air conditioning project on ls engine.
 

okay guys, i've got a winter project. i'm wanting to put air on my truck. it's a factory air truck, with an ls engine. i'm going with a high mount because the engine mounts don't leave enough room in the factory location. i have the compressor that came on my 5.3. a lot of the wiring in my truck's hacked up and i'm not sure what wires i'll need to use to run a/c. i was hoping you all could help me out. what wires are needed to get it to run correctly? my truck is an 87 2wd SWB factory air 1/2ton. i'll take any help or suggestions you'd like to throw my way. i haven't been able to find air conditioning wiring diagrams. ultimately, i'd like to find one of those and i should be able to figure it out from there!!

Re: air conditioning project on ls engine.
 

When I put the 6.0 LS in my 86 my AC compressor fit in the factory location. There are tons of pics in the engine section under LS swaps. The compressor should only require a power wire to run it. It is grounded to the block. Just run the factory power wire from your compressor to the 5.3 compressor.

Re: air conditioning project on ls engine.
 

and to clarify, i'm an industrial refrigeration tech. i understand the refrigeration cycle obviously, but i don't know much about the controls on vehicles. huge huge difference in things. don't assume that because i'm a refrig. tech. that i know how it works on vehicles, just the same way as i wouldn't expect you to know how an industrial setup runs. they are dogs and cats. just thought i'd clear that up since i was updating my profile.

Re: air conditioning project on ls engine.
 

simple enough. does the clutch on the compressor need to cycle? the air in my truck is basically non-existent. just a few wires hanging and the accumulator sticking out of the firewall. i'll be replacing almost everything under the hood. are there any high or low pressure switches in there?

i need to know how to get everything working on the factory side, too. thanks for the quick reply supercheyenne!

Re: air conditioning project on ls engine.
 

Depending on your budget and level of commitment you might consider a Vintage Air kit especially if some of the pieces are OEM and used/original condition. Down here salt spray has corroded the aluminum coil on mine, not saying you should worry about that in particular but keep in mind that evaporators, condensors, metering devices, etc. are subject to contraction, expansion, vibrations, and add that up over time - you get the idea.

The VA kits have DC solenoid actuators instead of the vacuum diaphragm dampers (have to get the complete kit, no retrofits for factory setups) which once everything's been installed properly will work turn-key, saving the frustration over findng that broken vacuum hose you overlooked. Plus it's all ready for R-134A. And the evap/heater coil unit tucks neatly under the dash inside so your clearance issues under the hood become irrelevant. They also come with Sanden compressors which are better than the Frigidaire/Harrison factory units.