a/c install

alchevy · July 06, 2005, 10:20:04 AM

I'm starting the install of the Hot Rod Air a/c unit in my '40 Chevy. I bought the Elite Deluxe w/ defrost last August while at Louisville. Went for the biggest unit they made since it's going in a sedan. To my suprise, I got my August '05 issue of Street Rod Builder mag in the mail on Tuesday and they go through step by step on how to install a Vintage Air unit in a '40 Ford Coupe.

Does anyone have any tips they would like to share on a/c installs?
Thanks,
AL

WZ JUNK · July 06, 2005, 12:12:27 PM

Quote from: "40chevy"I'm starting the install of the Hot Rod Air a/c unit in my '40 Chevy. I bought the Elite Deluxe w/ defrost last August while at Louisville. Went for the biggest unit they made since it's going in a sedan. To my suprise, I got my August '05 issue of Street Rod Builder mag in the mail on Tuesday and they go through step by step on how to install a Vintage Air unit in a '40 Ford Coupe.

Does anyone have any tips they would like to share on a/c installs?
Thanks,
AL

I would make a big effort to keep the cowl vent functional. Saying that, it is a very hard thing to do. I did a 39 Chevy last year and kept the vent but it required a lot of work on the unit that I installed. The unit I used was not a Hot Rod Air.

alchevy · July 06, 2005, 01:43:54 PM

At least my cowl vent handle is on the left side of the cowl vent instead of being in the way. I want to try and keep it...because it does work. The a/c underdash unit is going to cover about half of the cowl vent. Has anyone ever tried to duct the air from the cowl vent? Have to flexible tubbing so that you could open and close the cowl vent.

WZ JUNK · July 06, 2005, 02:31:06 PM

Quote from: "40chevy"At least my cowl vent handle is on the left side of the cowl vent instead of being in the way. I want to try and keep it...because it does work. The a/c underdash unit is going to cover about half of the cowl vent. Has anyone ever tried to duct the air from the cowl vent? Have to flexible tubbing so that you could open and close the cowl vent.

I would not worry about the air from the cowl vent as long as you can make the handle open and close it. If yours is like most of them, it might be difficult to make a duct.

btrc · July 07, 2005, 07:16:51 AM

I put a Vintage air unit in a buddy of mine's '37 Chevy this spring and the cowl vent still works in it. In fact he has his set up with an electric motor to run it. The evaporator he had was the Gen II Compac unit and it only had 3 ducts where the one in my car has 4.

Bob

alchevy · July 07, 2005, 10:32:12 AM

Mine has the 4 outlets (being the big unit). The instructions say to use an electric motor if you have to on the cowl vent. Might be a purchase this year at Louisville for me. Have to wait and see. I have an extra dash for my '40, but time might not allow for me to use it now since I want to have the a/c ready for Louisville, which is less than a month away. Might have the vents in some awkward places for now just to get it installed...later on I can work on the spare dash and swap it out. The spare dash has been cut on already by someone else, so some work will need to be done to use it. I wanted a vent over on the driver's side to the left of the steering wheel, but it's getting crowded over there. Could go under the dash over there, but toggle switches are in the way. Working on ideas for using an oil pan (turned upside down) for a console. So I could connect it to the middle of the dash and that would create a large space for all kinds of things. That's the nice part about building street rods...if it works, you can use it.
AL

alchevy · July 12, 2005, 09:42:52 AM

Here's an update on the install:

Saturday morning, I drove the '40 over to a friend's garage where we could have more room to work. My car club had planned a work meeting at my place on the 11th to work on my a/c install and then another work night at the other guy's place on the 25th. But his plans changed as to when he was going to be in town, so he asked if we could do it at his garage. So we redirected the members to his place and then I took off a day of vacation on Monday to work on my install. Worked on it on Saturday and then on Monday and left his garage after midnight...will be going back over there tonight to fill the radiator back up and clean things up so that his wife can have her parking space back. Still have to install the vents, controls, ductwork, wire it, & add the r134a to it.

The other guy's car is a '47 Studebaker Coupe with '50 bulletnose on the front. He has a '47 Studebaker Pickup too. Interesting thing about those pickups...the front & rear fenders are swap-a-ble on the same side of the truck. Ahead of their time!

reborn55 · July 12, 2005, 11:08:44 AM

Used the Watson power vent set up in my Dodge to help clear the Gen ll unit. Works pretty good.

sirstude · July 12, 2005, 03:14:53 PM

I used Dan Carpenters (F100 guy) on my Studebaker, worked like a charm. Not sure on the Olds yet, if I am going to make the vent work or not. The original setup surrounded the cowl vent with the heater unit sheetmetal, which I am not going to use.
Doug

alchevy · July 13, 2005, 02:12:46 PM

I filled the radiator and checked for leaks. Found one and tightened it up. What happened was this: I used a Bills Hot Rod bracket for the a/c compressor so that it would match the one on the alternator. The heater hose that connects to the intake manifold is right under the compressor. So I need a 90 degree fitting to use there to maybe have enough room. So for now, I didn't need heat and it was just plugged off. Had to plug the hole in the water pump too just to be able to fill the radiator up and drive it home from the other guys house. Now I want to go ahead and fix it like it should be done so that I won't be cruising down the highway to Louisville and it blow off a temporary solution. I was able to drive the car home last night.

alchevy · July 18, 2005, 10:02:29 AM

Thought I would post a few pictures of this install. Instead of going with the $50 bracket that Hot Rod Air sells to mount the under dash unit, I opted to build my own bracket that worked out pretty good. Only problem is the 2x2 angle iron I used on the inside of the firewall is taking up the space I where I need to run the hoses through.

A friend had a pipe fitting to fit into the intake to connect a heater hose to. The picture just shows it sitting beside the pipe plug to give you an idea on how much clearance I will have under the compressor.

Lucky, that I have all of the space under the dash to fit such a big unit.

reborn55 · July 18, 2005, 10:39:14 AM

looks mighty fine!!!!!!

jaybee · July 18, 2005, 06:46:18 PM

You're making great progress. As hot as it is here in Iowa it must be just about boiling down in MS this Summer. You'll be very glad to have it.

alchevy · July 19, 2005, 09:23:15 AM

Yes it is very hot down here in MS. Mid 90's with heat index of 105. Monday, we had some showers that cooled us off some...down to 84 and it was pleasent to go outdoors. Just an hour East of here, at the same time (7pm) it was 89.

alchevy · July 19, 2005, 09:25:33 AM

I took some more pieces off the front end of the car last night to look at running the lines from the condensor. Took the lower piece off that's under the grill and then I took the grill out because it will make it easier to drill some holes. Was planning on running the hard lines under the radiator, but will have to lower the condensor to go that route.