Anyone Using Prelude A/C compressor/line???

[lucid]

One of the swap guides I used on my H-series swap said I could use the Prelude compressor and front line (which looks waaaay nicer, IMO). I used those parts, but I haven't had the system charged yet. I still have my Accord parts if I need to use them, but I was wondering If anyone has had the system successfully charged with the Prelude parts installed. My main concerns are because my Accord system used R-12, but the Prelude compressor uses R-134a (both are from '92 cars). Any informed help would be appreciated, even if it's just "Use the Accord parts and bracket, hippie.."
...Thanks. I also am not sure if the A/C technician would be using the front (R-134a) port on the 'lude line, or if I'll have to retrofit the other (R-12) fitting to fill the system...

[gride]

i would stick with the r-12 setup from the accord. personally thats my opinion. you will have to discharged the compressor (so i was told from my a/c techinician) with the r-134. use the front hose from the prelude. whichever service port will need to be retrofitted. if you go to 12 or 134 they can adapt them to whatever you do decide. just had my entire system redone 3 weeks ago. so i dealt with all the bad news. r-12 hits stronger but its pricier, and in cali it hard to come by. since your only using one main component (the compressor) i would just stick to r-12. hope this helps

[lucid]

Thanks. I'll have to check the pulley sizes and see if I'd need a different belt or not. The car's already down and waiting on me to rebuild it a new engine, so I'm not in a hurry and would really prefer to use the Prelude parts if possible. Everything's already discharged from time, leaks or accidents. Unless I can find someone on here who's tried it, I'll have to bug some A/C Tech or take them a car that needs more parts before service. A lot of people say you need a new drier when you retrofit, and I don't know if it's a reliability issue or what, but I know it's not always necessary. I guess I'll buy the honda size retrofittings for now so I have them if I need them (saw them cheap on eBay).

[lucid]

Nobody's actually done this?

[pangga]

whats the advantage of using the prelude parts? is just for looks?

[rickyduckworth]

whats the advantage of using the prelude parts? is just for looks?

none

on another note, you can take a perfectly running r-12 system, simple bleed it dry and fill it back up with r134a and everything will work perfectly.....the A/C shit is about like the alignment shit, full of shit..........you'll hear stories about how the seals "won't like the new refrigerant" and you should "replace every fucking part or whatever" but in reality, they're fine....i've done this to numerous cars, expensive cars, cheap cars, and the compressor is always fine, the evaporator, condenser, etc.......water is about 100000x worse than swapping fluid.....leave it unattached for an extended period of time and it COULD burn up your compressor if it gets enough moisture in there........but putting 134a in there works fine 100% of the time (from my experience with around 40 different kinds of cars built from the 70's to the last years of r12)

[lucid]

THANK YOU, FIZZBOB ...Thanks much for the concrete info. And yeah, other than just to use as many prelude parts as possible (and knowing that I could use the stock belts), and that r-134a is better for the environment, my main reason is for looks. The front a/c line on my accord (the long one that goes between the motor and the radiator) was covered in this crinkled-up accordion-looking silver heatshield crap. The prelude line has a nice, clean black rubber outer cover, it just looks like a rubber heater hose or something. I may even be able to strip that crap off the Accord line, don't know, didn't try. I'll keep it 'lude as long as it cools. Thanks again, guys..

[cp[mike]]

pulleys a different size, but cool that the belt worked for you. i forgot i had a lude one chilling in my garage, my ac lines are torn up, the lude one is all nice and shiny and clean. gonna throw that in if the lines match up, ill check tonight

[lindiz]

Ok sorry if this is a hard question to answer; I have -93 Accord that misses A/C from the factory. How much work is it and how many parts will I need to get a working A/C system in my car if I put a jdm H22a including an A/C compressor in my car? Is it possible at all?

[lucid]

pulleys a different size, but cool that the belt worked for you. i forgot i had a lude one chilling in my garage, my ac lines are torn up, the lude one is all nice and shiny and clean. gonna throw that in if the lines match up, ill check tonight

Oh, I meant the stock prelude belts, I was full H23 motor/trans/alt/ps hose +pump/ac compressor +line.

If I remember correctly, there is a retaining pin on one side and a hole on the other (one on the hose, the other on the compressor). The pin is offset differently on different hoses I think to keep from hooking the out line to the inlet (& vice versa). You probably can just swap a hose between the 2 cars as is, or you might have to cut the pin off and hold the hose still by hand when tightening, no biggie. It does look nicer/newer with the BB parts.

[lucid]

Ok sorry if this is a hard question to answer; I have -93 Accord that misses A/C from the factory. How much work is it and how many parts will I need to get a working A/C system in my car if I put a jdm H22a including an A/C compressor in my car? Is it possible at all?

I was going to post pics from hondaautomotiveparts.com , but there is too much. You need the following parts from an LX, EX, (or SE) Accord: all parts listed under condenser, cooling unit, and hoses-pipes, except the front line from a prelude, and the prelude compressor. You would also have to wire the compressor for power and a switch. I think the compressor may cycle on and off as needed even with the switch on, and I don't know what controls that, hopefully it's not in the ecu. It's a lot of work, you might want to just trade cars with someone who wants a lightweight model for racing or something. I had ABS and am aquiring parts to go to standard brakes because I don't like ABS- my brake foot works fine, thanks computer. I know it's a drastic solution, but there are way more people out there who don't care about A/C if you do. Or Tear your car apart completely (remove dash & motor preferably, and rape a parts car until there's nothing left of her.

[lindiz]

Oh dear! Thanks for the info. Maybe I'll do without A/C cus it's not too hot where I live. And I'll probably save some extra weight too