BAlford Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 We have a 1982 280ZX with a Chev 350 Eng. The A/C is all connected up except for the hoses that connect the Datsun components to the Chev compressor, we are having them made. As you can see in the picture: http://waskomtexas.com/zcar/re_car/engine.html We have another fan that can mount in fromt of the condensor to blow air on the condensor when the compressor is on. We have solved our engine cooling using the method below: http://waskomtexas.com/zcar/re_car/engine_cooling.html The question that we have is, if we add the fan in front of the condensor will it restrict the air flow enough to cause us to have a heating problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad-ManQ45 Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 The stock 280ZXT has a fan in front of the condenser, so I would imagine you should have no problem... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greimann Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 That is a hard one to predict. If your cooling was marginal before the condenser, then adding it might put you into the red. Aside from reduced flow, another consideration is the additional hot air the condenser is going to feed to the radiator. All this combined may be a problem. Air flow is crucial. You might want to upgrade to a Taurus fan on the puller side. Those aftermarket fans just don't have the guts to really pull some CFM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tempe_Z Posted April 19, 2003 Share Posted April 19, 2003 Unless you only plan to drive at highway speeds and not stop at traffic lights, the condenser fan is a must, it's just physics, the more heat you can pull out of the system at the condenser, the more cool you'll be able to blow in the car. (oversimplifying but you get the idea). If the condenser can't bleed off heat the system won't be as efficient. Also if you're using 134a it's not as efficient as R-12 so you need all the help you can get. You can of course use one of the hydrocarbon based refrigerants which work great if you don't mind the risk they're flammable. They blow really really cold and they compress easier so the load on the engine from the compressor is less anyway. Given they're actually less flammable than 134a at just about any pressure, I don't see the risk being any greater honestly. They also don't cause testicular cancer like 134a does and aren't suspected to cause siezures like 134a is either. Now I'll admit some of that's probably marketing BS from the people that don't want you buying any 134a but all other things aside the hydrocarbon based stuff blows much colder and that's reason enough for me. Had some in my other car last summer after running 134a and the difference is huge. Technically you need to convert to 134a style system before you run the HC based stuff but somehow I think if you were to bypass the process and resist the temptation to rat yourself out to the EPA nobody will know. There's a bunch of convoluted bureaucratic crap as to what's a legal "drop in replacement" etc but for someone doing the AC on their own and not as a shop well, you know what I'm getting at. Kinda like R-12/R134a that occasionally finds it's way into the atmosphere as a result of a leak. (Accidentally of course). Anyways, usually there's a couple inch gap between the condensor and the radiator so that should allow more air in than just the stuff which the condensor has warmed up already. This of course assumes your condensor is smaller than the radiator too. you could probably make some ducting that would vent the condensor air out behind the radiator or some other location that it doesn't matter if it becomes a concern, but I think if you're cutting it that close on your cooling system you'd be well advised to beef it up a bit anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAlford Posted April 25, 2003 Author Share Posted April 25, 2003 I took the car to an a/c shop a couple of days ago and he said that I would have to have a fan blowing on the condensor. I am in the process of getting it working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAlford Posted April 26, 2003 Author Share Posted April 26, 2003 We got all of the electrical working for the A/C. The next step is the charge the system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAlford Posted May 3, 2003 Author Share Posted May 3, 2003 OK, the air works. The fan on the condensor would not cmoe on so I have got to check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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