Adding A/C to a non A/C VX?!
 

What would it take and would it be worth it to add A/C to a non A/C Civic VX? I live in Georgia and it gets hot down here.

I have a non-working AC on my VX which I'm trying to get working again.
The prev owner said the compressor sparks. I'm looking for a compressor - anyone have one here for sale?
Gary

You have A/C already in from the factory, but I'm wondering if its possible for a non A/C civic VX.

Yes, it is possible. If you go all new parts from Honda, it'd be about $800 for all the wiring harnesses, compressor, evaporator, condensor, fan, button, etc.

Since you are the King of VXs, would you happen to have a write up on doing this? What parts could I get from a junkyard and which ones would be better to get new?

If the VX has never had A/C, it will take a lot of work installing all the A/C lines, condenser, compressor and evaporator. My current 92 VX had A/C but the compressor was taken out well before I bought it in 2005 (probably because it didn't work any more). I bought a used compressor and installed it myself. It was still difficult because all the o-rings needed to be replaced for the conversion from R-12 to R-134a and I needed to buy tools I didn't have - a vacuum pump for $100 and manifold gauge for $30. You can do it if you have the time and $$$$ but be sure to inspect the liquid lines (they're the thin aluminum pipes) carefully for leaks before charging with R-134a. I had a liquid line that had a tiny pin hole in it from corrosion that I didn't spot because it was underneath the insulation that covers the line. I needed to replace it after I had already worked on the A/C in April 2006. The repair was done later in August 2006 and that was really difficult to do in the 90+ heat.

If you can, get an A/C system out of a 94 or 95 civic. The condensor and compressor are not interchangeable for the R-12 (92 & 93 Civic) and R-134a (94 & 95 Civic) systems BTW.

You can do it. I would suggest you hook up with someone who is maybe already removing one, because of weight.

What I did was to go the pick a part yard, when they had a 50% off sale. Then I found a Honda of the years I was looking for and pulled all of my parts off of that car. When you install it, I would recommend putting in new o-rings and new oil, for R134. You can use R134 in an R12 system, but you would be better served if you got the parts off of a car that has R134 on it.

When you find a car, check to see if the system still has a little gas. If it does, then you should be good to pull them off and put them in your car. When your done, you will need something to either pull a vacume on the system, or take it to a shop to have done.

The 87 Honda I added A/C to works great. The 89 is still waiting for me to get to putting it in.

ok, its great to know it can be done. Thanks for the input.

I did my 92 civic SI.. Honda makes it plug and play. Make sure you have all the parts!

I bought a vacuum pump at Harbor Freight to evac the system. I wonder how it works....

https://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=3952

How long did it take you to do it?? I found an entire factory air kit for $560 plus shipping. Do you have any instructions on doing this?

It took an good afternoon. I dont have any "written" instructions, but I can answer your questions.

ok, I'll keep that in mine when the time comes, thx

Gary,

You need a really powerful air compressor to make the"air vac" work. You are better off to get a real vacuum pump to do the job.

How many PSIs? I did research on this and in order for me to pull a decent vacuum, I need to do it when it's HOT.. like over 100deg. I forget the reasoning....

To the canadians: can you guys still get R12?
Gary

At least 90 psi with at least 6 cubic feet per minute capacity. The air compressor will need to be fairly big (5 gallon or larger) to deliver a sustained blast of 90 psi.

Heed the advice of someone who has been where you're going. Forget the Air-Vac and get a small rotary vane vacuum pump.

The one I bought was a FJC model 6908. It is a single stage pump with 1.5 cubic feet per minute "suction". It does the job and only cost $99 plus shipping.

As to the ambient outside temperature "needed" to draw a deep vacuum. A strong vacuum can evaporate and pull out the water in the A/C lines regardless of the outside temp since the volume of air in the Civic system is relatively small (PV=nRT). Higher outside temperatures make it easier to draw a vacuum with a less powerful vacuum source (like that Venturi air vac you want to use). My FJC vacuum pump worked fine and it was only 50?F outside when I originally worked on mine in April 2006.

As I mentioned earlier, get the proper tool for the job and make it easier on yourself - especially since you have not done the job before. But as many have said YMMV.

I have a 20gallon tank. Yeah, I will look into the rotary vacuum pump.
Where can I get one at that price?

Thanks,
Gary

Just take the mfg & model # FJC 6908 and do a search on Google or yahoo. I bought this pump from an internet seller - not ebay as I recall anyway. You should be able to get one for no more than $125 still. Not many rental places carry these but you might get lucky find one to rent.

Excellent point. You CAN use R134a in system designed for R12. But you will inevitably end up with a poorly performing A/C if you do. So if you DON'T want to deal with trying to obtain R12, it is best to find a system that was designed to use R134a.

As for retrofitting a Civic without A/C, I have found this to be quite an easy affair. From my experience, everything is pretty much plug-and-play when it comes to installing a FACTORY A/C on a car that did not come with A/C wen new. The same probably cannot be said about aftermarket units.

I converted the Nissan I had and it was working fine when I sold it 2 years later. I converted the wife's 4runner at the same time and 4 years later the AC is still cold. Neither produced cold air as well as they were with R12, but they are cold enough.

Then again, 'cold enough' is a subjective thing hat depends on a number of factors. One is obviosly climate. It has been my finding that converted R12 systems REALLY start to peter out at around 90-95 degrees. And if we are talking 100+ degrees, forget it. Here in Sacramento, 100+ degrees during the summer is not too uncommon. And under these circumstances, the converted R12 system that I had in a Civic some years back was virtually useless.

The kind of driving also made a difference. R134a is actually quite a bit harder to condense than R12. In fact, the condenser itself is probably one of the BIGGEST differences between a system designed for R12 vs R134a. Because of this, converted R12 systems tend to not work well when the car is not moving fast enough to move LOTS of air through the condensor. Trying to get cold air when sitting in traffic is a lost cause.

Finally, there is heat tolerance. Let's face it. Some of us just take it better than others. And I don't take it too well. In fact, I find that MANY A/Cs just don't cut it even with R12. I would HATE to see how they would perform with R134a.

But the bottom line can be summed up rather quickly: if you are installing an A/C in a car that has none, want to run R134a, and have a choice between using a system designed for R12 OR R134a, why would you choose to run an R12 system and retrofit it rather than running an R134a system (which will work better in the first place)?

wow, lots of great knowledge on this board. I actually came across a VX with A/C that I'm in the process of getting. Its great to know that you can come here and get very knowledgable answers and solutions to different technical questions.

get one of those old VW swamp coolers... much cheaper and easier to install

https://farm1.static.flickr.com/117/2...a2000acc_m.jpg

haha thats a good one. It looks like a rocket launcher.

I live in the desert in So Cal, and have lived in Stockton, CA, 50 miles south of Sacramento. I can attest it gets stupidly hot in both locations. As far as heat tolerance, I guess you have a point, but the converted AC in my wife's 4Runner can keep people comfortable in the back seat on a 108 degree day, so I cannot complain, especially since it's practially impossible to get R12 for it. I've yet to be in a car built since the mid 80s that had the AC my father's 72 Buick had when I was a kid. I can remember asking him to turn it down because the damn thing would freeze you to death irregardless of how hot or humid it was outside.

I think the main reason why you would want to put an R12 system in an old car and then convert it is because you can find an AC system that was built for the car, meaning it will bolt in. Maybe there are particular models of cars the crossed over between when the change from R12 to R134 was made, and if so, yes you'd be wise to put the R134 system in. But if not, I would much rather fit an AC system designed for the car where all the hoses and brackets fit and then convert it. This is what I'm doing for my 89 CRX.