Something that will not require my mechanic to rebuild brackets or find the right pulleys or belts or hoses or clamps, etc. Basically I am looking for a ready made drop-in kit upgrade for the XJ12 engine: compressor, condenser, dryer/filter, expansion valve, hoses, gas filler caps, etc. Basically all the components in the engine bay.
I will not touch the internal electronics nor will I change the rear pipe (from the fuel cooler to the evaporator) as these lock on, and I could twist the thin copper pipe, and crack the weld.
Yes, I saw this company on a YouTube video of a swedish guy that repairs only Jags.
My classic car restorer tried this kit but his client was not too happy with the temp output at the vents and, since my restorer offers me 1 year warranty on his work, he recommended to look for an alternative kit, or using the older gas, with modifications.
I wrote to the company, to ask if they would guarantee the same temperature as my Fiat Panda (6.5C at the vents, with 30C outside temp), but their representative replied with a very rude rant about temperatures and refused to sell me the kit! Maybe in England temperatures do not get as hot as in Italy…
I called other restorers, as Megenatto in Florence, Italy and Ghost Motors in Sevenoaks, UK and all offer a guarantee min temp at the vents. Refusing to guarantee it, is a sign of lack of confidence in your product. It is a shame because I would have liked that kit.
The only other company I’m familiar with is Vintage Air. The do not make a Jag specific unit though. An email or phone call and I’m sure they could recommend a set-up for you though.
Yes, the original system…!
There are modern aluminium versions of the GM/Harrison A6 compressor.
Also expansion valves and rubber hoses so that you can use R134a.
It’s all you need.
I considered replacing all (*) engine bay side components with the original spare parts, but I encountered a couple of challenges.
The first challenge being the cost. It is almost exactly double that of using upgrade kits as Vintageair and FenAir.
Another challenge is the reliability of the new A6 compressor. While the original one seems to be universaly acclaimed as bullet proof, the new one is no longer manufactured by the same company (or to the same standards), and forum members have reported contrasting experiences with one member reporting three major A6 compressor failures, in a couple of years only.
A third consideration concerns the availability of some parts like hoses, belts, pulleys, etc that I was unable to locate.
(*) compressor, mounting brackets, condenser, filter drier, thermal expansion valve, new R134a compatible hoses with charging ports, high and low pressure hoses and clamps.
I’ve replaced my compressor with a remanufactured one when I was living in Canada (there it was easily available…) First one was noisy and send it back, got a second that worked fine and it’s still on my car. It’s always a hit or miss…
Can’t tell for the new ones as I have no personal experience.
Filter/dryer & expansion valve must be easy to find and I bet that there must be shops that can replace the rubber parts of your hoses.
And why would you want to change the condenser?
I want to change also the condenser because of a long story. But, in short, it boils down to increasing car reliability as much as reasonably possible. As items fail, I replace all other components of the same system, to avoid having to paying twice, or more times, for labour on that system. An other reason is that modern radiators are way more efficient.
This car has more than 200,000Km (unsure, the meter is broken @ 177,000) and 30 years old.