A/C kit vs. factory

[Rich84]

I have a non a/c truck. But I have a condenser, compressor, duct work, controls,evaporator that I pulled from a suburban..it seems a bit overwhelming to actually get it put together and working. Should I be looking at a kit instead? I don't really know if all the parts I have are any good. Is there a vendor that you can by just the parts that you need? Don't really want to spend 1300.
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[76stepsidechevy]

I'm probably going to try to put together a factory setup. Theres so many of these trucks out there that it shouldn't be hard to find all the parts and get a look at a complete setup to see everything that needs to be done. A good kit with instructions would be nice though. I hear the firewalls are a little different between factory a/c and non a/c truck. I'll be doing a cab swap sometime soon since my cab was ruined in an accident a few months ago so I've been looking for one thats already setup for a/c. I think all the wear parts can be bought over the counter at a local parts store but you can probably find a better deal online.

[Firebirdjones]

The easy way out would be a kit. The problem with the kits that I keep hearing and actually got the inside scoop from the local AC shop here is that they don't cool well enough out here in AZ.

They are made rather small to be able to package into tighter spaces. Condensors are small, Evaps are small etc....Local AC shop tells me they have to be carefull of the amount of freon pumped in, the smaller condensors don't cool as well and it causes extreme high side pressures, so they can't pump in as much freon as what would normally be needed without being dangerous.

So in AZ heat when it gets 100 degrees or above he has customers all the time that complain the system doesn't cool enough. It's just the nature of the little systems that come in a small package. This is where the factory systems with larger components will benefit and work better.

Since you live in Conneticut I really don't see it as being a problem for you though so it's possible the little vintage air systems may do the trick in your case.

[Rich84]

I just hate to buy parts in a kit that i already have..in fact my condensor and compressor are in the truck already.
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[baclay9]

Originally Posted by Firebirdjones

The easy way out would be a kit. The problem with the kits that I keep hearing and actually got the inside scoop from the local AC shop here is that they don't cool well enough out here in AZ.

They are made rather small to be able to package into tighter spaces. Condensors are small, Evaps are small etc....Local AC shop tells me they have to be carefull of the amount of freon pumped in, the smaller condensors don't cool as well and it causes extreme high side pressures, so they can't pump in as much freon as what would normally be needed without being dangerous.

So in AZ heat when it gets 100 degrees or above he has customers all the time that complain the system doesn't cool enough. It's just the nature of the little systems that come in a small package. This is where the factory systems with larger components will benefit and work better.

Since you live in Conneticut I really don't see it as being a problem for you though so it's possible the little vintage air systems may do the trick in your case.

Lol
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[Mrknowitall]

U do realize that a non ac cab is different and will not accept a ac trucks parts??

The firewall passages are different from what ive hered.
U need an ac cab as well, someone correct me if im wrong.

Also that system used an oil base freon system, if u can get freon use it but if ur like the rest of us ull have to use the 134a water based coolant. Ull have to flush ur system totally, usually ull get 3 years out of that compressors seals unless replaced with 134a compatable seals and flushed.

Freon gets into rubber and makes it swell, thus seal, like brakefluid, 134a does not penetrate rubber.
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[Rich84]

I figured I would be patching and cutting new holes...
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[motornut]

just to note the ac controls are vac operated
non AC is cable operated

I thought installing a electric fan instead of belt drivin,helps with better cooling?

[baclay9]

One huge advantage to vintage air is it is all electronic. No vaccumm system to worry about. Plus they have a better blower fan than stock. I completely disagree about vintage air not cooling as good as a stock system. That claim sounds pretty silly. I mean we are talking about a place that specializes in A/C systems. I think they might know what they are doing. Besides they claim 34 deg vent temps, that sounds plenty cold to me.
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[J Knight]

Originally Posted by baclay9

One huge advantage to vintage air is it is all electronic. No vaccumm system to worry about. Plus they have a better blower fan than stock. I completely disagree about vintage air not cooling as good as a stock system. That claim sounds pretty silly. I mean we are talking about a place that specializes in A/C systems. I think they might know what they are doing. Besides they claim 34 deg vent temps, that sounds plenty cold to me.
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Jonboy has reported, in TX 45* vent temps with his new V.A. system. Not bad IMO, thats the same temp as my 06 Pete has put out since it was new.

[boatpuller]

Originally Posted by baclay9

One huge advantage to vintage air is it is all electronic. No vaccumm system to worry about. Plus they have a better blower fan than stock. I completely disagree about vintage air not cooling as good as a stock system. That claim sounds pretty silly. I mean we are talking about a place that specializes in A/C systems. I think they might know what they are doing. Besides they claim 34 deg vent temps, that sounds plenty cold to me.
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The vintage a/c I installed in my 79 blows the stock system out of the water. I wished I would have known to wait a year or two, I could have got the electronic control. Mine works fine though.

[legendman]

Here is a pic of a firewall with the holes / patches done to use a/c

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by baclay9

One huge advantage to vintage air is it is all electronic. No vaccumm system to worry about. Plus they have a better blower fan than stock. I completely disagree about vintage air not cooling as good as a stock system. That claim sounds pretty silly. I mean we are talking about a place that specializes in A/C systems. I think they might know what they are doing. Besides they claim 34 deg vent temps, that sounds plenty cold to me.
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They complain about them here in AZ all the time. I've never used one and don't plan to so I can't commment from personal experience, but all the voices I hear sure raises a few eyebrows.

It might not be such a problem in a truck as I eluded to. With the size of a full size truck you have room for a larger Evap and Condensor, and I'm sure vintage air is tayloring those kits to take advantage of that. The problems I'm hearing are the compact systems that are used in street rods and even cars like mustangs, novas, chevelles. The stuff is made to fit in small packages, and they just aren't cooling enough for most people in the desert southwest. Condensors are too small for any real cooling, and causes high side line pressures to be higher than what would be acceptable, so freon levels have to be kept at a safe level, which isn't always optimum levels.
A friend and AC shop owner who makes all my custom lines has done 100's of these vintage air swaps and I'm told this is a common issue in the cars around here. In a large truck, probably not so much. But the general consensus from a guy that makes a living doing this stuff is that he's not real fond of vintage air setups.
Just throwing this out there FYI for something to think about. Don't shoot the messenger. Just because they make alot of them doesn't mean it's the best thing out there.

I actually ran into a little bit of this very scenario when I converted my 72 blazer to 134 while using the factory condensor. Factory condensor isn't very efficient (it didn't need to be with R12) but since 134 freon doesn't cool as well the condensors are made to cool more efficiently. Since I wasn't cooling the 134 as well as I should be, it caused high side line pressure to be accessive. We had to stop at just under 2 lbs. of freon (to keep line pressure safe) in a system that should have taken 2 1/2 to 3 lbs. of freon. Because of this I get "OKAY" cooling.
It's the same scenario he runs into with the little vintage air setups, where he feels a larger evap and condensor would work better.

[48cj2a]

Originally Posted by legendman

Here is a pic of a firewall with the holes / patches done to use a/c

I'm eventually wanting to put in factory A/C. Do you have a simular picture before w/ nonA/C firewall?

[legendman]

Originally Posted by 48cj2a

I'm eventually wanting to put in factory A/C. Do you have a simular picture before w/ nonA/C firewall?

No I don't but if you look around at some the project threads, I have seen a bunch of pics of firewalls.

[Slonaker]

If you have a non a/c cab, I think you can modify it to work with factory a/c. I have seen threads where other folks on here have done it.

The advantage to the Vintage Air kit is that you'll get everything new, including the dash controls. It basically just reuses your dash vents. You'll get a condenser that is sized for your truck and is intended for r134 from the start.

I have it in my truck. It doesn't cool as well as I had hoped and expected, but it does do a better job than my old system did after conversion to r134.

I didn't do the install (mine was the very first one Vintage Air did when creating the kit...), but it looks like a pretty straightforward installation. You can download the installation instructions from their website if you are curious.

Slonaker

[Big Block 454]

I took factory A/C out of a blazer and put it in a non factory A/C truck when I was much younger...probably wouldn't do it again at this stage in my life but it can be done and it worked well.
I used a piece of sheet metal to duplicate the firewall openings of the A/C cab and you couldn't tell when it was done.