an idea for A/C

[91CavGT]

I don't know how effective this will be, but I've got an idea. Remove the A/C compressor, condensor, dryer, and all the lines associated with these components. Connect hoses to the evaporator in the dash and run them to the back of the car. Connect a typical oil/transmission cooler to these lines. On one of the lines, run a small 12 volt pump like a Shurflow RV pump. These pull from 4-7 amps of current typically. Fill the hoses up with water or some kind of coolant that has a lower freezing point than water. Put the oil/transmission cooler in an ice chest (err, a cooler) that is filled with a salt water and ice combination. In theroy, this would give you some cooling till the water in the ice chest got above about 40 degrees.


Benefits;

1. A/C compressors often take 5 hp or more to operate whereas this would put a very small load on the alternator. I imagine a drop of 0.5 - 1 hp while this system would be running.
2. The air going over the radiator would be cooler therefore making a larger grill block possible during warm months.


Disadvantages

1. weight. Primarily the weight of the ice. Depending on the size of the cooler, 100 pounds additional weight could be seen. Take away 25 pounds or so for the weight of the A/C compressor, condensor, and the lines and you're looking at 75 pounds.
2. you'd need a very large and readily supply of ice.
3. it won't be as effective as a normal A/C system.



I'm thinking about trying this on my Cavalier. I've already got all the parts laying around, and there is a massive ice machine where I work so I can completley fill a large cooler everyday with ice. The A/C system has already been removed on this car due to the oil cooler adaptor interfeering with the A/C compressor. So, I'm trying to think of a way to get A/C back on this car without putting an A/C compressor back on it.

What do you guys think?