a BMW M3

Hugh R · 08-22-2005, 06:52 PM

R134, new hoses, front and rear condensors, and a 18 inch square static underneath that I had lying around, seiko compressor, $30 NAPA R/D, I'm getting 36 to 38 degree air on a 90 degree LA slow freeway traffic ride home. Oh, I made a subcooler like Jim Sims, instead of the Procooler, cost was $25, plus two extra short hoses between the subcooler and both sides of the evaporator which I had made when I when I was having hoses made for the rest of the car.

88911coupe · 08-22-2005, 07:16 PM

Can someone post a link to Jim Sims subcooler thread? I can't seem to find it.
TIA

Jim Sims · 08-23-2005, 01:48 AM

Subcooler (Procooler) plumbing question

Elu · 08-23-2005, 06:35 AM

So how many people have done Jim's modification? It looks easy and cost effective.

Hugh R · 08:52 PM

Not hard. A little futzing around to get the subcooler stuck behind the steering rack and getting the hoses to fit properly. With short hoses between the subcooler and the evaporator, you don't have a lot of room to play. I would buy the hoses and fitting loose, get them fit where you want, mark them with a sharpie and then have them crimped.

rnln · 04-15-2007, 12:54 PM

Hi Elu,
Do you still have the fans on top of the condensor? The reason why I asked this question because I found someone claimed that pulling mode fan on the bottom of the condensor is doing better job. Not sure if this is true. What is your opinion?
Also, do you still remember the sources where you get the fan from?
Last question I have is wiring the fan, if you still remember.
Thanks Elu.

Quote:

Originally posted by Elu
Here's the pics of the installation...after the fact.

This is the electric fan I installed in the tail cavity. There are two but they don't show in the camera really well.

This is from below. Note the plastic pull type achors through the condenser coil. They come with the fans. Remember that I removed the steel shroud from the fans so that they can mount in the cavity.

This is the new compressor...a Sanden 507 with some custom hose connectors.

The Pro-Cooler in the front wheel well.

And this is the evaporator behind the passenger floor boards. One with carpet and one with the carpet stripped away.

Elu · 04-16-2007, 06:17 AM

hey rnln,

Most definately they are still on top. And they are still performing in top condition. I can't complain. No mods to the airbox or filter that way. Here is a link to the purchase page. http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=PRM%2D19010&N=700+115&autoview=sku

As far as wiring, they are wired into the clutch of the compressor via a relay. I am bringing power from the battery in front. I routed a nice thick 8 guage wire through the front wheel well and under the rocker panel. And I made sure to tuck it behind hoses and such to keep it safe and then routed it through a small hole in the rear wheel well and over to the relay at the compressor. I used a 20amp in-line fuse in the front trunk. It was very easy, just time consuming. If you read more of this thread you will see that the fans are pullers and I flipped them upside down and mounted them on top of the condenser coil so the are now basically pushers. Pullers would be more efficient...however because of the size of the fans and the associated CFM's they work wonderfully and they fit in the Turbo tail cavity.

I hope that answered your question.

rnln · 04-16-2007, 10:19 AM

Thanks Elu,
Can you point out the disadvantage of getting power for the fan from the AC compressor instead of from batery? Or maybe from the rear fuse box (on the left side of the engine bay)

Elu · 04-16-2007, 10:36 AM

Because the fans draw 6.5 amps each that would be about 13 amps total load. There is a start up current of about 175% of the running load current so that would bring it up close to 23 amps during start up. A 20A fuse would cover it. I don't believe there is power at the compressor, just the control circuit. If you have a spare 20A fuse at the rear fuse box then you are in business. But you definately need a dedicated 20A fuse.

rnln · 04-16-2007, 05:54 PM

Thanks Elu

Richard559 · 08-06-2007, 05:16 PM

I want to thank you guys for this information I am adding the pro cooler to my 1980 911SC next week, it has the original R12 and factory air. My blower motor froze up last week and I figure since I have to break the seal on the evaporator might as well it make it colder.it blow about 50 deg now. I am going to do just the Pro Cooler first because I am curious to see how much difference it make by it's self. If i don't get the results i am looking for then I'll add the fans and so on until I get something I can live with. It is not uncommon to get temps. of 103 here so you really need air conditioning.