ac conversion threads?

[50mercfan]

can some one direct me to some good threads on converting a non ac truck to factory ac? i can never find anything with "search".

[jbclassix]

Most of the threads i have seen with this info are in the project and build section. If you search "vintage air" or "southern air" you will have better luck. I haven't seen any threads that are specifically about the conversion, but plenty have done it, many different ways. Look through the builds and enjoy!

[MARKDTN]

It looks to me like he wants factory air, not aftermarket. I have done it for someone else. Basically I bought a complete setup from a junkyard so I knew I had all the parts. Took it home and cleaned it up. Had to replace an arm in the controls and the mode door in the box. I believe both of these are pretty standard to have to replace and are available from the aftermarket suppliers. I put it in using new flex duct. I bought new freon hoses, condensor, POA cycling clutch replacement kit, and a dryer. Did not replace the evaporator or fan. He wanted R134, if it were mine I'd kept R12. The relay was bad and I used a used one from an early 80s F-body I had, but if I did it again I would use a mid/late 90s oval relay instead. I was using Corvette serpentine accessories so I had a used compressor. If I had it to do again, I would have made him buy a new compressor because it did not last him but a few months and he had to replace the dryer again. As far as installation, I just took out the old and put in the new. Had to cut the firewall a little. Cut the dash with a sawzall and cleaned the holes with a diegrinder. Used the vents as a template. The outer ones hide the cuts pretty well, but the middle one doesn't-measure twice, cut once.

[mrein3]

I don't have a build thread but I did post what I did when I did it. Basically you need to:
1. Get all the parts from a junk truck.
2. Modify your firewall.
3. Install your under hood stuff.
4. Decide on R134a or R12. I went with R134a because I can still buy it at Wal*Mart and in a space as small as a truck cab you don't need super cooling abilities that you can get from a well tuned R12 system. Look here for adjusting your POA to work with R134a:
http://www.autoacforum.com/messagevi...AR_MSGDBTABLE=
5. Use the receiver/dryer from the parts truck for mock up purposes only. When you are ready to evacuate the system, put on a new receiver/dryer.
6. Fill the evacuated system with 80% of the amount of R12 called out in your service manual.

I had a whole AC dash I purchased with the intention of welding it in. In the end I simply used my extra dash as a template and cut holes in my stock non-AC dash with a hole saw on the sides and a dremmel for the center vent.

A couple of my posts:
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...ad.php?t=78378

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=478564

I had a couple of kids in between modifying the firewall and finishing the job. A person that knew their way around a MiG welder and AC components could do the job in two weekends with little to no down time on the truck if you modify the firewall one weekend then do the evacuation/inside stuff the next. I ran my truck from 2003 until this summer with the firewall stuff converted but no AC hooked up.

[gcburdic]

member 67chevyredneck did a nice job here

[48richard]

My thread: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=382711

Richard