Adding A/C to an 87'

[Comanche County]

I've got my little blue truck running darn good right now, it's averaging about 23 mpg and I think I can easily get 25 out of it with a little more tinkering.

 

I'm thinking of driving it on into the summer and adding AC.

 

I've got a complete dash harness from an 88' XJ and could use all Renix components but I'm thinking the later years had more efficient systems. What donor years would you guys recommend for all the HVAC items?

[dasbulliwagen]

Is yours a 2.5 or a 4.0? When I did my 87 2.5 I used an 86 donor and all of it was plug and play under the dash. The 2.5 has a "dealer installed AC" connector under the hood over the left inner fender. I used the downloadable 88 FSM to build what I needed off of that. The compressor wire was already in place and a couple other connectors I can't remember were too. As for the compressor and lines I just bought what fit my application and then added adapter fittings to run r134a. I'm not sure about any of the newer systems being any more efficient or not though. They are all roughly the same and work the same way. I wouldn't worry about finding a newer system. Having a donor that will plug right up seems more important to me.

[Marine1Texas]

My tuck was not ordered with the a/c system. I just put a under dash a/c system. all together it cost me 400 dollars.

I made my own lines and the under dash system has a valve not a orifice tube. Mine was 1987 but I upgraded the bracket to the 1988  bracket so I can use newer a/c compressor. I used standard universal dryer.

 

I did not want to look for the a/c control on dash in the junk yard. also found that the evaporator install required a new box to under the dash. the evaporator is too large to fit in the box. I spent about a 100 bucks on part then found out I needed a new box for fan and a/c core.  It blow so cold it can start blowing ice.

 

Now the one I got has a heat built in it too, so I took all the air system out and piped the tubing in to factory air outlets.

 

Looks like this picture below. I just blocked vents up and made a tube from the side to go in to the dash vents.

[Comanche County]

Is yours a 2.5 or a 4.0? When I did my 87 2.5 I used an 86 donor and all of it was plug and play under the dash. The 2.5 has a "dealer installed AC" connector under the hood over the left inner fender. I used the downloadable 88 FSM to build what I needed off of that. The compressor wire was already in place and a couple other connectors I can't remember were too. As for the compressor and lines I just bought what fit my application and then added adapter fittings to run r134a. I'm not sure about any of the newer systems being any more efficient or not though. They are all roughly the same and work the same way. I wouldn't worry about finding a newer system. Having a donor that will plug right up seems more important to me.

 

Its a TBI 2.5.  Renix XJs are rarer in the JY with every passing day and the 88' I pulled the dash harness from is a tempting candidate.  Thanks for the input Dasbulliwagen.

[Comanche County]

My tuck was not ordered with the a/c system. I just put a under dash a/c system. all together it cost me 400 dollars.

I made my own lines and the under dash system has a valve not a orifice tube. Mine was 1987 but I upgraded the bracket to the 1988  bracket so I can use newer a/c compressor. I used standard universal dryer.

 

I did not want to look for the a/c control on dash in the junk yard. also found that the evaporator install required a new box to under the dash. the evaporator is too large to fit in the box. I spent about a 100 bucks on part then found out I needed a new box for fan and a/c core.  It blow so cold it can start blowing ice.

 

Now the one I got has a heat built in it too, so I took all the air system out and piped the tubing in to factory air outlets.

 

Looks like this picture below. I just blocked vents up and made a tube from the side to go in to the dash vents.

Thanks for the info, I hadn't considered an underdash unit. What year compressor did you use?....I was thinking I'd just have the hoses custom made depending on the compressor and underhood components.

[dasbulliwagen]

 

 

Is yours a 2.5 or a 4.0? When I did my 87 2.5 I used an 86 donor and all of it was plug and play under the dash. The 2.5 has a "dealer installed AC" connector under the hood over the left inner fender. I used the downloadable 88 FSM to build what I needed off of that. The compressor wire was already in place and a couple other connectors I can't remember were too. As for the compressor and lines I just bought what fit my application and then added adapter fittings to run r134a. I'm not sure about any of the newer systems being any more efficient or not though. They are all roughly the same and work the same way. I wouldn't worry about finding a newer system. Having a donor that will plug right up seems more important to me.

Its a TBI 2.5. Renix XJs are rarer in the JY with every passing day and the 88' I pulled the dash harness from is a tempting candidate. Thanks for the input Dasbulliwagen.

For the under dash parts I swapped the whole HVAC box. I didn't even disconnect the heat and air controller. The wiring from the new box came over to a connector behind the radio area. The extra wires needed were already on the existing harness. I didn't need to do the whole dash harness. Just that section to the box. I think your 88 you got should all go right in and plug up. Add what's needed under the hood and you're good to go.

[Marine1Texas]

 

Comanche Fanatic, I used the 88 compressor however I got the bracket from 88. The bracket from 87 is different.

 

 

MJ Maniac, I would have done that, however I did not have a donor box.