There was a thread a while back about ordering Vintage Air conditioners for the FJ-40. I was wondering how hard it was to install these and what mods had to be made. Also, how are they running for those who have used them?
Vintage Air install?
- Thread starter lunap
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
I've got the CCOT a/c in my 40. I think it's made by Vintage Air, but I could be wrong. It was installed by PO. It takes up a good bit of legroom on the passenger side. I've had a few electrical issues with it. It's had some shorts and at times it quit working altogether. I think all that stems from the stupidity of the PO, though. When it works, which is now most of the time it blows hard and cold. It doesn't look like too much had to be done under the hood. The compressor bracket bolts in to the block the same place the alternator bracket does. You just have to have a the right size belt. Mine was too loose for a while and made a horrible squeeking noise when I turned it on. I finally got a smaller belt from NAPA and fixed the problem
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2004
- Threads
- 7
- Messages
- 61
- Location
- Tucson, more or less
- Website
- www.overlandexpo.com
I bought a Vintage Air unit and had God's own nightmare installing it on my '73 FJ40. VA's prediction of "about a day" to install was a joke. Nothing fit correctly, and I had to send back the first compressor bracket, which was warped and did not line up. I consider myself a competent amateur mechanic, but I wondered if the problem was me until I talked to a friend of mine who is a master Toyota mechanic and does nothing but Land Cruisers. He has installed a half-dozen VA units and says that a couple, in late model FJ40s (i.e. '81-'83), just dropped right in, and others on earlier models were just as problematic as mine. He does stress that, once in, they all worked great.
I found out after I bought the unit that I lost both my sources of fresh air with this installation--the original fresh air intake setting on the fan and the cowl vent as well (the brochure said that "early-1968-models lose the cowl intake.") I am currently working on a fabricated lever to restore my cowl intake. The ad also said the unit has separate heater outlets. Not mine.
If I were to do this again I would investigate the more expensive aftermarket unit that duplicates the factory setup.
I found out after I bought the unit that I lost both my sources of fresh air with this installation--the original fresh air intake setting on the fan and the cowl vent as well (the brochure said that "early-1968-models lose the cowl intake.") I am currently working on a fabricated lever to restore my cowl intake. The ad also said the unit has separate heater outlets. Not mine.
If I were to do this again I would investigate the more expensive aftermarket unit that duplicates the factory setup.
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2004
- Threads
- 7
- Messages
- 61
- Location
- Tucson, more or less
- Website
- www.overlandexpo.com
I bought a Vintage Air unit and had God's own nightmare installing it on my '73 FJ40. VA's prediction of "about a day" to install was a joke. Nothing fit correctly, and I had to send back the first compressor bracket, which was warped and did not line up. I consider myself a competent amateur mechanic, but I wondered if the problem was me until I talked to a friend of mine who is a master Toyota mechanic and does nothing but Land Cruisers. He has installed a half-dozen VA units and says that a couple, in late model FJ40s (i.e. '81-'83), just dropped right in, and others on earlier models were just as problematic as mine. He does stress that, once in, they all worked great.
The only question I was asked when I purchased the unit was if I had a two-groove harmonic balancer (crank pulley), which I did. I found out after the unit came that the second groove on my pulley--originally intended for an air pump--was too narrow for the ac belt. I had to buy and install the proper balancer. Not cheap, even used.
I also found out after I got the unit that I lost both my sources of fresh air with this installation--the original fresh air intake setting on the fan and the cowl vent as well (the brochure said that "early-1968-models lose the cowl intake.") I am currently working on a fabricated lever to restore my cowl intake. The ad also said the unit has separate heater outlets. Not mine.
If I were to do this again I would investigate the more expensive aftermarket unit that duplicates the factory setup.
The only question I was asked when I purchased the unit was if I had a two-groove harmonic balancer (crank pulley), which I did. I found out after the unit came that the second groove on my pulley--originally intended for an air pump--was too narrow for the ac belt. I had to buy and install the proper balancer. Not cheap, even used.
I also found out after I got the unit that I lost both my sources of fresh air with this installation--the original fresh air intake setting on the fan and the cowl vent as well (the brochure said that "early-1968-models lose the cowl intake.") I am currently working on a fabricated lever to restore my cowl intake. The ad also said the unit has separate heater outlets. Not mine.
If I were to do this again I would investigate the more expensive aftermarket unit that duplicates the factory setup.
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2004
- Threads
- 7
- Messages
- 61
- Location
- Tucson, more or less
- Website
- www.overlandexpo.com
Sorry--I thought I caught that first post before it went out. Needed to add more.
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2004
- Threads
- 2
- Messages
- 44
I've done a dozen or so...
The compressor bracket problem is supposed to have been addressed, I had it one time about two years ago. No problems on the last three or four. My experience has been limited to 76 and newer models. I can say the first one took about 4 days of on and off work, I can probably do one now in 6 hours of constant labor. Take your time, read and follow the instructions. No mods are necessary, you do remove completely your stock heater and blower forever. Air cools pretty well, heat is okay. You do have the advantage of having the compressor run on defrost, eliminates alot of fogging. If you're in a desert environment like I am )110 or so in summer), you'll still want to tint the windows, and add insulation to the floor under the mats.
The compressor bracket problem is supposed to have been addressed, I had it one time about two years ago. No problems on the last three or four. My experience has been limited to 76 and newer models. I can say the first one took about 4 days of on and off work, I can probably do one now in 6 hours of constant labor. Take your time, read and follow the instructions. No mods are necessary, you do remove completely your stock heater and blower forever. Air cools pretty well, heat is okay. You do have the advantage of having the compressor run on defrost, eliminates alot of fogging. If you're in a desert environment like I am )110 or so in summer), you'll still want to tint the windows, and add insulation to the floor under the mats.
We added the Vintage air to our FJ40. One issue was the belts sizes. I had to research a belt and have it run on the bottom pully. The instructions had it powered off of the WP pully alone which led to belt squeeling. So far good unit. Running R134A. No other major issues on the install for us. I posted a year or so back on this install. Do a search for posts from Roadnoiz40, maybe it will show up.
I installed a VA package about 2 years ago and very happy with it. I live in the South and summers are hot here - but the VA does the job. When I bought mine, VA folks told me a couple of weekends to install. It took that and longer because I didn't work on it non stop. Maybe just me, but I don't think I've put anything on my LC without having to fab, modify or change something. And I had to do that with the VA package. There was one damaged part but the VA staff responded quickly and were helpful.
I am very satisfied with Vintage Air - package and service.
I am very satisfied with Vintage Air - package and service.
- Thread starter
- #10
thanks, the VA is alot cheaper than the CCOT version. And I like the fact that it doesnt take up as much room and provides heat and defrost as well. I do not like removing the OEM heater from my all stock cruiser thought. Will have to think on that one.
I know what you mean, my last cruiser I had stock a/c, and it was ok, but there is still a lot of room for improvement from the stock setup. I hope this is were the VA comes in. I like the idea of drying the air and actually being able to defrost my windows in the winter. I also like how the driver gets a vent on his/her side of the vehicle, good for both A/C and heat. I also like the leg room VA provides. This is what helped me make my decision.
Scott
Scott
I installed mine a couple years back. Besides losing fresh air, the compressor is turned on by where you set the air (i.e. setting it to defrost kicks on the compressor, setting it to vent kicks on the compressor). I like to blow heat through the vent setting so I wired the A/C compressor to it's own switch so I can control it. Another thing I don't like about the vintage unit is the vacuum control valve for the heat. It's either on or off, I kept the factory manual valve so I could select the amount of hot water going through the heat exchanger. You find out after you try the heater that it's not a very efficient heat exchanger and setting it full on never gets too hot anyway. The A/C does blow cold and it's worth the drawbacks.