Fiat air conditioner retrofit

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Warren
Posts: 132
Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2006 1:25 pm
Your car is a: 1979 Fiat Spider

Fiat air conditioner retrofit

Postby Warren » Fri Aug 18, 2006 10:43 pm

I have made some labeled pictures of my retrofit of the Factory Air R-134a system. The condenser is much bigger than the original R-12 one and just fits in the available space. The furnished fan belt was not quite large enough and I had to buy a longer one. Anyone who wants the pictures can email me at whhopson@southernco.com. The A/C works great with outside temperatures at 95 F. Anyone who has a question or needs a different picture can contact me.
Warren
Sylacauga Alabama
1979 Fiat Spider Automatic
1991 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce
1974 Dodge Dart Sport Hang 10 (in restoration)
Multiple other cars, trucks, and boats

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spidernut
Posts: 1905
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2006 12:20 am
Your car is a: 1979 Fiat Spider Automatic
Location: Lincoln, CA

Postby spidernut » Sat Aug 19, 2006 2:44 am

What did it cost you and how long did it take to install?
John G.
1979 Spider (Owned since 2000)
1971 124 Sport Spider (Owned since 2017)
1977 Spider (Sold 2017)
1979 Spider (Disposed of in 2017)
1979 Spider (Sold 2015)
1980 Spider (Sold in 2013)
1981 Spider (Sold in 1985)
2017 Spider (Owned since 2019)

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mdrburchette
Posts: 5754
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:49 am
Your car is a: 1972 Fiat 124 Sport
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

Postby mdrburchette » Sat Aug 19, 2006 7:27 am

I've sent you an email. Where did you get the kit?

Warren
Posts: 132
Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2006 1:25 pm
Your car is a: 1979 Fiat Spider

Postby Warren » Sat Aug 19, 2006 6:19 pm

I bought the system last year (on sale) for $770 which was a good price considering all the components from Factory Air in San Antonio (they have a website). It took several days to install and is a lot of work. I already had a jet vacuum pump (Harbor Freight) to pull vacuum with an air compressor when ready to put in R-134a.

The supplied compressor mount bracket fit perfectly using the 2 existing studs on the engine block bottom and the top threaded hole in the block. They suppled a rear mounting bracket which I did not need or could not use for my 1979 Spider. You will need to tape some cardboard to the side of the engine bay to keep from scratching the paint when mounting the compressor to the bracket.

Be sure to check clearance of the front of the compressor clutch to the radiator hose clamp (I have less than 1/8" now but it was hitting the hose clamp).

You will need to cut out the horizontal air diverter in order to mount the condenser. The support member under the diverter will remain intact. Use a Dremel with the fiber enforced cutting disk and paint the bare metal edges. I painted everything in the front black to hide its appearance.

Be sure to seal up the supplied rubber grommets in the firewall to prevent water leakage into the passenger floorpan.

The routing of the vent hose to the driver side is on top of the radio console and then snakes it way under the steering column to the vent.

On the idler pulley mounting bracket, I may have had to install a large washer in order to line up the pulley with the engine and compressor pulley. I just can't exactly remember if the washer was supplied by them or me.
Warren
Sylacauga Alabama
1979 Fiat Spider Automatic
1991 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce
1974 Dodge Dart Sport Hang 10 (in restoration)
Multiple other cars, trucks, and boats

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So Cal Mark
Posts: 13839
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2006 3:45 pm
Your car is a: Fiat
Location: upland, ca.

Postby So Cal Mark » Sat Aug 19, 2006 6:31 pm

that's great in States where Spiders don't have to meet emission testing requirements. The compressor mounts where the air pump used to mount. In calif, that won't cut it. Some late model cars use electric air pumps, so adding one of those might be a viable solution, if you can get a smog shop to squint alittle when the inspect the car
Mark Allison
allisonsautomotive.com Fiat and Alfa Romeo parts and service. Performance parts our specialty!
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TulsaSpider
Posts: 1547
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:33 pm
Your car is a: 1978 Spyder 124 2L
Location: Tulsa, Ok

Re: Fiat air conditioner retrofit

Postby TulsaSpider » Fri May 16, 2008 2:51 pm

Did some come the factory with air? Mine came with parts, in a box, but the blower box would seem to be in the passenger's way. I had assumed it was factory. I doubt I'll ever try to re-install, to costly I am sure.
Clark
1978 Spyder 1800 make that 2L! Finally making real progress!

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mdrburchette
Posts: 5754
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:49 am
Your car is a: 1972 Fiat 124 Sport
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

Re: Fiat air conditioner retrofit

Postby mdrburchette » Fri May 16, 2008 8:32 pm

They came as dealer add ons. My 72 came with a/c and I have all the parts for it, but the compressor has a leak and it requires the liquid gold (R12). I may install a new system one day if I can find a condenser big enough for the R134 and small enough to fit.
1972 124 Spider (Don)
1971 124 Spider (Juan)
1986 Bertone X19 (Blue)
1978 124 Spider Lemons racer
1974 X19 SCCA racer (Paul)
2012 500 Prima Edizione #19 (Mini Rossa)
Ever changing count of parts cars....It's a disease!

pope

Re: Fiat air conditioner retrofit

Postby pope » Fri May 16, 2008 8:55 pm

There are other gases that replace the R-12, that you can use as a direct replacment in that compressor. You dont have to buy a new compressor, but you will have to fix the leak first.

MP-39 is a direct replacment for R-12
RB276 is a mixture of R-12 and 134a

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mdrburchette
Posts: 5754
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:49 am
Your car is a: 1972 Fiat 124 Sport
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

Re: Fiat air conditioner retrofit

Postby mdrburchette » Sat May 17, 2008 6:35 am

I didn't know that. That compressor is big, ugly and heavy...so if I were to reinstall the a/c, I'd change it anyway.
1972 124 Spider (Don)
1971 124 Spider (Juan)
1986 Bertone X19 (Blue)
1978 124 Spider Lemons racer
1974 X19 SCCA racer (Paul)
2012 500 Prima Edizione #19 (Mini Rossa)
Ever changing count of parts cars....It's a disease!

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So Cal Mark
Posts: 13839
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2006 3:45 pm
Your car is a: Fiat
Location: upland, ca.

Re: Fiat air conditioner retrofit

Postby So Cal Mark » Sat May 17, 2008 11:01 am

there are many newer compressors that are lighter, smaller and more efficient than the old compressors. But I'd be leery of using a drop-in replacement for R12. Any ac shop that identifies the refrigerant as a blend will refuse to work on the system since their recycling machine will be contaminated by the blend. Some of these blends use flammable gasses such as propane. Every month at least one trade mag warns about these products
Mark Allison
allisonsautomotive.com Fiat and Alfa Romeo parts and service. Performance parts our specialty!
Headers, ignitions, wheels, cams, flywheels
starsmark@hotmail.com 909-981-3566

pope

Re: Fiat air conditioner retrofit

Postby pope » Sat May 17, 2008 5:34 pm

Mark, no voodoo here.
Dupont has about 15 different refrigerants depending on use. Auto refrigerant shops only deal in R-12 and 134a, but commercial refrigeration shops deal in all. SAE decided on 134a


134a is probably one of the worst refrigerant choices that could have been made. But now we are stuck with it. There is a new standard proposed HFO-1234yf that is likely to be used in next generation autos.

MP-39 is a Dupont Suva product and a direct replacement for r-12 and uses same compressor oil

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So Cal Mark
Posts: 13839
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2006 3:45 pm
Your car is a: Fiat
Location: upland, ca.

Re: Fiat air conditioner retrofit

Postby So Cal Mark » Sat May 17, 2008 8:08 pm

I'm aware that 134 is going to be phased out, I'm not familiar with mp39. I doubt if anyone without a license could purchase it, can they?
Mark Allison
allisonsautomotive.com Fiat and Alfa Romeo parts and service. Performance parts our specialty!
Headers, ignitions, wheels, cams, flywheels
starsmark@hotmail.com 909-981-3566

fiat50state
Posts: 13
Joined: Mon May 19, 2014 3:40 pm
Your car is a: 1979 spyder 2000

Re: Fiat air conditioner retrofit

Postby fiat50state » Sun Sep 03, 2017 2:43 pm

so the posts for air conditioning are pretty old. Im currently restoring a 79 spyder 2000 pininfarina. bought it back 1982 and it had AC installed. From what i can see the compressor is made by a company called standen. They offer it on ebay from a company called blue america auto parts. Yes my compressor is a R-12 unit ,so ill be retrofitting it for R-134 or something else. My stepson works in the commercial AC&R business and they use a product call "HOTSHOT" Supposedly a synthetic that is compatible with everything and its number is 404. My system also has alot of rubber hoses to be replaced. The best source ive found is NAPA auto parts. Sold by the foot and its size can be cross referenced, example a #6 equals 5/16, a #8 is 13/32 and #10 is 1/2 inch, you can aslo look at these hose sizes by going to summit racing.com and look at their kits sold by vintage air. but their prices are high .75 cents for a half inch works out $18 a foot. Napa is less then half that and i bet theres a store near by so no shipping fees and you can actually eye ball the hose before you cut and purchase . Hope this helps some of the other spyder owners. I also purchased a factory service manaul from a company called FAXON AUTO LITERATURE. wouldnt you know it, the business is about 4 blocks from where i grew up in Riversdie Ca. If you need and diagrams or tech specs just send me a email at torquem2, and thats at AOL.com.................jim

rridge
Posts: 161
Joined: Thu Aug 10, 2006 11:59 am
Your car is a: 1981 Turbo Spider

Re: Fiat air conditioner retrofit

Postby rridge » Sun Sep 03, 2017 5:16 pm

Here is a much more recent thread on the same topic:
viewtopic.php?f=30&t=35878


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