740 air con?

[billyboggins]

how easy/is it possible to add a/c to my '86 740 gle estate?

[jacksonb123]

Very easy, just open the window ;-)

Sorry couldn't resist it.

I'd imagine it'd be fairly complicated. My 760T has aircon which I'm thinking of removing but the parts are :-
Front auxillary fan.
Condenser (looks like a radiator but sits in front of the coolant/engine rad)
Compressor.
Dryer.

You'd also probably need the dash control panel electronic bits that run the system.

Obviously I haven't tried this myself. Just trying to list the parts you might need.

If you could pull these parts of a 700 with air con you could have a go yourself. Could be a tough job tho.

Regards
Ben

[hawaiianblue]

also the evaporator that fits in the heater, tbh it probably means a complete heater from an AC'd car.

It's a fairly big job and would involve a good weekends work if you get all the parts, but i wouldnt say especially hard to do, just means a lot of stripping down to fit the compoents behind the dash etc

[readview]

Hi,having worked on both types i can tell you it would be a pretty major job,doable but time consuming.I could mail you the parts out but if you decide to have a go i would recommend going to a breakers and removing the parts yourself as you have never done it before.This way you will learn what you need to do and how to do it without making any errors/breakages on your own car and ending up off the road.The whole dash needs to come out as you need everything behind it,including the heater matrix,pipework and control panel.Dont forget the relays and get any associated wiring in case your loom needs adapting.You will also require all the ac pipes running from the bulkhead to the compressor/evaporator/condenser and os course the compressor(+brackets and belt) and the condenser and evaporator themselves.When removing any engine bay parts that have electrical connections be sure and leave them plugged in and cut the wiring as far back as you can,this will be useful to match the wire colours to your car when fitting or you may need the wires to add to your loom if it does not have them.Remember to check your bottom crankshaft pulley,most had provision for the extra drive belt but if not you will need this too.It sounds a lot and to be fair,it is,but it is time consuming rather than overly technical.If you are capable of,say,a head gasket replacement,then you should be able to tackle it,but the fittings inside the car can be fragile and it is important to excersize patience and as there are plenty of small parts,make notes as you go,diagrams may also help.Finally,if you can,get the breaker to discharge the a/c system in the donor car,but not by hacking through a pipe!!
Hope this helps,Adam.

[billyboggins]

thanks for all the time you all took to reply.....think i'll just open all the windows and roof!!

[Mike1967]

Maybe just buy a car that has working air con and sell yours on ?

Havnt had much need of it this summer , if you can call it summer ! !

[Jod T5]

Originally Posted by readview

Hi,having worked on both types i can tell you it would be a pretty major job,doable but time consuming.I could mail you the parts out but if you decide to have a go i would recommend going to a breakers and removing the parts yourself as you have never done it before.This way you will learn what you need to do and how to do it without making any errors/breakages on your own car and ending up off the road.The whole dash needs to come out as you need everything behind it,including the heater matrix,pipework and control panel.Dont forget the relays and get any associated wiring in case your loom needs adapting.You will also require all the ac pipes running from the bulkhead to the compressor/evaporator/condenser and os course the compressor(+brackets and belt) and the condenser and evaporator themselves.When removing any engine bay parts that have electrical connections be sure and leave them plugged in and cut the wiring as far back as you can,this will be useful to match the wire colours to your car when fitting or you may need the wires to add to your loom if it does not have them.Remember to check your bottom crankshaft pulley,most had provision for the extra drive belt but if not you will need this too.It sounds a lot and to be fair,it is,but it is time consuming rather than overly technical.If you are capable of,say,a head gasket replacement,then you should be able to tackle it,but the fittings inside the car can be fragile and it is important to excersize patience and as there are plenty of small parts,make notes as you go,diagrams may also help.Finally,if you can,get the breaker to discharge the a/c system in the donor car,but not by hacking through a pipe!!
Hope this helps,Adam.

excellent advice adam, it is not a project i would wish to undertake, only yesterday i had to replace a section of piping around the pressure valve, having done this i found a leak at the low pressure sensor soon sorted with a new O ring...this was hard enough so i cant imagine the aggro of a retro-fitting.....
cheers
jod