Looking for AC parts

eriknetherlands

eriknetherlands

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Hi all,

I'm planning for my E9 a conversion to AC. It's a real bonus, though I will miss the nice wooden tray that has to make room for the front vents.

I have some parts, but i'd still like to find:

- L and R center console wood parts. I can reupholster myself, so any condition is OK.
- original Aluminium front vent. I know they exist as 3D, but i have to many 3D prints at work already :)
- the 2 switches that stick in the front vent
- the black plastic mailbox type airduct that sits on top of the heater box, splitting the air to (i think) window and front vents (#13 in image)
- 2 old red hoses - Either I'll use them if they don't blow up, or I'll see if i can get copies made to be as close as possible.
- associated brackets (interior are #1 and #7 in image)
- associated relays (in the electrical parts image #1 pn relay 61 311 351 317, #4 pn Relay 61 311 354 841, #7 Relay 61 311 352 232, #18 Relay pn 61 311 373 585)
Who can help me acquire those parts?

My plan is to keep as much as i can truly original, but willing to sacrifice in the engine compartment for sake of cooling performance.

Already have the heater box with the heat exchanger and squirrel cage fan.
I hope to be the next owner of the 2 nice plastic covers for the Console side parts that @aguirola is selling.
I do not yet have, but plan to purchase the following as new parts:
- Sanden 709 compressor,
- the York mounting bracket,
- condensor,
- dryer (& bracket?)
- expansion valve.

Some questions i also still have:
- Part #15 in the image is called "resistor'. Where is it located, what does it do, and do I need it?
- the engine bay also has an " Vibration damper" which has part, no 64 531 353 040. Does it dampen vibrations in the cooling fluid, and do I still need it if i go for a new Sanden?
- My car (today, still) is an Automatic, so it already has an additional fan up front. Will the AC Consendor fit between this additional fan and the engine coolant radiator?
- I guess the wiring needs to be modified. Is it best to lay new wires next to my OEM and almost perfect wiring harness?
- If I do not install a radio, is there a way to keep (partially) the wooden tray?


Who has some of these parts on offer?
Any other parts I'm missing?
Advice is also welcome!

warm (or cool?) regards,
Erik
 

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-you won’t need the vibration damper, that’s for the old style York reciprocating compressor, the rotary 709 doesn’t need it. If you eliminate it, this would make your desire to reuse the red hoses unworkable due to the high pressure one being too short. Not sure if the old red low pressure one would be long enough to reach the 709 depending on where the ports are. Also, the red hoses have flare fittings so you’ll have to adapt the 709 (or the hoses to o-ring) from o-ring to flare and I don’t know if that’s possible. I suppose the 709 would work with the damper if you want to keep it looking stock up top but of course it’s no longer stock with the 709 and you have 2 more potential leak points.

-which York bracket are you referring to? The one that came on the car or the one to adapt to the 709? Regardless, you’ll need both. A better solution is the later model block bracket (similar to the power steering bracket) with the adapter made by Layne. Much improved setup.

If you find a source for new red hoses let us know, I have not been successful finding any so I am going with modern reduced barrier hoses - smaller diameter and more flexible. I think a better solution is to find a source for dark red hose fabric to slide over new hoses then have the fittings over the ends to give it a clean look. The old red hoses by now surely will be problematic and leak. You also have fewer fitting options if you stay with flare, they’ve phased most of them out in favor of o-ring. So far I have also been unable to find a suitable looking hose fabric, all are too bright and cheap looking, maybe painting the fabric but I question the longevity. I am about to run my new ac lines and am close to giving up on anything red. I’m also hiding the dryer in the nose clip for less congestion in the bay.
 
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First of all, the non-AC dash is so much better looking than the AC dash, I'd put up with a little warmth just to have that. :love:

Second, even with a modern compressor, condenser, condenser fan, dryer, evaporator, hoses and expansion valve, the AC in my E3 does not operate like a modern AC system. I'm blowing cold air...


IMG_9529.JPG


...but not enough of it. The combination of all the glass in an E3 and the weak blower motor that doesn't push enough air, combine to make the system marginal when compared to a modern system. Hopefully a modernized system in an E9 (less glass area) works better but check with others that have done what you are planning to do.

My understanding of the fan blower speed switch is that with the switch all the way to the right (clockwise) full power goes to the fan. Just short of all the way to the right is a detent that provides slightly less power to the fan by use of that resistor. From there to the off position, power is variable through the potentiometer built into the switch.
 
You are right on how the switch works - or replace the old style switch that inevitably breaks with an Indak 3-speed with the resister coils on the switch - has worked well for me. I inherited a system with a rotary compressor of some kind that had been upgraded to 134a at some point - the fan is original and for me moves plenty of air, even on hot 90+ chicago days I don't run the fan full one or I'll freeze. In stop and go however the car will start to run a bit hot so at some point will add a pusher fan.

the resistor is in the back of the blower unit - I believe it not only provided added resistance for the variable speed but also some heat to prevent the condenser from freezing up - they break over time and using the switch with resistors on it will eliminate the need to deal with it since it's not easily accessible once the system is installed
 
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I understand your thoughts and concerns on the resister in the evaporator box.
To date I haven’t had any go bad.
I have seen the Indak switch with resisters glow bright orange behind the panel and it worried me.
 
Perhaps replace it with a new and beefier, higher voltage spec resistor, like we do in the vintage hifi/tube amp world.
 
As a big heads up- Matt aka

x_atlas0​


Is the brains behind the 3D AC manifold creation. Interested parties should reach out to him for purchasing!
 
sfdon said:
As a big heads up- Matt aka

x_atlas0​


Is the brains behind the 3D AC manifold creation. Interested parties should reach out to him for purchasing!
Click to expand...

Yep, it's true, I've been working with Don for the last few months on this intermittently. (day job takes up most of my time.) Don's been doing test fits, and I've been through a few revisions based on his feedback. The part he's shown is not a 1:1 copy, but an improved part, and is considerably more robust than the original unit. I can start up a new order thread, just like I did for the gas cap holders.

If enough people are interested, I also have the equivalent part for the E3, so I can make a new design to fit those too.

Erik, I'm in the same boat, I want to add AC, so I've been gathering parts for years. I snagged most of the system from an E3 about 10 years ago, but getting all the coupe-specific interior parts is awful. At this point, I've had to make my own intermediate housing, (part 13 on your diagram) get the AC vent face panel, get @aguirola's console sides, and make my own side vent panels that go on those console sides. I'm still working on the exact print process for the face panel, but I have made a CAD file that *should* fit.

All these troubles have pushed me to purchase another heater box, because I want to create a custom, drop-in replacement for all the interior bits and make the heater box a heater + AC box, as is typically done on modern systems. If I can pull it off, I'm also planning on switching the blower system to a brushless motor, but that's going to take some more work. Either way, it's going to take some time for me to make it. Once I have the whole system put together, I'll make a thread about the whole kit. Given the workload from my day job, however, that will likely be quite some time from now.
 
I have often wondered, as I see pretty much every "modern" car/SUV/Van etc has tinted windows, how much this helps the performance of an air conditioning system. If ANY car acts like a magnifying glass, increasing the power of the sun, it is our '70s BMW Coupes and sedans. Many here have added tint to especially the rear glass. I believe that is a great start. Personal taste will decide how much tint, but I expect a big difference on interior car heat could be had for a modest 35 or 50% tinting, which shouldn't look that dark from the outside, but should give the Coupe/E3 a/c units a break.
 
This Spring I am getting my windshield and rear glass clear tinted - invisible but cuts at least 50% UV which should help a lot. You'll need a competent shop to do this, the compound curves are very challenging.
 
Stevehose said:
This Spring I am getting my windshield and rear glass clear tinted - invisible but cuts at least 50% UV which should help a lot. You'll need a competent shop to do this, the compound curves are very challenging.
Click to expand...
Yes, this is the point. Competency. All kinds of shops will agree to try. But we all gotta be picky before we trust our Coupes to any installer. ;)
 
Stevehose said:
This Spring I am getting my windshield and rear glass clear tinted - invisible but cuts at least 50% UV which should help a lot. You'll need a competent shop to do this, the compound curves are very challenging.
Click to expand...
i wonder if this would be easier to do while the glass is out of the car? are they putting the film on the outside of the rear glass? curious how it would work with the rear defroster on the inside
 
rsporsche said:
i wonder if this would be easier to do while the glass is out of the car? are they putting the film on the outside of the rear glass? curious how it would work with the rear defroster on the inside
Click to expand...
Probably, but then I would think there is the risk of damage when the window goes back in. Perhaps @Drew Gregg could chime in - he had this done.
 
Film has to go on the inside; it won't stand up to being on the outside of the glass. I had an installer tell me that the defroster would eventually create problems with the rear tint. I think the issue was with the adhesion of the defroster to the window after the tint was installed. Without tint, we don't really notice if a small portion of the defroster pulls away from the window; with tint I was told this will show.
 
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