Stock Miata A/C
 

I went back through the posts and couldn't find this. I am putting in a carberated 302 into my Miata. The A/C currently works in the car. I guess I have two questions:

- Is it possible to remove the stock engine and install the new setup without disturbing the stock A/C system causing me to recharge it.

- Can I use the stock system with the 302? Is it possible to drive the compressor properly?

Here is a link to Jasons site that explains the a/c mating to miata easy.

McCully Racing Motors- Now your V8 Miata can have Air Conditioning!

OK, I took a look at the hose kit that you linked to and it uses the compressor from the Ford setup and the rest of the Miata system. I looked through the build thread and from what I can gather is that hoses are needed because a few items need to be relocated due to space restrictions. But I don't understand the compressor issue. Maybe it is a computer thing (the Ford compressor is used because it links in the the Ford computer). But in my case that isn't the case. My engine is carbureted and there will be no engine control system. Is there a reason I can't use the complete Miata A/C system? Compressor and all?

Greg just wondering why you want to do a carbed build? Injection is no big deal to get going and so much more efficient to run.

I have a 68 mustang coupe that I will be building to race. I finally have the budget to do it and began to think it through. The mustang is going to be a 700hp beast of a track car .... and I have never raced. After thinking about it, I thought it would be pretty stupid to put my inexperienced butt in a car like that. So since I have been wondering what to do with the 300+hp engine that is coming out of the mustang, I figured I would build my beginner track car with that engine. I have always loved the Monster Miatas and thought this would be a great project for that engine. So I get to use an engine I already have and build a cool project that I'll get some good experience with. At least that is my thinking at the moment.

Cool. What kind of racing are you looking at doing?

SCCA Solo (autocross) to start and then once I get some seat time move on into the road coarse racing in the SCCA Club Racing Series.

That's the good stuff! If you have not run much you will find out soon enough that autox is a drivers game and the car really doesn’t make that much difference. We have a guy in NXD that beats cars in much higher classes all the time because he is such a good driver. The Corvette club won't let him race anymore becuase he usually has the FTD in their events with a nearly stock Miata. LOL!

I would suggest you run your Miata as it is for a year or so. Good suspension and high HP are detrimental to learning good tactics and car control because they cover up mistakes easily. Also I have found sim racing with something like the driver development program from Champion motorsports to be extremely helpful to learn the ropes and costs nearly nothing to participate in. Just my .02 and sorry I didn’t mean to highjack the thread on this bunny trail!

The biggest problem with using the Miata AC compressor is that it has a 4-rib pulley and the majority of the the Ford stuff (alternator, waterpump) uses a 6-rib belt. You could try to use the Miata alternator as a one-wire and use a very long 4-rib belt to run it and the AC compressor. The waterpump is a reverse-rotation so it does not really matter if the belt running over it backward is 4 or 6 rib. The biggest issue with running a long 4-rib is that it will have more stretch than a 6 and may not be able to turn the compressor. You'll notice that Mazda used two short 4 rib belts instead of one for that reason.

Trying to do a swap without opening the AC system is going to be pretty hard even if you use the stock compressor. you're going to have to figure out how to make up brackets and such for it which will be a lot easier out of the car. The cost of having the existing coolant removed and the new system charged is really not worth the hassle of working around it (IMHO).

-Jason

I greatly appreciate the information, but running the Miata stock is not an option. I got this specific car with the sole intention of converting it so I got one with a messed up motor. I don't think it would make it one lap before launching parts on the track. I will definitely check out the simulator though.

Mine is even more old school than that. My 302 is originally out of a 79 van but has been built for a 68 mustang and was run in it for years. But it runs a v-belt setup at the moment. I can certainly convert it to something better if needed. I will most likely pull it all apart (the A/C system) but I do want to see if it is possible just to run the stock stuff. Maybe change all the pulleys with a 6 rib serpentine kit. Can the pulley on the compressor be changed? I haven't looked yet.

With a decent internet connection (reliable not fast) and a decent computer (say less than 4 years old) and $300 in toys it is by far the most fun you can have with a computer. I've learned left foot braking, trail braking, when not to shift, what corners matter the most and a hundred other things you just don't pick up in a couple days of autocross school in the real world. And all the free seat time you want riding with or racing against some excellent drivers!

Champion Motorsports

It is amazing how accurate the physics are and missing the apex in sim world has the exact same consequences as in the real world. DDP is going to do an autocross school on line this fall. I did one in May with them and it was really good. Now if I can just get the car done and put it to good use!

The other cool thing about it is you can learn tracks in sim world before you go there in real life. Tracks are made using Google Earth so they are accurate to a couple inches. I probably had 500 laps at MAM in a Camaro set up as close to mine as I could make it before my first track day there and I knew the track as well as the instructor riding with me!

If you have any questions PM me so I quit messing up this thread with my other vice...:-)

Why not use something like the Sanden SD-7 Compressor instead of trying to use the stock Miata Compressor?

Separate but related question is Zoops Products out of business?