Djbone Posted 29July, 2018 Report Share Posted 29July, 2018 Has anyone had direct experience of an air conditioning guru in Sydney who can be trusted to restore and/or upgrade air conditioning for a 1985 3.2 911 Carrera (my car had factory air con and still has all the bits, but compressor does not work). Has anyone had experience and any views on the Griffiths air con upgrade systems - or the retro air electric systems? By the way, I know and accept many disapprove of such softness, but the joy of this car is new to me, and I don't really want to leave it parked during Sydney summer. Cheers and regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
privatepang Posted 30July, 2018 Report Share Posted 30July, 2018 Use search function and there are a fair few threads on air con. Remember reading a @Pork Chops thread about retroair Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike D'Silva Posted 30July, 2018 Report Share Posted 30July, 2018 I have a spare compressor from a 964.. I replaced it when I had my aircon fixed. The compressor works, but got a bit noisy.. the fitter told me I could have just put a "kit" through it rather than buy a new one.. Yours if you want it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter M Posted 30July, 2018 Report Share Posted 30July, 2018 3 hours ago, Djbone said: ........ but compressor does not work). By the way, I know and accept many disapprove of such softness.... Boney There is a fair chance the compressor is fine and is not engaging because the system has insufficient pressure to safely operate. There is a pressure activated safety switch either near the compressor or on the receiver that could be temporarily “jumped” to confirm this the case. As for those who think these cars are better without air conditioning in Australia, I’ve found them to be all dickheads to a man so just ignore them. There is a couple of good AC threads on PFA that are worth a look. Don’t bother with the Pelican or other forum threads, just a waste of time. Please post how it all works out. AdRock and clutch-monkey 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Djbone Posted 2August, 2018 Author Report Share Posted 2August, 2018 Cheers and thanks for all the replies. I thought I had replied directly but now seems that I failed, so thanks anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autojack Posted 19August, 2018 Report Share Posted 19August, 2018 I installed a Griffiths system in my car last year, right before moving to Oz. I expected to get a lot of use out of it last summer, but the import and registration took longer than expected so I haven't really put it through its paces yet. It is charged and blows cold though, so I'm optimistic that it will perform on hot days. I replaced everything except the compressor and deck lid condenser, and added an additional rear fender condenser as well. Happy to answer any questions about the install process, my research, etc. Incidentally, cars from that era do not have a pressure switch for the compressor. Part of the Griffiths system install involves adding one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter M Posted 20August, 2018 Report Share Posted 20August, 2018 If they did, they generally only had a binary pressure switch to prevent the compressor seizing when operated on low refrigerant pressure (and therefore little lubrication). Since the introduction of r134a it’s normal to have a trinary switch to protect the system when either low pressure or excess pressure situation exists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Djbone Posted 6October, 2018 Author Report Share Posted 6October, 2018 On 8/19/2018 at 10:07 PM, autojack said: I installed a Griffiths system in my car last year, right before moving to Oz. I expected to get a lot of use out of it last summer, but the import and registration took longer than expected so I haven't really put it through its paces yet. It is charged and blows cold though, so I'm optimistic that it will perform on hot days. I replaced everything except the compressor and deck lid condenser, and added an additional rear fender condenser as well. Happy to answer any questions about the install process, my research, etc. Incidentally, cars from that era do not have a pressure switch for the compressor. Part of the Griffiths system install involves adding one. How far did you go with the Griffiths upgrade - for example, did you go with the additional vent over the existing bow tie? Very interested to hear how it goes when you get a chance to try out in real world Oz conditions. Cheers DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autojack Posted 6October, 2018 Report Share Posted 6October, 2018 Other than the components I mentioned, I did get the Griffiths center vent upgrade. The one that turns the center footwell blower into a straight ahead blower. I still have to install that, and seal up the evaporator box and some other openings. Ping me in January and ask me how it's doing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Djbone Posted 6October, 2018 Author Report Share Posted 6October, 2018 11 minutes ago, autojack said: Other than the components I mentioned, I did get the Griffiths center vent upgrade. The one that turns the center footwell blower into a straight ahead blower. I still have to install that, and seal up the evaporator box and some other openings. Ping me in January and ask me how it's doing Thanks, will do. All of my research so far has been really positive about the Griffiths stuff, so I would be surprised if you are not happy with it. Did you also go with the upgrade blower control and thermostat? DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autojack Posted 6October, 2018 Report Share Posted 6October, 2018 9 minutes ago, Djbone said: Thanks, will do. All of my research so far has been really positive about the Griffiths stuff, so I would be surprised if you are not happy with it. Did you also go with the upgrade blower control and thermostat? DJ No I didn't upgrade those, I decided to try without. I can always do those later. I confirmed that my existing thermostat works. Hopefully I got it positioned right in the new evaporator, that's key to getting good temperatures. I shot and narrated a lot of video during the install, when I finally finish the last couple of items I will get that edited and posted to YouTube. The only serious alternative to the Griffiths solution that I'm aware of is the new Classic Retrofit electric AC kit. It looks really impressive, and I think initial impressions have been very positive. But it costs about $1k USD more than the Griffiths kit, and I just couldn't justify that cost for a weekend car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Djbone Posted 7October, 2018 Author Report Share Posted 7October, 2018 Great mate - video will be most interesting! DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clutch-monkey Posted 7October, 2018 Report Share Posted 7October, 2018 i don't have the retro air system, but had a very similar setup made for the E9 (big open glasshouse). it worked quite well, not as good as a modern car system but better than a traditional 911 system (have one upgraded on the 964). i will be going the retro air system based off this, and to keep the engine bay free of clutter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Djbone Posted 10October, 2018 Author Report Share Posted 10October, 2018 On 10/7/2018 at 2:04 PM, clutch-monkey said: i don't have the retro air system, but had a very similar setup made for the E9 (big open glasshouse). it worked quite well, not as good as a modern car system but better than a traditional 911 system (have one upgraded on the 964). i will be going the retro air system based off this, and to keep the engine bay free of clutter. That retro air system is an interesting solution - and interested to hear how you go with it. Do you know anyone who has direct experience of their system on a 911? The Griffiths system gets good feedback and, if properly set up, will probably give better cooling. At the moment I am tending towards the Griffiths system, as I know someone who has done it and is very happy with it. It is also a bit more in keeping with originality of my car, which was delivered with factory air. Cheers DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clutch-monkey Posted 10October, 2018 Report Share Posted 10October, 2018 3 hours ago, Djbone said: That retro air system is an interesting solution - and interested to hear how you go with it. Do you know anyone who has direct experience of their system on a 911? The Griffiths system gets good feedback and, if properly set up, will probably give better cooling. At the moment I am tending towards the Griffiths system, as I know someone who has done it and is very happy with it. It is also a bit more in keeping with originality of my car, which was delivered with factory air. Cheers DJ i am the opposite - the retro air is a neat compact option and gets it all up the front of the car, keeps my engine bay clean (have ITB's as well), and experience with the electric aircon in the E9 showed it was good enough for a weekend drive or road trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Djbone Posted 11October, 2018 Author Report Share Posted 11October, 2018 Fair points, let me know how you go. Cheers DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autojack Posted 15October, 2018 Report Share Posted 15October, 2018 Welp, I took the car to get washed today, and as it was about 26C on the way home I decided to click on the AC. It blew nice and cold! I was really pleased! When I got home about 5 minutes later, however, I could hear a telltale hiss coming from the back of the car :( I popped the engine lid and could see all my precious R-134 venting out the center of the condenser (sorry ozone layer). I replaced the nose seal and all o-rings in the condenser during my rebuild project, and this was the one part that I was worried I might have got wrong. I can't remember now what my concerns were. I think it was either that I might have put the seal in backwards, or that I didn't lubricate it, or something like that. I've already emailed Griffiths to see if I can get just the seal in replacement, and I'll also check to see if he thinks I did anything wrong. Hopefully it will be a quick fix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Djbone Posted 15October, 2018 Author Report Share Posted 15October, 2018 1 hour ago, autojack said: Welp, I took the car to get washed today, and as it was about 26C on the way home I decided to click on the AC. It blew nice and cold! I was really pleased! When I got home about 5 minutes later, however, I could hear a telltale hiss coming from the back of the car :( I popped the engine lid and could see all my precious R-134 venting out the center of the condenser (sorry ozone layer). I replaced the nose seal and all o-rings in the condenser during my rebuild project, and this was the one part that I was worried I might have got wrong. I can't remember now what my concerns were. I think it was either that I might have put the seal in backwards, or that I didn't lubricate it, or something like that. I've already emailed Griffiths to see if I can get just the seal in replacement, and I'll also check to see if he thinks I did anything wrong. Hopefully it will be a quick fix. 1 hour ago, autojack said: Welp, I took the car to get washed today, and as it was about 26C on the way home I decided to click on the AC. It blew nice and cold! I was really pleased! When I got home about 5 minutes later, however, I could hear a telltale hiss coming from the back of the car :( I popped the engine lid and could see all my precious R-134 venting out the center of the condenser (sorry ozone layer). I replaced the nose seal and all o-rings in the condenser during my rebuild project, and this was the one part that I was worried I might have got wrong. I can't remember now what my concerns were. I think it was either that I might have put the seal in backwards, or that I didn't lubricate it, or something like that. I've already emailed Griffiths to see if I can get just the seal in replacement, and I'll also check to see if he thinks I did anything wrong. Hopefully it will be a quick fix. Ouch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autojack Posted 18June, 2019 Report Share Posted 18June, 2019 I've been meaning to come back and update this topic, in case anyone cares. Regarding the compressor, I confirmed that the nose seal failed, and I had installed it backwards. But upon further inspection, I also found evidence of metallic wear and breakdown of the compressor itself (in the form of fine metal particles in the oil). So I opted to just replace the compressor outright. Once that was done, I finished up the last couple of little jobs on the project (mostly sealing up various gaps to minimize air loss in the system, and installing the additional air vent in the cabin) and then got the system charged up again. By the time all this was done the hottest days of summer were already past, but eventually I got lucky with a 26-degree day when I had some free time. I took the car to run some errands, and left it parked in the sun with the windows up for awhile, so it would warm up inside. It got to 31 in the cabin, and then I turned on the AC full blast. Within 8-10 minutes the air temperature coming out of the vent was down to 0.6 C. I think it would have gone colder if I had let it, but I was briefly concerned that the thermostat should have been cutting off the compressor by that point, to prevent icing of the evaporator core. But I later checked, and found that it cuts off at a few degrees below zero, and that's OK. So, job done! I did get to drive it a few more times before the summer ended, and the system worked great. Hopefully next summer I'll really get to use it regularly, after all the time and effort I put into this project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
privatepang Posted 4February, 2021 Report Share Posted 4February, 2021 On 18/06/2019 at 11:05, autojack said: I've been meaning to come back and update this topic, in case anyone cares. Regarding the compressor, I confirmed that the nose seal failed, and I had installed it backwards. But upon further inspection, I also found evidence of metallic wear and breakdown of the compressor itself (in the form of fine metal particles in the oil). So I opted to just replace the compressor outright. Once that was done, I finished up the last couple of little jobs on the project (mostly sealing up various gaps to minimize air loss in the system, and installing the additional air vent in the cabin) and then got the system charged up again. By the time all this was done the hottest days of summer were already past, but eventually I got lucky with a 26-degree day when I had some free time. I took the car to run some errands, and left it parked in the sun with the windows up for awhile, so it would warm up inside. It got to 31 in the cabin, and then I turned on the AC full blast. Within 8-10 minutes the air temperature coming out of the vent was down to 0.6 C. I think it would have gone colder if I had let it, but I was briefly concerned that the thermostat should have been cutting off the compressor by that point, to prevent icing of the evaporator core. But I later checked, and found that it cuts off at a few degrees below zero, and that's OK. So, job done! I did get to drive it a few more times before the summer ended, and the system worked great. Hopefully next summer I'll really get to use it regularly, after all the time and effort I put into this project. Guess 1.5 years later @autojack any more reviews on your Griffiths system? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autojack Posted 4February, 2021 Report Share Posted 4February, 2021 It's all good! I've been driving the car more often over the last couple of months, and any time I turn the air con on it's nice and cold, even when it's in the 30s outside. And that's in a black on black coupe as well. Happy to answer any questions about it. Peter M 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coastr Posted 4February, 2021 Report Share Posted 4February, 2021 I have a Griffiths upgrade on the way inlcidng new compressor evaporator and wheel well condenser. I didn’t get the air vents and plan on re-using the original front and rear condensers. By the time I get it all and get the time it will probably be winter. I’m happy to read your experience though. I’m hoping it can be a 12-month car and do lots of miles. I also bought a Bluetooth phone/audio that works with the original stereo and some other audio upgrades. With a good phone mount I’ll be in the modern era. Might even attempt a cruise control repair after that lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autojack Posted 5February, 2021 Report Share Posted 5February, 2021 19 hours ago, Coastr said: I have a Griffiths upgrade on the way inlcidng new compressor evaporator and wheel well condenser. I didn’t get the air vents and plan on re-using the original front and rear condensers. By the time I get it all and get the time it will probably be winter. I’m happy to read your experience though. I’m hoping it can be a 12-month car and do lots of miles. I also bought a Bluetooth phone/audio that works with the original stereo and some other audio upgrades. With a good phone mount I’ll be in the modern era. Might even attempt a cruise control repair after that lol. If you're near Melbourne at all, I'd be happy to meet up and show you my system and talk about the install process, tips, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coastr Posted 6February, 2021 Report Share Posted 6February, 2021 Unfortunately not anywhere near melbourne, but thanks for the offer and I'll DM if there is anything I am stuck on. Still waiting on parts to arrive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrera86 Posted 1April, 2021 Report Share Posted 1April, 2021 Hi Coastr , How did you go ... I am looking at getting my one done too , do you buy it in a kit or do you have to make up the components online and is the Griffiths upgrade the way to go , why doesn`t the original system work is it the long pipes ,what makes this one better thanks in advance PS Also looking at getting my valve guides done at the same time ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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