Another steamy Summer already in Queensland, and a boy's thoughts turn to . . . . .  Air Conditioning.  I know, some KEs had A/C factory fitted as standard.  However, my KE30 2 door sedan, was not one of them, as originally with a 2 speed auto, & a 3K engine, it would never have got up hills, whilst the A/C was on. (It probably even had trouble getting up hills without the A/C on)

My better half always complains, when it is hot & sticky, . . . . "can you put A/C in this car ?"  My standard answer, is  . . .  "It already has A/C, just wind the windows down, to start it up."

Unfortunately, that retort, is starting to "run thin", so as I have a 5K going into it soon, I thought maybe it might not be that hard to retro-fit A/C.

Now I don't want to go find an olde KE Rolla, that had A/C, & pull everything off, & swap it over, as a compressor that olde, would be pretty cactus, & not worth reconditioning.

Modern auto compressors, I would hope, would be a lot more efficient, & more plentiful.

So my question is this . . .

Has anyone on here, successfully retro fitted an A/C system into their KE Rolla, that originates from a "modern car" (<10years old around 1.5 - 2.0 litre) ?

There is plenty of room down on the front of the installed 5K Rolla engine, to fit the compressor, with good access. A compressor mounting bracket could easily be fashioned, I would think, & there are two (2) mounting points on the block, similar to the alternator mounting on the opposite side of the engine.

So if anyone has done this, please post & provide some details, as I'm not interested in "reinventing the wheel", if someone has been through the exercise previously.

P.S.  Now the 5K engine I have, probably came out of a Toyota forklift or similar, as it had three (3) pulley grooves, on the crankshaft pulley.  One for the alternator, & two for power steering pump & some sort of hydraulic pump; so an A/C should not be too hard on it.

Cheers Banjo

   

 

Edited December 16, 20187 yr by Banjo

My 5k had some sort of pump on the rhs of yhe engine so brackets are around that could be adapted.

I'll try and get a rough measurment of a Cruze compressor at work for you

 

Actually, OEX  list a rebuilt compressor and clutch in their catledog for a KE30/35

Part number crd6093 & cxx003

Edited December 16, 20187 yr by coln72

I have A/C in my 5k, easy set up, lots of room. 

Thanks Kevin,

                         Good pics !  So what car make & model car did the compressor you used originate from ?  Seems to fit well, & just what I'm looking for.

Cheers Banjo

I've taken the bits I needed from a KE70.

The hard part is the evaporator (indoor unit). Anyone have details of fitting one in a KE3x?

I have installed AC in my daughters ke55 and the evaporator box is a very specific shape and size. It is the same contour as the firewall and there are fixing points that line up with tapped holes under the dash and firewall. If the ke 70 one isn't identical there is going to have to be a bunch of mods to make it fit.

On 1/4/2019 at 11:10 AM, Banjo said:

Thanks Kevin,

                         Good pics !  So what car make & model car did the compressor you used originate from ?  Seems to fit well, & just what I'm looking for.

Cheers Banjo

Any luck Banjo? Was hoping to stat the ball rolling on my own ke36 pano by the time corona clears up and summer comes around.

Cheers, Jack

Hi Jack,

             No, I haven't progressed with the A/C addition to my KE30. I suspect, that taking the dash out, & getting at the heater box, & modifying it, is going to be the real challenge.  Horrible getting in there, when you are relatively long.

Have pinched the mounting points on the front LH bottom corner, of the block, where the A/C mounts, for a trigger wheel Hall Sensor mount.  Might have to move that to somewhere else, before the A/C project progresses. 

Found an alternative !  On hot steamy days, I just borrow my daughters Toyota Echo which has A/C.

Cheers Banjo 

Hi l am after a ke70 ac compressor if any body got one let message me thanks.