Factory A/C install in a non A/C car who has done it

[NG8264723]

I have a chance to buy a complete setup for $800 underdash and underhood.  The factory box is mint as well no rust no damage

 

[rackerm]

I have not done a conversion, but I have reassemble both A/C and non-A/C cars. I do know the cowl fresh air vent hole on the drivers side is blocked off (no hole). The factory A/C air box uses only the passenger side cowl hole. You might be able to just leave the drivers side in place anyway. The heater controls on the dash will change. There is a water vapor drain tube from the air box that exits thru a hole in the passenger floor pan. There are 6-8 vacuum lines from the heater controls to the air box and two of them exit thru the center of the firewall and connect to the vacuum canister and heater control valve on the passenger side. The glove box will need to be swapped with the shallower A/C version. A large cutout in the firewall for the evaporator coil tubes to exit thru is needed, you can see a "comma" shaped imprint in the firewall for it just below the heater coil tubes. If you have a power steering cooler on your non-A/C P/S pump now that will need to change to one that wraps over the top of the A/C compressor. The wiring harness running along the driver side valve cover may need to change if it does not already have the wire for the compressor (a square plug located at the front end of the harness near the plug for the fast idle solenoid). The crank pulley needs to change. A/C cars came with a larger radiator and fan shroud than most non-A/C cars. Then there is the A/C belts, tension-er pulley, hoses, compressor, etc. which I assume is in the complete factory setup you are getting

I am sure I have missed something...

I can post some pictures if needed.

 

[NG8264723]

Please post pics. It alsmot sounds like the aftermarke is the way to go

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

It is probably easier to put air on than to take it off and go with vents. You do not have to plug off the L.H. cowl vent unless you want to. As long as you get all the parts it is just nuts and bolts with the exception of cutting the key shaped hole in the firewall. I did a template and posted on the forum probably a year ago for another member to cut his by. Aftermarket is aftermarket and sure easier but will never look right.

Do you have the wide or narrow radiator? Might need the radiator also.

If you do buy check the condenser and evaporator in tank of water before install. Same with new heater core have had new that leaked twice.

Here are a couple pics so you can see the firewall and most of the components.

The wire harness is a bear to find sometimes but Midlife can help with that. Did not have good pic of the front. The bracket that holds the belt adjuster and the belt adjuster were original with phosphate coating. I did not have the material when I did this car so I just painted. Not a show car just a good original driver. If you need other pics I have 4 cars with air two are originals.

It just takes time and you will also need all the ducts under the dash. Pulling dash is not a big thing and then you can get to everything.

















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[Thomas]

When I mounted air cond on my 71 conv so was my problem that the mounting brackets for the fan on the firewall was missing. Apparently not mounted on all non-air cond cars. had to drill those out  from a donor car.

// Thomas

 

[Pegleg]

There is a water vapor drain tube from the air box that exits thru a hole in the passenger floor pan.

HaHa!!! Thats answered a question i had in my head. I wondered what that was for. Does it have a hose attached to the piece that protrudes through the firewall? Mine did have a piece of hose attached but the hose was chopped off at some point in the past

 

[rackerm]

There is a water vapor drain tube from the air box that exits thru a hole in the passenger floor pan.

HaHa!!! Thats answered a question i had in my head. I wondered what that was for. Does it have a hose attached to the piece that protrudes through the firewall? Mine did have a piece of hose attached but the hose was chopped off at some point in the past

Yes. It is an "s" shaped hose. You see it still attached with the correct hose clamp to the air box in the picture below. without the hose exiting thru the floor you would have condensation water all over your passenger side carpet with A/C on, or worse if you had a heater core leak.



 on A/C cars.

 

[rackerm]

Please post pics.  It alsmot sounds like the aftermarke is the way to go

I would not bother with used heater core or A/C evaporator coil, they are not cheap new and can still leak, but not likely. It is not worth the risk given the time effort involve installing  the airbox the A/C system only to find out the used core leaks. I have a spare dash A/C heater control switch if you need one.









how to upload images

 

[NG8264723]

R12 is impossible to find now. Has anyone just used r134? What did you do to make it work

 

[Fabrice]

r134a is the only thing legal over here. The first year I got the 73, back in the mid 80's It ran first on r12. Basically I was going to that fridge repair dude I knew, he connected his bottle to the system and once the little glass showed liquid and pressure was ok, it was filled and good to go. Something unbelievable today

The environments laws changed and filled it once with 134a. It was working, giving me the same ice formation in right and left vents in dashboard as before.

If it was good for the compressor/install, I dunno. As that thing was eating so much power, it felt like giving gas while pressing breaks, I've removed it and sold it. Something I regret I did now but I was 18 and could use the money to finance other more important parts. Temperatures were lower back then and prefer drive with the glass down vs closed with airco on.

I still have that aluminum element, evaporator coil I believe its called, that goes into the dashboard, removed it because of the tubes coming out the firewall.

It's in a box for like 25 years. Is there is an easy way to test it?

 

[rackerm]

R12 is impossible to find now.  Has anyone just used r134?  What did you do to make it work

I have heard about something called R12a. Some folks are using it as a replacement for R12 without having to do any conversion as you do with 134a. You can buy it on Amazon. I know a few people using it in the 80s and 90s cars. I am a bit leery of it as it is essentially a hydrocarbon and combustible. A leak in the system into either your engine or passenger compartment could lead to a disastrous result.

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

Yeah, some folks have used Propane too, but I would not ever consider it