Elan +2 Aircon.

[Shilts]

Successfully managed to put together an Aircon system in my +2, invisible from inside the car but had to sacrifice the glovebox!
Puts out air as low as 6C from the eyeball vents only.

If someone can explain how to upload photos, I have many!

[Baggy2]

Hi
Not sure if this is the 'right' way but if you go to your own post and press <edit> you'll get the text box come up again similar to when you did your original post.
Under the text box there's a button marked <upload attachment>
If you press that a button will appear labelled <choose file>. Press that and a box will open up that will allow you to navigate to the picture(s) you want to upload. Choose the file you want and press <open>. The selected file name will appear beside the <choose File> button. Then press the <add the file> button and your picture will be uploaded.

Blimey that was a struggle and I guess there are those around who can add to or correct my effort. Anyway I'd like to see pictures of your installation so I thought I'd give it a go.

Best of luck
Baggy

[Shilts]

Tried that without success.
It says my photos are too large.

[GLB]

I had the same problem last time I tried to upload a photo. My son showed me that you have to reduce the size of the file that contains the photo. I am certainly not computer literate but maybe I can help. My pictures were take on an iphone and maybe you can reduce the pixel count on the phone before the picture is taken but the picture can also be edited before trying to upload it. I have a windows machine and you can reduce the pixel density either by a percentage or by reducing the actual count. At the far right of the tool bar when the picture is being shown are three dots. Click those and an edit function appears below. You can then reduce the pixel count and that photo should upload. Again I am not computer literate but maybe someone (anyone) who knows more than me can chime in with a better explanation. Gary

[The Veg]

Also if you email the pictures to yourself from your phone, you may be presented with options to either keep original size or reduce the size. If you have a Windows computer, you can use Paint to reduce them as well.

The size-limit here used to be smaller! But as digital photographs became larger and larger files, it was doubled a few years ago from 2MB to 4MB if I recall correctly, but that's still small by current standards and was smallish even then. This is also the only forum I've used in which the general etiquette is to attach pictures rather than using [IMG] tags to insert images hosted elsewhere, but the upside is that the images will be there for evermore for anybody who researches the forum for help with their car.

[c42]

There is a free programme called FastStone resizer that works pretty well.

Cheers
John

[Shilts]

Can someone confirm if this photo is visible?
Thanks.

[c42]

It is.

[Shilts]

Great, emailed to myself choosing small image option.
I’ll do the rest later.
Thanks.

[Baggy2]

Well done - looks like your aircon project required a significant level of dedication. I often fancy some aircon, my wife even more so but I don't think I'd have the stickability to replicate your work.
Cheers
Baggy

[The Veg]

I contemplate it sometimes but between the expense, the amount of work required, the added weight, etc., I'm not sure it's worth it. How much does the performance suffer when the aircon is running?

[Shilts]

Hi first chance I’ve had to put up a description of the installation of the Aircon system.

I mounted a second pulley to the
original pulley it being a multi belt. I had to cant
the radiator forward about 15° to give clearance. I made it a lift out cassette, with the condenser, radiator and double electric fan all in one unit. The mounting brackets for the compressor which was from a Ford Ka took some doing. I’m mounted a 4 mm steel plate to the bottom alternator bracket and built it up from there with a back brace connected to the , engine mount I also used one of the front flange bolts as a means of supporting a deflector pulley and mounted an adjustable belt tensioner to the base plate.

I found a small evaporator and dismantled it completely, made a new box for it and mounted it behind the glove box so as not to alter to the appearance of the interior.
I mounted a small in line fan just near the wiper motor this draws the air from the inside, through the evaporator and ducts it back through into the interior of the car

The passenger side air vent is purely connected to the cold air system. The right side I managed to get a pipe behind the dashboard to the drivers vent and splice the two together so that fresh air can still be used , in the normal way

I found some sliding vents which I adapted and fitted below the scuttle vents and using a central locking solenoid got them to slide open and close quite successfully so I can isolate the warm ambient air when the compressor is working.
I put in three halo switches to replace the hazard light, brake light and rear window warning lights, the lights still function as originally, but one now operates the Aircon and the other two operate the solenoid for the air vent slides.
The whole system works very well.
The compressor I think is only about one 1 1/2 hp, it makes no appreciable difference at all to the performance of the car. You have to remember it is not on continually, it switches on and off according to the thermostat settings.
Any questions anybody has, don’t hesitate to ask.