Side Project - Land Rover Stage 1 V8 Aircon Retrofit

[Jelly_Sheffield]

I have created a separate thread for this, because I'm in the research stage of this idea right now and it's a side-show that might never happen...

But I would really like to fit AC to the Stage 1 I'm rebuilding.


There's a handful of mentions of Series vehicles from 1960 onwards being available with OEM-approved AC, going to US and Middle East export markets, but bugger all details beyond a handful of grainy images on "Rovers North":

It's clear these implementations were clunky and crudely shoe-horned in.

There's also mention that some Stage 1's exported to Aus, and some Perentie's were supplied with a less crude AC system, which used a roof mounted evaporator/blower, that was fitted by JRS on import.

No photos of those, they appear to be rocking horse poo.

Out of idle curiosity I have contacted the Archivist who deals with the Rover Motor Company collection at BMIHT Haydon, to see if they have any details on the various Series AC implementations in the collection, but even if I can find details, I am assuming any chance of finding OEM equipment is right out.

 

[Jelly_Sheffield]

So, that leaves me with the obvious:

• The Stage 1 was a re-use of the engine and running gear from a RRC,
• My crank already pulley has the V-belt groove specifically for running an AC pump that's not fitted
• There's a few complete sets of RRC AC parts for sale cheaply on eBay
• How hard could it be? Right?


Firstly,
Where and how to fit the evaporator seems to be the biggest challenge...

Using the entire RRC blower unit is right out as it's huge, and would go where the tunnel/gear sticks/middle seat are.

Aftermarket units seem to be much the same, all huge under dash units that go in a space that just isn't there.

However, the Landy already has an air handling system (such as it is), and that includes a box with a heat exchanger in it already...

So my current working theory is to somehow adapt the existing heater box to fit an RRC evaporator before the heater matrix, or if that's impossible (because the RRC evaporator is a good 50mm bigger than the heater matrix in both dimensions) find a suitable evaporator from a different car.


Secondly,
My next biggest problem is where to fit the condenser.

Theoretically it could probably go in front of the radiator, just like it did on the RRC.

However there's really not a lot of room in front of the radiator in the stock position, and moving it back is heavily constrained by the viscous fan.

I do have an opportunity to shift the mounts back whilst I am doing the chassis repairs, but I would then need to switch to an electric fan, and swap to a different water pump or find a way to shorten up the viscous fan assembly (clearance is clearance!) which means machining the water pump impeller shaft.


Taking an entirely different tack, on the Hilux there's a diesel fuel cooler mounted on the chassis under the passenger seat, that's a fairly critical heat exchanger which definitely wouldn't want to get damaged...

So as much as people worry about condensers underneath getting damaged, it's probably not as big a concern as is made out?

Underslung condenser it is!


Finally,
There's sorting out the controls...

I could modify the heater box further to include some kind of blend door...

But given the original heating system effectively gives you a binary choice of "Heater/No Heater", making it so that you have a second choice of "AC/No AC" doesn't seem unreasonable.

That would make the controls very simple, fit an additional switch to the dash to actuate the clutch pulley on the AC Compressor, and preserve any temperature/pressure cut-out wiring that's included in the RRC setup.

Giving the driver choices of:
» No Air,
» Ambient Wet Air,
» Hot Wet Air,
» Cold Dry Air,
» Warm(ish) Dry Air.



If you've read this far and want to tell me:
- why it won't work,
- how my thinking is flawed and there's a much better way to do it,
or
- how you actually did do it in your series vehicle.

Please fire away, you might save me a great deal of pain and heartache.

 

[Stuartg1]

I can't argue with any of your ideas, I shall be following this thread.
As soon as the beetle is done Im fancying a LR... before anyone says anything, I know

 

[Wildefalcon]

Retro defender air con

Tried posting this before, must have messed it up.

These guys developed a defender heater box with built in air con. This fits where your heater is currently. Mostly direct fit.

Connect to a RRC Aircon pump and plumbing. Done.

 

[Jelly_Sheffield]

I had seen that, but they don't actually list them for sale on their website...

Ministry of Defender, does a very similar product, for a mere £1,850.00 + vat.

At that price I can happily justify throwing quite a few day's work at building my own version...

(Just goes to show there's nothing new in this world, at least two people have not only had my idea, but developed and commercialised it already).

 

[sako243]

Their website is down currently but I came across these guys recently. Seriously tempting for the 6x6 and just Plumb it into normal vents.

 

[Jelly_Sheffield]

Their website is down currently but I came across these guys recently. Seriously tempting for the 6x6 and just Plumb it into normal vents.
View attachment 507797

Now that's pretty tempting, they have done a fantastic job on packaging it so small.

 

[sako243]

Be careful some of the smaller ones I think are aircon only. I was going to have a measure of the 6x6 since the matrix was supposedly leaking so this might be a nice replacement as with a small tweak to the wing I can use the factory aircon pump on the 4.6.

 

[frank horton]

I thought with L/R u just waited until the door or screen fell out...

 

[Wildefalcon]

No, that's Boeing.

 

[sako243]

Another possibility is so something like Binky did, they used a Defender matrix in their build. With the space available in the wing that might be an option.

 

[Jelly_Sheffield]

Be careful some of the smaller ones I think are aircon only.

I do have two "benzin" eberspacher's sat in the container...

I was planning to fit one in the toolbox area under the rear inward facing seats.

If it would be the easiest way to allow me to have AC, I could be amenable to fitting the second one at the front, although that would mean actually working out how to fix the propex it was going to replace in my mate's camper.

Another possibility is so something like Binky did, they used a Defender matrix in their build. With the space available in the wing that might be an option.

That's a solid thought, it's a better size than the RRC one for sure.

Having dug into the commercially available solutions, most of them won't permit Heat and AC at the same time (or tell you not to manually do that)...

So a self build ensuring a suitable spacing of the evap matrix off the heater matrix to allow for both to happily run at once would actually be a significant improvement.