Thread: Aftermarket A/C - 300Tdi dual cab

where do you plan to mount it? on the roof? under the rear seat? I've seen similar actually installed above the rear door (on 110 wagons)

I'd suggest a better condenser too.

The standard one is a Sanden MFC-2068AE, which is just a universal, off the shelf unit, and IMO the fin pitch is too small (fin spacing too close/very high FPI) which doesn't allow good airflow through the coil.
In a Deefer the air tends to pack up in front and not flow through as the air pressure in the engine bay is relatively high.

If you can find one wider and taller with a lower fin pitch, it would work better and place less strain on the engine cooling system, or alternatively vent the engine bay with a cutout in the LH guard as Serg/uninformed did on his 110 ute.

Originally Posted by EchiDna

where do you plan to mount it? on the roof? under the rear seat? I've seen similar actually installed above the rear door (on 110 wagons)

Hi EchiDna. After much deliberation over many years, I've decided to mount it on the roof above the back seat. The big plus is that it's in the right place. Hot air rises so it will be drawing the warmer air, and the cooled air will fall. The EV2208 doesn't quite fit under the seat but I probably could have made it happen somehow. The biggest problem I saw with it in that location is ducting the air. There's virtually no way of getting it up to a high point in the cabin without obstructing windows. With the unit on the roof, there will be one small "duct" with the two gas lines and the water drain running up one of the rear pillars. The roof location does limit head room for the centre rear passenger a little, but I'm 5'9" and I still have an inch or two to spare, and given that most of the time my 1'9" dog will be the only rear passenger it shouldn't be an issue.

Originally Posted by rick130

I'd suggest a better condenser too.

The standard one is a Sanden MFC-2068AE, which is just a universal, off the shelf unit, and IMO the fin pitch is too small (fin spacing too close/very high FPI) which doesn't allow good airflow through the coil.
In a Deefer the air tends to pack up in front and not flow through as the air pressure in the engine bay is relatively high.

If you can find one wider and taller with a lower fin pitch, it would work better and place less strain on the engine cooling system, or alternatively vent the engine bay with a cutout in the LH guard as Serg/uninformed did on his 110 ute.

Rick, as always you are a wealth of information . I will discuss condenser options with the A/C place when I take it to get plumbed up. I have a feeling my existing one is going to be cactus anyway (just a hunch).

As for the guard vent - it was on the list after I installed my VNT, but I had forgotten about it of late. I have admired Serg's vent in the past (). I actually found some mesh in my junk store a few days ago; this week end perhaps.....

James.

Originally Posted by rainman

[snip]

I have admired Serg's vent in the past ().

[snip]
James.

I'm sure he'll be chuffed

A little more progress has been made.

I was having all sorts of trouble finding a "neat" location for the control, when my wife came along and suggested I pull it apart. I'm finding more and more with things that I do that it really helps to get a fresh perspective (thanks honey ).

So, instead of using the whole "box" (pic in the first post of this thread) I removed the two separate units (I guess they are rheostats?), and mounted them into the blanking panel on my roof console. While I was at it, I also mounted the MP3 player holder that had been lying around for a while.

Before:


After:


The duct for the air will run right up to the centre of the console, so the wiring will be able to sneak through there. Once the A/C is in the stereo head unit will fill the hole on the right hand side.

Now to the mounting of the evaporator - I've used four M6 nutserts into the most rear roof bow. Four could be overkill, but the mounting bracket had provision for them so I figure it's better to be safe that sorry, and better to spread the load across a wide section of the roof. A single M6 nutsert also went into the inside roof gutter, dead centre at the rear, for the vertical rear bracket. A picture is always worth a thousand words:

Nutserts, inserted:




I do love nutserts; such a brilliant idea .

Hopefully more progress will be made this week end amidst the headlight relays installation and the mesh going onto the headboard.


James

Brilliant - watching this with interest.


Does this mean that ALL the rubbish in the passengers footwell can be ditched and all you have is the new A/C unit in cab and the underbonnet stuff?

Why the giant condensors you see on some aftermarket installs? (or does your plan have one too?)

What's your ballpark estimate for the whole job? (including the parts and labour)
I ask because my aircon is cactus, my lady demands air con, and I dont want to spend money on fixing the existing unit if it can go towards a better setup like this.

I found the following info on, of all places, an Alfa forum. (Seems they get sick of cool knees and poor air con as well)

Formula King, 12V, Jayair P/N EV2208. Produces 18,000 BTU's, & 310 F3/min air flow. Enough to cool a mini bus. This unit only produces cooling . If you need to cool and heat a unit like the EV2213 would do but it is only rated at 12,000BTU

which got me thinking whether a heater one would be useful.. The heater wouldn't get much use in Brisbane (none probably) but could be handy when heading up to Toowoomba or down into NSW in the winter. Hmmmm

Originally Posted by VladTepes

Brilliant - watching this with interest.


Does this mean that ALL the rubbish in the passengers footwell can be ditched and all you have is the new A/C unit in cab and the underbonnet stuff?

Why the giant condensors you see on some aftermarket installs? (or does your plan have one too?)

What's your ballpark estimate for the whole job? (including the parts and labour)
I ask because my aircon is cactus, my lady demands air con, and I dont want to spend money on fixing the existing unit if it can go towards a better setup like this.

Hi Vlad.

Yes - I have nothing left below the dash and in the passenger footwell (and no more holes in the firewall to rust up ). The condenser is the bit in front of the radiator, like another small radiator. The evaporator is the bit inside. From memory the EV2208 evaporator that I am using is about 400mm wide, 325mm deep, and 160mm high so there's still "enough" head room for the occasional centre rear passenger.

All up I'm looking at around $1100 utilising the existing compressor and condenser, with me mounting the unit, and doing the wiring up to the firewall, and then the A/C specialist doing the plumbing, gassing, replacing the receiver/drier, and finishing the wiring. On top of this there will be the material cost of the ducting that I'm making to run along the centre of the roof, but that's probably going to amount to less than $100 worth of 1.2mm aluminium sheet, rivets and screws, some vinyl, and a few air diffusers. I'm fully prepared for more costs like a new condenser though. I've spent the past three years and tens of thousands building this vehicle exactly how I want it so there's no point skimping now .

Like you, air conditioning is "high on the list". The standard unit I had in my previous Defender, a 110 single cab, only just kept up so having stripped my current 130 as soon as I bought it and never having got to try it's effectiveness in a dual cab, I figure it won't be enough. The evaporator in my 110 started leaking gas many, many years before I sold the car and I never bothered to have it fixed because it wasn't worth the cost.


James.

"I've spent the past three years and tens of thousands building this vehicle exactly how I want it so there's no point skimping now"

Sounds exactly like me. Done just about everything I wanted and what irritated me and am also now down to the aircon. Have been looking at the same head unit but haven't figured out the ducting and pipes to the roof