3.6 conversion - mostly creature comfort Q's

[BarryJB]

My "new" '95 3.6 mill is sitting in the shop, and about to be installed in my 85 Carrera - membership of the 3.6 conversion club imminent! As my everyday street car, I'd like to keep heat, A/C and... even cruise control.

Stock 993 HE's & cat set-up (with resonant tips) to be retained. Car has a Carrera tail with the stock rear A/C condenser. The 3.6 is getting the single-pulley conversion.

Does the stock 993 cat setup - with or without the stock heat crossover tube - fit a stock 85 Carrera rear end?

Any advice or pointers to helpful threads (I've looked to no avail) on heater, A/C and cruise-control implementation would be greatly appreciated. Anything to do with:

For A/C, does the 993 rear mount have to be used but modified (bent or welded adapters, and reinforced, plus coils relocation) to accommodate the A/C compressor and belt? Does the RSR-type mount allow for A/C (please don't laugh!)?

How much of the stock 993 heater stuff (heat crossover tube, engine compartment blower, etc.,) fits with an rear A/C condenser, and can be usefully retained?



Is the 3.6 blower used - as it is in the 3.2 - to automatically supplement engine cooling?

What A/C compressor type and mount strategies have folks used? (My R-134a converted & upgraded 3.2 system worked great).

Has anyone hooked up the 993 cruise control, preferably using the stock Carrera control stalk?

I wonder if we'll see a 3.6 conversion forum here in 2012...

And a Very Happy New Year to you all...

[tshebib]

Hi Barry, Looks like you've got yourself an awesome Christmas present. I'm waiting for conversion parts from Steve Timmins (search my name "tshebib").
The stock heat tube and cat will fit under the stock valance. If you're using the cat with tips welded on I heard it can be a little on the load side. I'm going with the Happy Crab muffler from Timmins. My friend has it on his '82 3.6 and it sounds perfect. It'll bolt right up to your stock HE's and you'll retain the heater tube. I'm not sure you can keep the factory heater blower. I seem to recall a picture of one on this forum. Try searching "3.6l conversion". You can go directly from the top of the fan to the heater tube and just use the engine RPM to blow the hot air. You will need to convert the exits of the HE's to a smaller size and use longer heat tubes to the chassis. You'll be using the 993 crossmember modified as you mentioned. You really should talk to Steve Timmins InstantG's Home Page
. Maybe other people can chime in with regards to AC and cruise.
I'll be watching your progress as I'm doing a similar conversion.

Tom

[BarryJB]

Tom, I checked out your thread - pretty car, great color - and I like the cyborg look with the eye pulled out for extra cooling ;-). Not track legal but a giant red led lamp in there would look demonic! Re street use, in CA we have to keep everything stock all the way to the cat outlet(s) on post '73 cars...

This forum is phenomenal, and a pretty sharing/caring community. I've found loads of info here on keeping my 3.2 running the last 13 years - and on these conversions - so many cool ideas and cars. It was only a matter of time before my trusty 3.2 gave out - it still runs (no top end or case split work - ever) but at 334k (miles) started making a nasty rattling noise at high rpm... so once I was convinced it wasn't going to be a CA DMV nightmare, the 3.6 was a no-brainer.

I also enjoyed studying the Timmins site, it's very interesting. By all accounts he's a pioneer & authority in this area, and reportedly treats customers well regarding detailed assistance on installation of his kits, so you're in good hands!

However, as my mechanic does quite a few of these conversions here in CA (one of two in San Diego known for these), he already has most all the parts in stock, so I won't need a kit, and while there are plenty of options, it wouldn't be kosher to bug Dr. Timmins, especially as he runs InstantG as a one-man part time business. It also seems not worth his while to sell minor conversion parts à la carte - I asked if he'd sell me a pair of tips, but he declined - as I wasn't buying a kit. Using tips on the cat outlets (probably will add 2 or 3 bolt flanges) may be a temporary but straightforward CA legal solution - I can't legally use solutions like the Happy Crab on my '85 car as it forgoes the stock cat & O2 sensor.

Great re heater tube & cat fitment... re blower, there is a thread here with a link to details of a 964 conversion, with a pic showing the blower assembly fitting into a car with the stock rear A/C condenser, at 964 transplant, which is encouraging, if not definitive. The same posting includes other great info on wiring, etc. too.

I'd like to keep the blower if it fits AND it kicks in to increase cooling (e.g., stop/go traffic), as it does with the 3.2 control unit, otherwise I'll go more your way.

I'm also considering retrofitting the 3.2 cooler both for tidiness and utility (tried alone first, to see if it's enough instead of the usual extra front left fender cooler); there are two great threads on that here.

I take it with the height of the varioram nixing the rear A/C condenser, you aren't worried about A/C in Nova Scotia! That certainly influenced my choice of the '95 engine...

Look forward to seeing your future progress posts...

Couple of weeks before the 3.2 "death rattle":