3.6 A/C Upgrade

[962]

Dropping a 3.6 in a 80's Carrera. No room for a Engine Bay condenser as it's a Varioram or maybe full bay intercooler.

What can I do to improve my A/C, while the engine and trans are out?

Please advise......

[wwest]

New rear spoiler to contain the condenser plus 2 Spal fans..?

Or Zims fender mounted condenser/fan assembly, $500.00.

[SilberUrS6]

First and foremost, DO NOT take any advice wwest gives out. If he happens to offer opinion that is confirmed by someone (anyone) who is more knowledgeable, it is merely a coincidence, and not with intent. His advice will cost you money to no effect.

You do not give a location, so it's hard to tell how much AC money you're going to need to spend. If you actually want a cool cabin, it's going to cost you some coin. First, call Charlie at Griffiths Technical and talk to him about a true bolt-on system that removes the rear condenser from the system. You'll need new hoses, a drier and probably an upgraded front condenser.

With all that excellent condensing capacity, you'll want to move the cool into the cabin with an upgraded evaporator and evaporator blower. Yes, the system will cost you some money. If you want to be comfortable on the hottest day, then the money will be well-spent. I won't tell you that you'll get it back on resale, but a functional AC system in these cars can be a positive when you're trying to sell.

BTW, I am not affiliated in any way with Griffiths Tech. Just a satisfied customer.

[Ronnie's.930]

As Eric mentioned above, what you need to do is very dependent on where you live - what works in South Dakota will not even come close in Texas.

[962]

Thank-you for the responses. Live in New York, but go down to Miami Beach and it's hot & humid down there.

Maybe I'll take a trip to Texas. I want it cold everywhere I go... Wife's ...'Hot Flash Hot Flash '

Don't care about re-sale value as it's a keeper.

I just want the best functional A/C system, for comfort. I'm sure the stock 3.2 system can be improved upon.

I'm having engine work done, and probably should choose the best compressor money can buy to get started.

Which one? 95 993 engine...

Leaning towards the Griffiths System.

[shbop]

Adding the third "Zimms" unit to a customer's Carrera, along with a new evaporator and barrier hoses, was all it took to have a cold a/c. Since you're losing the deck lid unit, you'll have to figure-out a place to install a third condenser. There just isn't enough condenser area in the stock configuration. What ever you do, make sure it cools effectively. They, (condensers), get really hot. Since you've already done business with Kuehl, perhaps you should buy the sister unit for the drivers' side rear wheel well. Hopefully someone will post that has gone down the same path, and not used the deck lid unit.

[wwest]

Originally Posted by SilberUrS6

First and foremost, DO NOT take any advice wwest gives out. If he happens to offer opinion that is confirmed by someone (anyone) who is more knowledgeable, it is merely a coincidence, and not with intent. His advice will cost you money to no effect.

You do not give a location, so it's hard to tell how much AC money you're going to need to spend. If you actually want a cool cabin, it's going to cost you some coin. First, call Charlie at Griffiths Technical and talk to him about a true bolt-on system that removes the rear condenser from the system. You'll need new hoses, a drier and probably an upgraded front condenser.

With all that excellent condensing capacity, you'll want to move the cool into the cabin with an upgraded evaporator and evaporator blower. Yes, the system will cost you some money. If you want to be comfortable on the hottest day, then the money will be well-spent. I won't tell you that you'll get it back on resale, but a functional AC system in these cars can be a positive when you're trying to sell.

BTW, I am not affiliated in any way with Griffiths Tech. Just a satisfied customer.

"..not affiliated..."

Other than a TON of buyer remorse due to paying $$$$ for what could have been accomplished for less than $200, or in the worse case $500 for a Zims condenser/fan assembly.

Misery LOVES company...

OP appears to already have a Griffiths fender condenser/fan..

In which case my recommendation would be to do some research to find a new fan of equal size but higher CFM volume. I would suggest you consider a fan with the aerodynamically curved blades as they seem to give the most "bang"(CFM) for the "buck"($).

You should also seriously consider the use of a trinary pressure switch for controlling the condenser fan(s). The switch would work to keep the condensers within the most optimal range for efficient heat transfer.

In leu of a pressure switch a thermal switch with a fairly wide hysterisys would work.

[wwest]

Originally Posted by 962

Thank-you for the responses. Live in New York, but go down to Miami Beach and it's hot & humid down there.

Maybe I'll take a trip to Texas. I want it cold everywhere I go... Wife's ...'Hot Flash Hot Flash '

Don't care about re-sale value as it's a keeper.

I just want the best functional A/C system, for comfort. I'm sure the stock 3.2 system can be improved upon.

I'm having engine work done, and probably should choose the best compressor money can buy to get started.

Which one? 95 993 engine...

Leaning towards the Griffiths System.

Keep in mind that Griffiths does NOT publish prices and we all know just what that can mean. So go to other resources first to get competitive pricing. The Second issue with Griffiths is that they only sell KITS, so you likely will be buying something, or some "things" of less value "tied" into the "KIT".

It's a real shame that the anti-trust laws against "bundling" products does not apply.

[Ronnie's.930]

Originally Posted by wwest

"..not affiliated..."

Other than a TON of buyer remorse due to paying $$$$ for what could have been accomplished for less than $200, or in the worse case $500 for a Zims condenser/fan assembly.

Maybe I missed it at some point, or was too stupid to recognize it, but when/where did Eric indicate "remorse" over his a/c purchases from Griffiths? As you are fond of saying, link please.

[brads911sc]

I bought single components from Griffiths. I have zims, Rennaire, stock and Griffiths parts in my system. So like Eric says. Ignore wwest. He just makes it up as he goes...

[wwest]

Originally Posted by Ronnie's.930

Maybe I missed it at some point,

or was too stupid to recognize it, but when/where did Eric indicate "remorse" over his a/c purchases from Griffiths?

Think on it, it'l come to you,...............


As you are fond of saying, link please.

....eventually.....

[brads911sc]

Another wwest theory. I have not met anyone who has a griffiths rennair or retroaire system with buyers remorse. Think its just wwest covering his lack of knowledge. He is quite the naysayer for systems that actually perform as advertised. Of course he lives where the ambient temps are 75 degrees in July so he has no skin in the game.

[Ronnie's.930]

Originally Posted by wwest

....eventually.....

So this is you playing games again - you wrote that Eric is suffering buyers remorse over purchasing a/c components from Griffiths, I ask for proof of that, and you tell me that I should look for the evidence that validates YOUR claim? And somehow that makes sense to you?

[brads911sc]

Nothing wwest says is based in logic... If I have buyers remorse I am not saying good things... Why positive comments = buyers remorse is unknown to me. Very strange.

[Ronnie's.930]

Originally Posted by brads911sc

Another wwest theory. I have not met anyone who has a griffiths rennair or retroaire system with buyers remorse. Think its just wwest covering his lack of knowledge. He is quite the naysayer for systems that actually perform as advertised. Of course he lives where the ambient temps are 75 degrees in July so he has no skin in the game.

Right - this is one of many examples where he makes a statement, not in an attempt to contribute to the topic of the thread, but merely to make "noise".

[Ronnie's.930]

Originally Posted by brads911sc

Nothing wwest says is based in logic... If I have buyers remorse I am not saying good things... Why positive comments = buyers remorse is unknown to me. Very strange.

wwest is definitely the only person I have ever been aware of that equates positive comments with "buyer's remorse"!

[SilberUrS6]

Originally Posted by Ronnie's.930

Maybe I missed it at some point, or was too stupid to recognize it, but when/where did Eric indicate "remorse" over his a/c purchases from Griffiths? As you are fond of saying, link please.

Yeah, he's said the same thing before.

It's nothing more than a silly lie. I have never written anywhere that I regret spending the money, and in fact am GLAD I spent the money. I have functional (nice and cool, even) AC, even in the hot, desert summer. He won't link it, because it doesn't exist.

I don't know why he feels the need to lie about something like that. My AC posts are easily searchable. By anyone.

And how on earth could I have possibly gotten this kind of function for $200? The car's AC didn't work all that well at speed, even with a full, new charge. The evap blower was weak, and the air coming out of the vents was, at best, coolish.

Adding fans to the decklid would not have improved the performance of the system. All his other idiotic suggestions would have been band-aid fixes - tint the windows? Stupid. Change the interior color. For $200? LOL, sure. Add a fan to the decklid? When the car is moving at 65mph down the highway, and the air coming out of the vents is barely cool, how does this fan help, again?

It doesn't. His continued assertion to the contrary is just plain stupid.

[SilberUrS6]

Originally Posted by Ronnie's.930

So this is you playing games again - you wrote that Eric is suffering buyers remorse over purchasing a/c components from Griffiths, I ask for proof of that, and you tell me that I should look for the evidence that validates YOUR claim? And somehow that makes sense to you?

I'm not. It's just a stupid lie.

I have zero remorse, and am in fact a very satisfied customer. My only quibble was with the decision to go full flex hose along the car, instead of using AC aluminum tubes. I have wondered about that. Lighter and stronger, but more fittings?

Actually, I wonder why Porsche didn't use hard lines.

Now, wwest might wish to turn this into some sort of implied criticism, in order to prove his point. It isn't. It's merely a question of "why", due to lack of knowledge on my part. Unlike wwest, I don't immediately make an assumption and then assert that the assumption is true, even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. I ask questions. And seek knowledge.

In any case, wwest is just plain lying when he says I have buyer's remorse. It's not true, and never has been true.

[SilberUrS6]

Originally Posted by Ronnie's.930

Right - this is one of many examples where he makes a statement, not in an attempt to contribute to the topic of the thread, but merely to make "noise".

A lot of noise.

But if the OP is smart, he'll be able to separate out the stupid from the wise.

[962]

Which compressor folks for my upgrade?

York or Nippon Denso ?