14 replies to this topic

[thecentennial]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm hoping some more mechanically minded classic mini owners will be able to contribute to this question.

 

Will this fit under the dash:

 

http://www.carbuilde...nditioning-unit

 

 

..more importantly, will these fit in the engine bay?

 

http://www.carbuilde...-380-x-360-x-50

 

http://www.carbuilde...le-a-drive-belt

 

or this one..

 

http://www.carbuilde...sor-poly-v-belt

 

 

I know I may not a definite yes or no but any feedback is appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Anthony

 

 

 

 

 

I havent bought the mini yet, the outcome of this question will determine if I buy the MPi, SPi or neither. I'm hoping it can be squeezed into one or the other (and no, I cant just open the windows, the summers hit 50c where I live )

 

 

[freaker]

with some thinking and fabricating yes...

or buy a kit from a japanes kit.....


freaker

[Tupers]

Seen as you haven't bought a Mini yet I would definitely consider buying a Japanese market Mini. They came with AC from the factory which all fits in very nicely and very have little to no rust on them. 

[thecentennial]

Ah, forgot to mention - I will be installing into a factory LHD car (no conversions allowed where I live) - so that rules out Japanese imports, and kits from japanese cars, as they are manufactured for RHD cars. I've also searched high and low for one, contacted jap mini garages and requesting they put together a kit for me - no luck so far. This is the only opion available to me at the moment.

 

Freaker - when you say fabricating, do you think you would have to reduce hte size of the radiator, or are you refering to fabricating e.g. pipes/hoses etc to make it work?

Edited by thecentennial, 12 February 2014 - 08:30 AM.

[freaker]

yes imean pipes and hoses, and brackets, maybe a few parts of te japanese aircon sytem can help. with the install, brackets on engine and such sort


freaker

[xrocketengineer]

First of all, the factory air conditioning cars were SPI and not MPI. The MPI with the radiator up front has no room for the compressor. As freaker said, the brackets for the compressor and alternator for the Japanese car are the key. The compressor bracket attaches to the regular attach points for the alternator on the block and the water pump. The belt from the crank and water pump drive the compressor on the outer groove of the pulley.  The compressor pulley inner groove drives the alternator with a very short belt.

 

 

 

The compressor bracket also has the tensioner pulley for compressor belt.

 

 

The alternator pivot bracket attaches to the two extended length head studs close to the thermostat with a second nut.

 

 

The compressor has a small bracket with a slot for the adjustment of the alternator belt tension.

 

 

Item No. 2 is the compressor bracket but is no longer available:

 

http://www.somerford...age=page&id=105

Edited by xrocketengineer, 12 February 2014 - 09:25 PM.

[thecentennial]

Brilliant. What a great post with some fantastic photos. Really appreciated.

To clarify, are you saying I can only fit AC to an SPI?

Also, you mention the bracket specifically, but not the compressor. Can I use a different, equally small, compressor from a different manufacturer, as long as I can make the bracket fit (like the one from carbuildersolutions) or do I also need the jap compressor?

Finally, where would the condenser/fan assembly fit in an SPI...inside the wing...and again do I need the jap condenser?

Anthony

Edited by thecentennial, 15 February 2014 - 01:53 AM.

[bluedragon]

SPI would be easiest because it's been done on a factory scale for the Japanese market. There was no factory A/C for the MPI models per se, but Astro Air devised an MPI A/C kit that was sold on new Minis. 

 

The front mounted radiator of the MPI would foul the SPI A/C compressor - so what Astro Air (and every other MPI A/C maker has done that I've seen) was create an A/C mounting bracket that pointed the compressor the opposite direction of the way the SPI compressor is mounted. The "back" of the compressor faces towards the left wing (which is fine on an MPI since they have the radiator in front.)

 

Unfortunately, I have in 7 years of searching, never found a good picture or diagram of the compressor bracket for the Astro Air. Having such a bracket "cracks the code", so to speak, for A/C installation in an MPI. With that mounted, any competent A/C shop could round out the rest of the system.

[xrocketengineer]

Any small Japanese compressor that fits on the bracket should be OK I think. The condenser on mine is located on the right inner wing with a fan inside the the wing. The ECU is relocated behind the grille.

 

 

 

On some earlier models the condenser and the ECU have swapped locations.

Edited by xrocketengineer, 15 February 2014 - 03:32 PM.

[tiger99]

How much power does the compressor need to drive it? Just wondering if you could fit a hugely uprated alternator, a fairly routine mod these days, and not necessarily larger than the original, so you could put the compressor almost anywhere (under the driver's seat, perhaps?), and drive it from an electric motor.

[siukeong]

Dear all mini owner,

 

I need your help, me facing a problem to install compressor on my mini 998cc.
i found that my engine screw hole is not match with the bracket. do i need to customize it?

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[Dan]

You have an older A series engine but a compressor bracket designed to fit a later A+ engine. You will have to fabricate a new bracket.

[xrocketengineer]

Nevermind.

Edited by xrocketengineer, 18 April 2015 - 04:38 PM.

[siukeong]

thank you DAN... ~ :)

[justminis]

Apologies for reviving an old thread.  I've done a search and this is the closest I've found.

 

I am fitting Japanese spec A/C to my Aussie Clubman van using an A series block.  The factory A/C bracket suits the A+ block.  Same problem as siukeog above but not that bracket.  The bracket I have is same as shown in the http://www.somerford...age=page&id=105

link from above.

 

Has anyone modified the factory bracket to suit the A block?  An extension will need to be added to the bracket, wondering the best way to do this.  Is the factory bracket steel that would allow welding of the extension piece or is it cast iron?  

 

Pics would be helpful if anyone has done this.

 

Many thanks.