To the V Mount guys, I'm doing a custom setup but this time around I'm trying to keep my A/C. I live in GA and I want to enjoy this car. Anyhoo, where are you guys sticking the condenser?

Side note, have any of you tried another condenser? Perhaps a smaller one?

 

I am also doing a v-mount thinking about the same thing. I was thinking about not taking up grill space and putting a electric fan on it like an oil trans cooler and tucking it away under the car.

 

I have plans to make a v-mount and keep a/c. My thougths have been to use Aeroquip braided a/c lines for flexibility, look at condenser options (there are many out there, find an auto a/c supply house), and possibly mount the condenser behind the radiator.

That's a thick radiator you've got there. Please keep us update how your project goes. Looks like you're going to use electric water pump.

Hopefully some others who have made a custom v-mount and kept a/c will speak up but I haven't seen many posts about it in the past.

Jack

 

This is what i did with mine,in your case if you'll decide to put it in the same place you might need to put your radiator to a wider angle !

 

That was my first choice. I just didn't want to cover up the nice radiator with the ugly condenser. But playing with it, it looks like that's the only spot available. Imma look at it one more time. Thanks for the input.

 

The condenser must be before the radiator. The air coming off the back of the radiator would result in a head pressure that the compressor could not operate under.

What compressor are you planning on using?

 

The kit that Speed of light built for me puts the condensor on top of the radiator and he modifies (cuts and welds) the stock a/c line from the compressor so that it works in the new mounting location.

Not cheap but very well engineered, effective and quality packaging.

 

Can you elaborate on this? Is it because the air after the radiator is too hot? I've seen hidden A/C kits for hotrods that has A/C behind the radiator. I am planning on using stock compressor. This is how I have it fitted, but it's not set in stone. I can mount it anywhere and make my own lines. I just can't seem to come up with a good spot. This location will give me 3.5in ground clearance opposed to 4.5in factory spec. I am planning on making a rebar across the condenser to protect it. ow that you said I can't mount it behind the radiator, I need to look for a new spot. I tried the top of the radiator but it's just too damn ugly. I couldn't do it. The reason I'm a little tight is the I/C is a HKS 4 row, it measures 6in thick and the radiator is a custom Ron Davis, almost 2.5 times thicker than stock.




Thanks for all the input.

 

Excellent set up ,i love all your coolers specially the oil ones,i dont know if its gona be easy but you could try fitting the ic on top and mounting the fans to the condenser right under it, i think it would be much more efficient.And in the photo there is an idea on how to protect everything from under.
Off topic but i noticed the sway bar ,i think its an AUTOEXE like mine .If you 've just put it on remember to spray some silicon on the rubbers cause they make a hell of a noise when they are new.

 

Thought of that too but the radiator is custom. The pan ducts are actually part of the radiator. It's basically one unit. I'm gonna take another look at it. If I get some sort of confirmation that it's OK to mount the condenser behind the radiator, I'll look at that. If not, back to square one.

 

One thought i had was to put the condensor inbetween the rad and IC horizontally (or close to) in place of the separator plate and mount a really thin spal fan on top of it and pulling air up to the IC so that it cool the IC at the same time...soons feasible? of course it would require a really wide angle to allow ample air flow. One concern is that the rad and condensor would be fighting for air flow at standstill..which i doubt would be that detrimental..the bigger concern is that the condensor would be sucking hot air from the rad thru the condensor and warming it up and also the IC. To get around that you could still use the separator plate below the condensor with a small air gap with a slight incline..lets say 1.5" - 2" so that is can pull air thru but not be sucking the hot air from the rad.

 

Yes. If you're getting 180 degree air off the back of the radiator that would result in a head pressure of 383 psi (if you're running R-134a)....which assumes the condenser is 100% efficient....which it isn't. WAAAAY too high.

Also, looking at your current setup, you couldn't put a belly pan on there because then you'd get virtually ZERO air flow through the condenser. You'd have to build some sort of cage with heavy duty wire mesh to protect it from road debris....condensers are pretty delicate little critters....espescially the parallel flow type which is what the stock unit is.

Was there maybe a separate duct or air source for the condenser? If not then that system probably didn't cool very well and ate through compressors like nobody's business.

That means you're limited to the stock quantity of cooling capacity (~18k BTU) which means that you can reasonably expect a parallel flow condenser with the same surface area as the stock unit to cool just as well. If you get a condenser other than the stock unit, make sure you get a parallel flow unit.

Do you want it to be pretty or do you want a working air conditioner? Besides....after a few thousand miles the radiator and intercooler will be just as ugly as the condenser is from bugs and dirt and oxidation and rocks.

So, did you calculate the amount of cooling that you needed, or did you just go buy the huge-*** special for everything?

The reason I ask is that it would seem that one huge-***-special oil cooler would be sufficient. You could get rid of the other oil cooler and put a condenser on the other side if you can find one that fits, and fit a fan in there with it. Alternatively since you appear to have WAY too much oil cooling capacity, find two condensers that will mount in front of the oil coolers and run them, with fans in series. The condenser(s)-in-the-fender(s) idea would only work, however, if you're using a front bumper with a significantly larger than stock opening over there.

I suppose your other option would be to mount it in front of the intercooler. What sort of temperature rise are you expecting from the compressor on the turbo?