Anyone retrofitted Air-Con to a W123?
 

Currently here in the UK, we have a Heatwave!--Yup Very rare indeed!:eek:

Anyway, this got me to thinking about air-con and the W123.

I have a parts-car that has air-con and appears to have all the components in place but it never worked--I have no idea why, never messed with it--Never needed to--This Is the UK!

Any tips on installing this gear from one W123 to another? Anyone done this job?

Thanks guys...:)

if both cars have A/c in them, then it should be a relatively Direct swap over, if one does and the one receiving doesn't, that involves more work.

I might try it with a type one MB AC...
but suspect you have the type Three...
that dash panel control system and all the hoses would be a nightmare in my opinion..
the MB AC FSM diagnostic JUST FOR THAT push button panel is something like 80 ( Eighty ) pages long.....
It might be more practical to install one of the under dash aftermarket types... at the passenger side foot area... ... then basically all you need is the compressor , condensor, Rec/Dryer under the hood... the unit has the Txvalve and fan and evaporator all in one hang on unit...
I would sure put the biggest condensor and a hi perf aux fan in front of it... and use R12 IF you are able there... if not, R134a if available...
but make sure you get the R4 Delco made to run on the higher pressures of R134a if you do that... Millions of them are out there working just fine with R134a.... it is just when the old ones made for R12 are switched to R134a that they tend to go bad too soon.
If you could get it working in the parts car then switch that might be a more secure situation.. sure would not want to change over then have to change any major components again...

is the car with ac components in it a US model or a euro model? are there dual temp knobs or pushbuttons?
if dual knobs, you are golden, just swap them over and crank it up.

Thanks for the replies guys.....

The donor car is a 1980 euro, UK car, and looks to have been a factory fitting.

The recipient car will be a 1985 model, 'wagon' if that makes any difference....

The control for AC is a single, combined switch / rotary knob, there are no push-buttons.

The compressor iis a cylindrical machine mounted under the P/S pump near the oil-pan flange, I have not yet checked what make/model of it....

There is an additional pulley added between P/S groove and the aux grooves, guess this is sandwiched between the P/S pulley and the main damper pulley...

The condenser and fan look similar to the pics Ive seen of US cars, mounted up front of the radiator...

The pipework to and from this compressor look a bit of a nightmare, especially as the oil-cooler lines and power-steering lines all are involved in the same area as the compressor.....

I'm thinking both P/S and Oil-Cooler lines are different from the non-A/C cars Ive seen....

Guess my main issues will be the mounting of compressor, all the different pipework and the under/behind dash components --whatever that may involve....:(

We converted my 84 280 e euro over. It was a lot of work. The under dash unit had to be removed. blower too.

I could shoot you some pics of the 85 euro wagon I have to show you where everything is routed on the retrofit that's in it. hoses are everywhere on that thing.
is the compressor on your donor a long thing cylinder or a short fat cylinder? the R4 is about 4" long and 8" diameter.
the sanden is about 9" long, and 5" diameter.