Now trial fitting the fans. Image Unavailable, Please Login Sent from my SM-N920I using FerrariChat.com mobile app
Finally got a hold of some 50mm flexible duct. It fits the extra outlet I added perfectly Image Unavailable, Please Login Sent from my SM-N920I using FerrariChat.com mobile app
I'm going to mount a vent under the twin gauge set by the steering wheel. Wasn't sure which style would suit, so bought two. If I go with the rectangular one, I'll sand off the ghastly chrome. Image Unavailable, Please Login Sent from my SM-N920I using FerrariChat.com mobile app
The rectangular one sits better, but the round one is still pretty unobtrusive. They would both look a bit better without my toe holding them up. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login BTW, the original plan was to put a small round vent IN the gauge binnacle (instead of the clock), but hellishly difficult, so this is plan B. Sent from my SM-N920I using FerrariChat.com mobile app
Too clever. The only vent that I could find that fits into a gauge hole (~50mm) was from a De Havilland sea plane, and the actual air opening was tiny. I thought 50mm vent equals 50mm hole, but... no. It would have been a neat solution. And yes, I'd still enter it into a concorso (this is Qld, after all) - I'm still convinced that it would be possible to score zero, if you really tried hard.
I could not find any references to temperature ranges or EMC tests for the PWM controllers ... so I assume commercial and not so well tested. It might be a good idea to run it in freezing temp and in high temp as well to see that it works ok and not fails in a bad way. Voltage might not be a problem unless the behaviour at low voltage also leads to failures. In general, consumer products do not work very well in automotive environments.
Once his a/c is tip top, the two final hurdles are the solar panel windshield ("unfixable") and hot air leaks blowing in from the foot well which they did from new. When I drive home from Atlanta which I do many times during the year it is usually late afternoon and I-20 is dead on west for me. The center of my chest feels like an oven from the sun and that windshield. I have even had to hang a t shirt on me like a lobster bib. You don't sit under one with a slope like that but a few other cars. Miserable.
I'm thinking (have been for some time) of putting the 3M Crystalline film on the glass, including the windscreen. I have religiously sealed all the hot air ingress points, although the hole where the electric power steering motor sits needs a bit of attention. I'm also thinking of putting some heat insulation material on the firewall. And I'm planning to instal new door rubbers (maybe the next time I start an insane project).
I’m sure you’ve read my musings on A/C in our cars. I’m pretty convinced that we need a one way valve of some sort to allow egress of air from the cabin. That’s the only way to create a nice flow of cold air in if it can displace the warmer air inside. I have tried opening the windows just a bit and the result is much cooler cabin temps. Just sayin’
OK. So, the radiator, fans, and condenser fit perfectly in the space, but when bolted together as one unit, they can't be manoeuvred to actually get to the space. I tinkered with modifying the fan mounts so they could be installed after the radiator, but it wasn't going to work. So I took this thing out. Image Unavailable, Please Login Sent from my SM-N920I using FerrariChat.com mobile app
Now I've got lots of room! Image Unavailable, Please Login Sent from my SM-N920I using FerrariChat.com mobile app
Fan mounts made. Lots of fiddling to get the tension right on the bolts Image Unavailable, Please Login Sent from my SM-N920I using FerrariChat.com mobile app
Had some help from these noisy bastards Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Sent from my SM-N920I using FerrariChat.com mobile app
Condenser brackets Image Unavailable, Please Login Sent from my SM-N920I using FerrariChat.com mobile app
Condenser fitted Image Unavailable, Please Login Sent from my SM-N920I using FerrariChat.com mobile app
But the top brackets foul the chassis. There's a small dag from the old fan bracket that hits the right one, however, both brackets are touching. Made worse by the gussets that were added. I think I can grind a bit off for clearance without losing too much strength, but otherwise will have to start again. Image Unavailable, Please Login Sent from my SM-N920I using FerrariChat.com mobile app
OK, cut away some of the brackets and now it all fits. They are still quite strong, but I'll put a dob of weld where I cut too far into the gusset (dangnammit!) Next job is planning where to run the a/c pipes. Possibly more cutting needed... Image Unavailable, Please Login Sent from my SM-N920I using FerrariChat.com mobile app