AC Question (1 Viewer)

[OldBeachBob]

I can pick up a new Chev 1500 AC Compressor (rotary)and receiver dryer cheap. Can i modify it to work with my 1975 Nippondenso under dash system?
Thanks

 

[J Mack]

Refrigerant type will be your biggest concern when mixing and matching and keeping the parts compatible, given enough time and money you can make old A/C parts work adequately but I’m not convinced you’ll be saving any money or build a better system over just buying a new modern system.

 

[OldBeachBob]

Thanks Jim! That's what I thought but wanted confirmation. I like the "original" under dash unit but want AC that really works. Hope all is well with you. Been down 6 of the last 12 months with new ankles. Thanks to our great VA here in town they do great work, Will be starting on new knees this spring. Really want to do a PIG Party this year - depends on my ability to be completely mobile.

 

[RUSH55]

Has anyone had luck finding replacement condensers for the factory AC systems? As long as the condenser held up, the rest of the system could be upgraded (hoses, o-rings, dryer, etc..). With a new under dash unit, you’d still need to address all of those components.

 

[fj55-100]

I am running the stock dash set up in mine with , the 4.7 ac pump .. wanted the stock look . sacrificed performance for looks .. the 71 dash unit works just like it did in 71 , there are no issues with the cold . it is plenty cold . but it is WAY undersized to cool the inside space of a 55 , not enough coil face surface area combined with poor blower speed ,lack of flow .works fine for one person but sucks for everyone else,. in a restoration it would be ideal . but for my daily driver it is not good . I am looking at the resto mods one to replace it in the future , . i have attempted to fix it to make it modern many times ,my condenser is a dual pass ,the compressor works in the dual ac units of the lx470 so is way overkill , used a modern timed expansion valve , even ran the blower motor at 24v to make it sing .at the end... the inside box just performed up to 1970 standards . works just like it was supposed to in 1970

 

[PabloCruise]

I am running the stock dash set up in mine with , the 4.7 ac pump .. wanted the stock look . sacrificed performance for looks .. the 71 dash unit works just like it did in 71 , there are no issues with the cold . it is plenty cold . but it is WAY undersized to cool the inside space of a 55 , not enough coil face surface area combined with poor blower speed ,lack of flow .works fine for one person but sucks for everyone else,. in a restoration it would be ideal . but for my daily driver it is not good . I am looking at the resto mods one to replace it in the future , . i have attempted to fix it to make it modern many times ,my condenser is a dual pass ,the compressor works in the dual ac units of the lx470 so is way overkill , used a modern timed expansion valve , even ran the blower motor at 24v to make it sing .at the end... the inside box just performed up to 1970 standards . works just like it was supposed to in 1970

What condensor did you choose? Does it fit well an line up with the holes in the cross member?

 

[fj55-100]

dual pass from a company in AZ . yes it lines up . i measured and got the biggest one to fit the opening . that was in 2000 .may take a minute to find the part number .. Like Jmac i spent way to long on learning thermal dynamics and expanded theory of design to make it the best it could be

 

[PabloCruise]

dual pass from a company in AZ . yes it lines up . i measured and got the biggest one to fit the opening . that was in 2000 .may take a minute to find the part number .. Like Jmac i spent way to long on learning thermal dynamics and expanded theory of design to make it the best it could be

That sounds like my huckleberry!
Thank you for doing the research for me, I need to make the most of my 3FE compressor.
Do you route your lines to your condensor on the passenger side?

 

[WarDamnEagle]

I wish I could provide more details on my A/C. Previous owner, BBQBoy, sourced an original pig system and had @Trollhole install. System used all factory components for the interior but I know the parts under the hood are not. Have a video of the engine compartment which shows the compressor arrangement but I’m not smart enough to attach it. Here are the only stills I could find in my photos.

 

[scrapdaddy]

Some day we have to tackle mounting a second (rear mounted) unit in order to cool down the entire wagon.

 

[RUSH55]

Most modern vehicles with a cabin the size of a 55 have rear AC. Pretty much the only way to really cool rear passengers.

 

[bobm]

Whatever happened to wing windows

 

[scrapdaddy]

Whatever happened to wing windows

That's exactly why I wanted an older model, but out West hot air blowing on you isn't much fun either. Up until '95 I never had a/c in my trucks.....guess I went and got old.

 

[Ol Yeller]

Most modern vehicles with a cabin the size of a 55 have rear AC. Pretty much the only way to really cool rear passengers.

There is a guy in Az building a shorty 40 and he has 2 minivan rear ac units mocked up, if we could fit one in the pass 1/4 that would be great...not that I’m anywhere near doing that.

 

[PabloCruise]

Whatever happened to wing windows

I think Ron is saying he would rather put an evaporater in his Pig’s rear...

 

[Ol Yeller]

Found my bookmark

I've been putting a lot of thought into my AC and heater. I've seen some trunk mount universal systems that are AC only, so I'd have to do a stock heater on the dash. I didn't want to mess with wiring two fans to do two separate things, so I went to the local pick-a-part to see if there were any units that looked compact. I was really hoping to do a dual evaporator system for maximum cooling and airflow this time.

While walking through the junkyard, I saw quite a few different dash units, but there were all way too big and complicated for what I wanted. Then it occurred to me.... I needed a factory rear AC/heater unit! It would be a self contained unit that was small and only had one inlet and one outlet.

I went to the Toyota section and saw two 2006 Siennas sitting right next to each other. I peeled back the rear right plastic panel in each one and they both had a compact fan/evaporator/heater unit!!! I knew right when I saw them they were perfect. I pulled them out and happily paid $50 each unit. The aftermarket dual evaporator system I was looking at was $1500, so I felt really good about the purchase. I'm guessing these are much higher quality as well.

The donor vans -

Where I took the unit from (I meant to take a pic of the unit in there, but forgot) -

Plenty of room to mount both units side by side under the rear shelf. I plan on some other wiring, as well as mounting the battery back there as well -

These units are so compact I actually thing they have potential to be mounted to a 40 firewall

 

[scrapdaddy]

I actually wrote that information down on the Sienna for future pondering.

 

[Ol Yeller]

My interest is less the summer AC (which would be nice) but more a solution for de-fog in the back for spring/fall outings, windows are allways fogging up here.

 

[PabloCruise]

Has anyone had luck finding replacement condensers for the factory AC systems? As long as the condenser held up, the rest of the system could be upgraded (hoses, o-rings, dryer, etc..). With a new under dash unit, you’d still need to address all of those components.

This is what I want to do - new condensor/drier/lines tied to the 3FE compressor and the original evaporator.

dual pass from a company in AZ . yes it lines up . i measured and got the biggest one to fit the opening . that was in 2000 .may take a minute to find the part number .. Like Jmac i spent way to long on learning thermal dynamics and expanded theory of design to make it the best it could be

Guessing it was Cool Stream, in Tucson?
Bump for that part number if you can find it.
I would take a picture of how it lines up with the holes on the pass side of the cross-member too!
Thanks Evan

 

[PabloCruise]

dual pass from a company in AZ . yes it lines up . i measured and got the biggest one to fit the opening . that was in 2000 .may take a minute to find the part number .. Like Jmac i spent way to long on learning thermal dynamics and expanded theory of design to make it the best it could be

Bump for the p/n of the condenser you chose, especially if it is from CoolStream, they likely still carry the same p/n...