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Installing Vintage Air A/C In A ’57 Ranchero - Wind In Your AirFrom the July, 2012 issue of Rod & Custom By Kev Elliott
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[1] Here’s where we left off... [1] Here’s where we left off last month, with the March Performance serpentine system installed. Now to fit the Vintage Air Magnum Gen IV A/C system. Last month we followed along as Chopit Kustom installed a March Performance serpentine belt kit on the 460 Ford in Robbie Freeman’s ’57 Ranchero in preparation for fitting a Vintage Air A/C system—which means this month we’ll show you just that! While Vintage Air offers many kits that are vehicle-specific, with hoses already crimped or hard lines ready to install, the major components can be made to fit any vehicle; it just takes a little more work and planning. One of the toughest parts of installing A/C in any car is physically fitting the evaporator under the dash (if that’s where you choose to fit it!). In this case Vintage Air’s Magnum Gen IV unit was chosen as it offers heat, defrost, and cool options, but it’s also the largest evaporator they sell. It does, however, fit neatly against firewalls that have a recess in the center, and in this instance, also happened to perfectly clear the stock glovebox. So with that major component installed, as well as the compressor, condenser, and dryer mounted, the guys moved on to routing and crimping hoses. [3] With the old heater removed,... [3] With the old heater removed, we were left with these two holes in the firewall. The lower one would come in handy for routing the new heater and A/C hoses into the interior, but first the Chopit crew fabricated a cover plate to tidy up this area. Just as with wiring, there’s a “circuit” that the hoses follow. Starting at the compressor, they go to the condenser, the dryer, then through a safety switch to the evaporator, and then return to the compressor. Each component obviously has two ports, but often they’ll be different sizes, with No. 6, 8, and 10 used at various ports. Even so, the circuit was checked to ensure the hoses were running in the correct direction. Installation was actually easier than it sounds, especially given that the instructions are very comprehensive. With the dry build complete—the hoses were simply pushed into the fittings at this stage—the crimping could begin. Chopit Kustom uses a neat Mastercool hose crimp tool for this, whereby the fittings could be crimped while still in place, though they could be marked for alignment, then removed and crimped in a vise-held tool or taken to an A/C supply house. With a rubber O-ring in each fitting, and a drop or two of refrigerant oil to prevent them from snagging or tearing, the fittings were tightened and the system ready to be evacuated and charged by a professional. As supplied, the compressor, evaporator, dryer, and condenser are filled with dry nitrogen under pressure and then sealed. Once these seals are broken, the system should be evacuated and charged as soon as possible to prevent the components from collecting moisture. Installing A/C is not a mystery, and is within the capability of any hands-on hot rodder, and though you may not want to fork out for a fancy crimp tool like the one shown here, vise-held examples can be had for less than $200.  [2] This is the original heater,...  [2] This is the original heater, located on the passenger side of the firewall. No need for this any longer!  [4] Moving inside, a cursory...  [4] Moving inside, a cursory glance under the dash revealed plenty of untidy and unsafe wiring. Taped-together connections, household twist-type connectors, and missing insulation meant this was all ripped out and replaced before we went any further.  [5] Vintage Air ships everything...  [5] Vintage Air ships everything needed for the A/C installation. All the components were laid out on a bench and checked prior to starting the install.  [6] The Magnum Gen IV evaporator...  [6] The Magnum Gen IV evaporator is large, but it does handle heat, A/C, and defrost, and thanks to the shape of the body, fits neatly against firewalls that have a recess in the middle (on the engine side).  [7] With the glovebox removed,...  [7] With the glovebox removed, Gary Chopit tries the evaporator for size under the dash.  [8] This is the evaporator...  [8] This is the evaporator viewed from the side that fits against the inside of the firewall. Trial fitting it revealed that it would be easier to fabricate new mounts than modify the non-vehicle-specific mounting bracket it’s supplied with.  [9] Looking through the glovebox...  [9] Looking through the glovebox door, the mounts shown in the previous picture are bolted through the top of the firewall. A second pair mount the front of the unit to the lower dash rail.  [10] Vintage Air supplied...  [10] Vintage Air supplied a pair of these defrost vents, which were screwed in place of the originals, using the stock holes.  [11] Viewed from inside the...  [11] Viewed from inside the cab, the newly fabricated cover plate for the old heater holes was drilled to accept four grommets, through which the heater and A/C hoses will pass. That wiring’s a lot tidier now!  [12] Again, looking through...  [12] Again, looking through the glovebox door, a pair of relays for the heater control valve and A/C compressor were mounted on the upper kick panel, along with a circuit breaker (left). These are supplied pre-wired with a short harness, and the instruction manual contains all relevant wiring diagrams.  [14] With the evaporator finish-mounted...  [14] With the evaporator finish-mounted (note one of two mounts attaching it to the lower dash), the A/C and heater hoses were run to check for length and positioning of the hose ends, then removed for crimping. They were then fitted for the final time, not forgetting to use the rubber O-rings supplied in each fitting. These were lubed with refrigerant oil, as were the threads, prior to installation to seal the joints. Note too, the drain tube exiting the bottom of the unit, passing through the cab floor behind the carpet.  [13] While Vintage Air offers...  [13] While Vintage Air offers numerous styles and shapes of A/C vents, and in various materials, the owner of this truck didn’t want them mounted in the dash, so these basic vents were mounted on the existing kick panels, relatively unobtrusive unless you’re laying on the floor with a camera!  [15] This dual vent is designed...  [15] This dual vent is designed to mount under the lower dash lip, but the truck had a set of gauges already mounted there. A bandsaw was used to cut the housing in half …  [16] … then the two halves...  [16] … then the two halves were mounted on either side of the gauge housing.  [17] The reproduction glovebox...  [17] The reproduction glovebox (stockers too) already had this cutout, which perfectly cleared the fan housing on the evaporator. Oftentimes all or part of a glovebox has to be sacrificed to fit an A/C unit.  [18] Here’s a view of the...  [18] Here’s a view of the outside of the firewall cover plate. Four beads were added for appearance.  [19] Just before the heater...  [19] Just before the heater hose from the intake manifold to the evaporator passes through the firewall, the heater control valve was mounted inline. This valve is directional, as indicated by the arrow on the decal. The valve has to be mounted in the high-pressure hose, not the other low-pressure hose from the evaporator to the water pump.  [20] Here’s where the heater...  [20] Here’s where the heater hoses connect on the 460 Ford engine. The upper is the high-pressure hose from the intake manifold; the lower is the low-pressure hose to the water pump.  [21] The dryer has to be located...  [21] The dryer has to be located between the condenser and the evaporator. It was mounted on the inner fender and the hoses installed prior to crimping to check for location, angle of fittings, and length. Note the O-rings taped to the dryer as a reminder to install them in the fittings on final assembly.  [22] A binary or trinary switch...  [22] A binary or trinary switch will cut off the compressor clutch at 30 or 406 psi. A binary switch is used if a mechanical fan is used. This is a trinary switch, which also sends a signal to engage an electric fan at 254 psi. It is wired into the same relay as the engine temperature switch, so the fan will engage with either engine temperature or A/C pressure. It can be mounted anywhere between the condenser and evaporator, in this instance just behind the radiator support panel between the dryer and condenser.  [23] Here Chopit is trial...  [23] Here Chopit is trial fitting the hoses to the condenser. Ensure the condenser is mounted with the larger No. 8 fitting at the top.  [24] With all the refrigerant...  [24] With all the refrigerant lines routed and the Chopit crew happy with the fitting positions, the ends of the hoses could be crimped. Chopit Kustom uses this Mastercool hydraulic hose crimp tool. If you’re doing a similar project, your local A/C parts supply house will likely be able to undertake the crimping for you, as these tools are expensive.  [25] The beauty of this crimp...  [25] The beauty of this crimp tool over other designs is that it’s handheld and as such is able to crimp the hoses in place rather than take them off the car and crimp them in a tool held in a vise.  [26] The small hole (arrow)...  [26] The small hole (arrow) in the Vintage Air fittings enables the installer to ensure the hoses are pushed all the way into the fitting before crimping. A little refrigerant oil helps with this. With all the fittings crimped and O-rings installed, all the connections were tightened for a final time.  [27] These hard lines were...  [27] These hard lines were supplied with the March Performance kit to make routing the refrigerant lines from the compressor somewhat neater than having rubber hoses looped over the top.  [28] With the aluminum condenser...  [28] With the aluminum condenser and radiator both painted semigloss black, as well as the hose fittings, it’ll all blend in behind the grille. Note the hoses are routed through grommets in the radiator support, the lower one secured with a clamp to keep it away from the hood hinge when the hood is closed.  [29] These fittings are used...  [29] These fittings are used to evacuate and fill the system with refrigerant on completion of the install.  [30] This neat control panel...  [30] This neat control panel from Vintage Air was installed in the dash, easily hooked up to the evaporator unit following the instructions. It doesn’t look out of place in the interior of the ’57.  [31] Finally, the grille and...  [31] Finally, the grille and hood can be replaced, and the A/C system evacuated and charged to provide cool air while cruising in the hot summer months.
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