Thoughts on Gen 5 Vintage Air Install

[pjmoreland]

I installed a Gen 5 Vintage Air Sure Fit system on my truck over the last couple weeks, so I figured I'd give a report on how it went.

I bought it from Speed Shop Store. They had the best price I could find. I had to order over the phone because their website doesn't let you select all of the necessary details. I was expecting a long wait, but I ended up receiving it in four weeks.

I used a center piece cut from an original A/C dash as the template for the center vent. I noticed that the template they provide for the center vent opening puts it maybe 1/4" higher than stock. Later I figured out that they probably did that because the duct adapter piece that sits behind the dash interferes with a stock radio. I spent a bunch of time shaving down that piece to get it to fit, but it is still sort of munched against the top front edge of the radio body. If I had known this was going to be the case, I would have gone with an OE vent with the following Vintage Air pieces they include in kits for trucks that had OE A/C: 49163-LCI and 49170-LCI

I went with the side vents that were included with the kit. The templates place them so close to the edge of the dash that a structural piece of metal on the inner edge of the dash gets in the way of the vents. I used a Dremel with a disc to shave down that section.

I have a 1997 l31 Vortec SBC with the dipstick on the passenger side. I was concerned about the dipstick interfering with the compressor, so I searched and searched for a shorter dipstick and tube, but I could not find one. Initially I thought about orienting the compressor with the fittings facing sideways, but the lines didn't like that because of the way the fittings are clocked. I ended up bending the dipstick tube so that it runs to the inside of the compressor. I used a Gates 7570 belt, which was intentionally longer than a shorter 7565 belt I was planning on using. This provided enough room to attach the A/C charging hose.

The A/C belt rubbed on the lower radiator hose. Installing a Gates 20694 solved that problem.