Air conditioning on 13B REW swap
 

I have no a/c in my 13B REW swap. The only part I have looks to be the air con unit in the dash; everything else has gone. I survived very well for donkeys years in the UK without a/c but domestic harmony is forcing me to look more closely at fitting it during my 13B REW swap rebuild.

I spent a couple of hours searching here and elsewhere without finding anything helpful. My gut instinct is that restoring the RX8 system is too difficult, particularly as I don't know what the builder has done with the electrics and I'd rather not put the a/c rad in front of the main rad. I also looked at fitting a different system with a full-thickness rad, for example the one from a Honda S2000 system, by moving the fuse box, venting the rad through the bonnet grill and using a smaller compressor (such as that from an S2000).

Please will someone give me the benefit of their advice and perhaps put up a description and pics of their system?

Update: I have the original 13B REW cover.

I am using the RX8 front cover so the compressor will be installed in the stock location. I have test fit the compressor onto the RX8/REW hybrid and found that the two (2) front bolts that attach to the front cover fit (obviously).

It appears that I will need to shave a few millimeters off of the front REW iron near the location that it bolts to the engine stand in order to get the rx8 compressor to fit in the correct location. The two bolt holes at the back of the compressor appear to be lined up, but the bolt sizes are different (bigger in the REW iron). I will either have to drill out the compressor to allow large bolts, or only use the front two bolts to attach the compressor to the engine.

If you are using the REW cover, I have no idea how everything mounts up.

Edit: I just watched that video, which reiterates some of my comments.

Ian D,
What front cover are you using?
Renny front cover... explained in good detail in the video
REW front cover... you mod the REW a/c bracket for the 8's a/c compressor or make your owm bracket/tensioner to hold the a/c compressor.

I'm using the a renny front cover w/REW waterpump.
Makes room for bigger things :cool:

Attachment 218999

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i use the REW front cover and had a bracket made up to bolt in the two rear bolts of the AC compressor.
I'll look through my mail tonight at home and see if i have pictures.

LOL...domestic Harmony ;)

My wife won't ride in mine...too loud, too hot, too bumpy....and I drive way too fast ;)

Guys, thanks.

I had a few minutes this morning and had a look. I have the original REW cover. I'd love to pull the engine out and fit a Renesis cover and do the mod as above but I just don't have the facilities.

I could use damp cloths and ice over the cooling vents or fit 2 of these swamp coolers, one on each side, and tell people they're rockets for fast getaways at traffic lights.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...0efbe7b560.jpg

Maybe if someone had both AC units around they could get some spare cardboard, poke some holes in said cardboard through the bolt holes to make templates, and just compare and post pics.

If I happen upon an Rx8 AC comp. I'll post up.

I spent an hour or 2 looking at the wiring and control for the RX8's aircon system. It seems the easiest thing is to refit the RX8 system.

That said, the bodger who did the original swap has made the task even more difficult for me. The wiring is completely hacked to pieces; he really couldn't have made it worse. I have a spare fusebox and wiring loom and it would be easier to start again than try to repair the wiring.

I'm sitting at the end of a tiring weekend an this seems a final straw in getting the A/C working again. However, I'll sleep on it and come back when I've sorted out more pressing things.

I just wanted to add some information to this post since I just went through installing the RX8 compressor on the swap. I posted pictures of the little extra flashing you have to shave off the front REW iron. I also showed the compressor mounted once the metal was removed. With the two front bolts in the RX8 front cover, and the rear of the compressor snugged up to the area near the rear threads, the compressor is 100% solid on the motor. Going through all of the hassle to make an adapter to make the rear bolts viable would just a waste of time. Here are the pics for anyone who cares.

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Nice work. So its only held on by the front two bolts?

There's another, currently on-going, write-up on this thread.