Topic: How Difficult is it to Add Air Conditioning?

[DanMarino]

Hi folks.  Nice jeeps on here.  I've got a 94 YJ with the 2.5 liter 4 cylinder engine.  My Wrangler is a basic "S" model.  I'll be soon giving my daily driver Volvo 240 wagon to my daughter to drive, so I'm going to begin driving the Wrangler daily.  I live in the Washington, DC area and will need to add air conditioning so I don't sweat through my work clothes.  How difficult a job is it to add an entire air conditioning unit to a YJ that doesn't have one?

Thanks,

Tom

[sharpxmen]

Hi folks.  Nice jeeps on here.  I've got a 94 YJ with the 2.5 liter 4 cylinder engine.  My Wrangler is a basic "S" model.  I'll be soon giving my daily driver Volvo 240 wagon to my daughter to drive, so I'm going to begin driving the Wrangler daily.  I live in the Washington, DC area and will need to add air conditioning so I don't sweat through my work clothes.  How difficult a job is it to add an entire air conditioning unit to a YJ that doesn't have one?

Thanks,

Tom

it should not be hard but the YJs with air conditioning are hard to find (if you're thinking of getting the system from the junkyard) - if you want a new one they're not cheap but i've seen them on eBay for something like $1,200 (but don't quote me on it as this is what i remember, not sure if it is accurate or not).

[st.chevrolet]

Check out Vintage Air not sure about Jeeps but I know the have one for the FJ40 LC.

[Torch_Ind]

take the top off lol a/c

[sharpxmen]

here's a YJ kit on eBay, it's $1,100

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250437605710

[chrisfranklin]

Hi folks.  Nice jeeps on here.  I've got a 94 YJ with the 2.5 liter 4 cylinder engine.  My Wrangler is a basic "S" model.  I'll be soon giving my daily driver Volvo 240 wagon to my daughter to drive, so I'm going to begin driving the Wrangler daily.  I live in the Washington, DC area and will need to add air conditioning so I don't sweat through my work clothes.  How difficult a job is it to add an entire air conditioning unit to a YJ that doesn't have one?

Thanks,

Tom

Hi Tom,  I've got the same year/model YJ as you and also lived most of the 1970s through the 1990s in the DC-area.  I know summer in DC is bad -- heat plus some evil humidity and, unless you are a tourist or student, you're probably not going to be wearing shorts or t-shirts either.  

I had my no/AC 4Banger in DC for two years before I moved and I remember always bringing a couple of shirts with me on the road during the summers -- t-shirt to sweat-through when driving and then a work shirt I'd change to when I arrived.  Big PIA

Getting AC installed in your 4Banger is probably the easy, though costly part (especially in light of the fact that unmodified, midly-modified YJ resale values aren't too much higher than the total of the cost of a few after-market AC kits to begin with).  It's the 5-7% power (?) it pulls from the engine, when engaged, that could make driving the 4Banger even more of a hard chore.  

You install AC, you might find yourself suddenly confronting some "hidden costs," as in: "I gotta do something about the way this thing drives with the AC on."  So the around $700-1000+ you spend on the AC unit could double if you have to add performance parts, or do an axle gear change.

But, if you like your 4Banger ok and don't mind the cost, yeah, certainly get the AC installed.  Good luck and hope it works for you 

[Jeffy]

Check out Vintage Air not sure about Jeeps but I know the have one for the FJ40 LC.

Vintage Air sells one.  Their Jeep line has it's own domain, www.jeepair.com.  AZ Mobile Air also sells one. www.ackits.com/  The only problem with these kits is that they use an aftermarket compressor.  I know Vintage can supply an OEM as they sell compressors as well as the AC kit san compressor.

I'll probably be getting one of these kits sooner or later as well.  It's a part of my wimpification process.    It gets over 100* here in the summer for a few weeks.  makes driving the Jeep unpleasant.  Taking the top off is just like turning on a blowdrier in 100* temps.   

[sharpxmen]

Vintage Air sells one.  Their Jeep line has it's own domain, www.jeepair.com.  AZ Mobile Air also sells one. www.ackits.com/  The only problem with these kits is that they use an aftermarket compressor.  I know Vintage can supply an OEM as they sell compressors as well as the AC kit san compressor.

I'll probably be getting one of these kits sooner or later as well.  It's a part of my wimpification process.    It gets over 100* here in the summer for a few weeks.  makes driving the Jeep unpleasant.  Taking the top off is just like turning on a blowdrier in 100* temps.   

ackits one is a little over $900 - that's a good deal imo. not sure if they sell incomplete kits but w/o the compressor can be even better deal (and pick one up off a TJ from a junkyard).

[Jeffy]

ackits one is a little over $900 - that's a good deal imo. not sure if they sell incomplete kits but w/o the compressor can be even better deal (and pick one up off a TJ from a junkyard).

Jeepair.com has the same kit with the OE compressor for $900 as well.  There's nothing wrong with the aftermarket compressor except it uses an additional bracket to mount the ears to the holes on the alternator bracket.  I have a York so I can't have two brackets there. though.

[DanMarino]

Thanks guys.  I really like my YJ and it's in good shape.  Last summer we had something like 65 days over 90 degrees with over 70% humidity.  It was brutal.  I figure that to buy any sort of decent car for either me or my daughter to drive will cost $2,000-$3,000 and that will be something that is used and old and I won't know the history.  So I figure I might as well improve the YJ for around $1,200 and I already know that it's in top shape.

I understand what you guys are saying about the power loss from the compressor.  It's just something I'll have to deal with.  I'm keeping my eyes out on Craigslist for an affordable 4.0 TJ with air conditioning, but I don't see one of those landing in my lap at a price I can afford.

As far as the technical side of the installation, does anyone know how difficult it will be?  I can see where the compressor mounts.  I presume I'll have to drill a hole in the firewall and somehow install the unit inside and under the dash.  Besides that I guess I need to run some air conditioning lines, and install some new components under the hood and power the thing, but it doesn't seem all that bad to me unless I'm missing something?  I'll take it to a local garage to have the system evacuated and filled with R134.

[DanMarino]

Here's some photos of my YJ.

[Jeffy]

Thanks guys.  I really like my YJ and it's in good shape.  Last summer we had something like 65 days over 90 degrees with over 70% humidity.  It was brutal.  I figure that to buy any sort of decent car for either me or my daughter to drive will cost $2,000-$3,000 and that will be something that is used and old and I won't know the history.  So I figure I might as well improve the YJ for around $1,200 and I already know that it's in top shape.

I understand what you guys are saying about the power loss from the compressor.  It's just something I'll have to deal with.  I'm keeping my eyes out on Craigslist for an affordable 4.0 TJ with air conditioning, but I don't see one of those landing in my lap at a price I can afford.

As far as the technical side of the installation, does anyone know how difficult it will be?  I can see where the compressor mounts.  I presume I'll have to drill a hole in the firewall and somehow install the unit inside and under the dash.  Besides that I guess I need to run some air conditioning lines, and install some new components under the hood and power the thing, but it doesn't seem all that bad to me unless I'm missing something?  I'll take it to a local garage to have the system evacuated and filled with R134.

I'm not sure if the aftermarket unit does it but I know on most modern cars the AC compressor turns off when you rev the engine up really high so you won't have any power loss.  You just need to remember to turn off the AC for hills and such which wouldn't be that big a deal.  I'd rather be cool and driving slow then flying up the hill and be sweating like a pig.

I would definitely buy a new OE compressor and not a used one.  Both places should be able to supply one.  I forget the exact model but you can find it on the jeepair.com site.

Installing one is fairly simple.  You have to drill two holes though the firewall.  I forget if the divots are on the firewall already or not.  You basically bolt the underdash part and plug that in.  Then drill the holes, add the grommets and pass the lines through.  Bolt the compressor on and drill a few more holes for the condenser.  You then unbolt the radiator and install the radiator.  Run the lines and that's about it.  Once it's installed, you can take it down to an AC shop and have the system checked for leaks and if there are none then fill it with R134.

[sharpxmen]

I would definitely buy a new OE compressor and not a used one.  Both places should be able to supply one.  I forget the exact model but you can find it on the jeepair.com site.

I looked at both links you posted and ackits has the cheapest complete set for YJ 91-95 for $909 

[stan98tj]

Good topic. I was thinking of doing the same for mine. I remember the first summer i got the jeep i laughed at some of those who complained about not having AC, as i was riding top down for most of the summer. Then the second summer rolled in and it was a real wet summer. I suffered through a summer where i had to have the windows zipped closed due to rain and the jeep became a sweat box. I couldnt take the top off much cause it was raining almost 2-3 times a week. This seems to be an affordable mod and i think it's worth it even if you do lose a bit of power.

[Jeffy]

I looked at both links you posted and ackits has the cheapest complete set for YJ 91-95 for $909 

Jeepair.com is $899.98 with the OE compressor.  $679.99 for the kit minus the compressor and $219.99 for the OE compressor.