Adding Air Conditioning Question
 

I suffered and sweated like a pig last summer driving my EF hatch around and would really love to add A/C to it. Is it possible to add A/C with rock auto and 3rd party off the shelf parts or will I need to be finding and pulling parts off existing hatches that have A/C installed?

Re: Adding Air Conditioning Question
 

Assuming you're going to dump the old EF spec system in and go from there, then I have no idea. Start cross referencing parts.

Assuming you want to retrofit to an 134a system, then read through this first.
https://honda-tech.com/forums/tech-m...#&gid=1&pid=15
Then start looking up compressor swaps and retrofit guides- there are several.

And good luck. I've started down this rabbit hole a few times, it's scary down there.

Re: Adding Air Conditioning Question
 

Get the AC bracket and the larger TR90 compressor from an EG. Bracket also has the belt tensioner.

Find the cross flow condenser that fits an EF, the R12 serpentine style is not super efficient for R134a.

I don't know of any aftermarket AC wire harness. Probably best to pull that and the evap core from a junk yard. All the EF cores and harnesses are the same. And get the second radiator fan while you are pulling the harness.

Hard and soft lines I think are all available aftermarket. The support brackets are not, pull those from a junk yard as well.

Oh and this part I have not figured out, the pressure switch for R12 is set too high on the low side for the AC to work when the weather drops below 34*. Think defrosting windows. Need a pressure switch from maybe an EG or something aftermarket. Still working on that part.

That will get you cold air!

Re: Adding Air Conditioning Question
 

I put an aftermarket evaporator core in mine and it fit fine. My thermo switch went bad and I wasn't able to find an aftermarket replacement, so I ended up using a small thermostat board I got on Amazon and it has worked great. I got a good few years out of my EF AC system after converting to R134a, but I'm pretty sure my compressor went bad. May have been because it was designed for R12, or it may have been because it's 29 years old and has 425,000 miles on it...not sure which yet.

If you replace your expansion valve, you should re-wrap the bulb in the correct cork tape. I have a roll of the stuff and I don't mind sharing some of it if you cover the cost of shipping.

@Ryanthegreat1 - since my compressor just died, I've been thinking about getting an EG compressor (made for R134a) - I'm guessing based on your post that I'll need the bracket as well, and my current bracket won't work? Also, I haven't had the issue you describe with the pressure switch. When it's cold out, my compressor won't kick on until the air going past the thermo switch is above 7C (this is what I currently have it set to), but once the heater starts to warm the interior up, the compressor starts cycling as expected.

Re: Adding Air Conditioning Question
 

Interior can be sweaty hot and still no AC.

The low side switch is set at 34psi. R134A vapor pressure is almost exactly 1 psi to 1 degree so below 34 degrees the switch goes open as the pressure drops below 34psi.

Re: Adding Air Conditioning Question
 

Good luck on this project. You need to also look at your charging system. The AC system puts a large electrical load at idle. Consider a overdrive alt pulley (Mechman alt sells them) and a quality alternator if yours is weak at all. Dont buy from Autozone/Advance/Orielleys/etc. They are junk.