Vintage air unit

[GMtrucknut!!]

I got a screaming deal today on a vintage air compact heater and a/c unit but I still need to know if anyone is using the model 68000VUZ-A unit in their truck. If so how about some pictures of your installation?

[DransportGarage]

I've done the rough fit on this unit. Here are the pics that I have:









I've stuffed the unit upward about as far as I could. As you can see, I'm running the A/C lines outside the inner fender.

[coralhead]

What year truck is the install?

[GMtrucknut!!]

The unit is going in my 55 second series truck , my 71 GMC has factory air and I don't want to have a truck that I wouldn't like driving on those hot summer days so my 55 is getting it also !! Plus it will keep the wife interested in it !!

[_Ogre]

i chose the compac unit for my truk, the sure fit unit required the deluxe heater control which i did not have
plus i shaved the dash



















this is the finished install with the console and dash fascia installed
the compac unit vents to the floor on the pass side,
i had to duct the floor vent thru the console

[_Ogre]

the passenger dash vent is in the kick panel, didn't want a hole in the dash

[GMtrucknut!!]

Ogre this is the same unit I just picked up . I really like the location of the vent on the passenger side .How is does it perform in your truck? Did you purchase those vents or did you build those ( I have viewed your handy work , very impressive )If you bought them please tell me where!

[_Ogre]

the compact unit is way oversized for a truck, even in 100+ weather it cools the cab nice.
the round vents are eyeball vents from VA, i didn't like the chrome square vents that came with the unit.
i have 3 eyeball vents; one in the pass kick, one in the drivers dash fascia and one under the dash on the drivers side.
i used the surefit condenser, dryer and compressor.
when you mount the evaporator, route the hoses so that you can service the unit.
and thanks

[Highsider]

Can anybody help me trouble shoot my VA?
Why does it seem to freeze up in the cab?
One confession is when I got it home a year ago August, I got added the Freon-in-a-can with the attached gauge, just because it had been stored for years. Not because I know what I am doing.
I have used the air for short half hour trips in the year I have owned this panel and it seems “ok” considering the panel’s volume and air leaks. I have recently replaced door seals on the barn doors to help some of the air leaks.
Wife and I drove to a car show Saturday in 80-degree, muggy weather. After 30-minutes the fan flow decreased to the point the air was barely flowing. We stopped for 20-minutes and the a/c left a good sized water puddle on the parking lot under the passenger side and the a/c worked good again.
This scenario was repeated throughout the 150-mile trip.

[mr48chev]

I can't really come up with a why but your unit is frosting up much like the freezer does in an older refrigerator that has the little freezer compartment inside it Highsider. The Mark IV under dash unit I had in my 59 ElCamino did the same thing and we would have to let it defrost and go again. That thing would blow chunks of ice out the front but it sure kept that Elkie cool in the middle of the Texas summers.

[Russell Ashley]

I think freon over filled or under filled either way will cause the problem you are having. Also insufficient air flow through the evaporator will cause it, especially in very humid conditions. You might find out exactly how much refrigerant it's supposed to have in it and have it charged at a shop where they can put in the exact amount.

What you have is not VA, it's an Old Air setup, http://www.oldairproducts.com/ You can probably find out from the web site how much it should have.

[mr48chev]

Thinking about the frosting up of the evaporator on the ac I'm wondering it part of it has to do with the air being recirculated in the cab with little or no fresh air being introduced and the moisture in the passengers breath being added to the mix.

Back to the original topic of the thread I think that unit is the same one I have been looking at for my 48 and Model A. They seem to fit in tight spaces pretty well and you can run what ever vents or nozzles or what not you want to with them.

[Highsider]

Originally Posted by Russell Ashley

I think freon over filled or under filled either way will cause the problem you are having. Also insufficient air flow through the evaporator will cause it, especially in very humid conditions. You might find out exactly how much refrigerant it's supposed to have in it and have it charged at a shop where they can put in the exact amount.

EDIT: Russell - You may be on to something. I use a manual-switched cooling fan. I watch my SW temp gauge and normally don't turn it on until it reaches 195+ degrees, or get in traffic or other slower situations.

What you have is not VA, it's an Old Air setup, http://www.oldairproducts.com/ You can probably find out from the web site how much it should have.

I may have known that, but mistakenly called it wrong.

Thanks!

[_Ogre]

i do know that the VA unit can not be charged out of the cans
it requires 1.8 lbs of freon, too much or too little it won't work right.
you need to find someone with the machine to do it right,
luckily i have a friend with one, we sucked everything out and put 1.8 lbs in
worked fine since

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

Back to the original topic of the thread I think that unit is the same one I have been looking at for my 48 and Model A. They seem to fit in tight spaces pretty well and you can run what ever vents or nozzles or what not you want to with them.

looking at the empty space under the dash, you'd swear anything would fit.
they're actually quite big when you try to stick it under the dash.
oem has the advantage of conforming to a certain shape.
aftermarket goes for a box that will fit.
this one is snug from the dash to the firewall and quite wide.
for your model A they make a smaller unit with just 2 dash vents that might fit better

[Nev68]

Could be short of refrigerant and freezing up because the system never gets cold enough to cycle the thermostat off, but with enough refrigerant to freeze a small section of the evaporator.

Do you have a sight glass in the receiver / drier? have a look to see if you can see bubbles with engine RPM aat approx 1500 rpm. If bubbles yu are short of refrigerant. (then you need to find the leak)

[Russell Ashley]

Originally Posted by Highsider

EDIT: Russell - You may be on to something. I use a manual-switched cooling fan. I watch my SW temp gauge and normally don't turn it on until it reaches 195+ degrees, or get in traffic or other slower situations.


Thanks!

Highsider, the evaporator is the inside part that gets cold. You need good airflow through it to keep it from icing up in humid conditions. Try running your A/C fan at a higher speed and regulate the temp with the temp lever if it gets too cold in the cab. Also, the condenser in front of the radiator needs good airflow as this is where the heat from inside the cab goes. I would run the radiator fan all of the time when the a/c is on.

[Highsider]

I have forgotten this switch exists, as I hardly ever see it tucked up there. I have never adjusted it and really don't know what it does.
Maybe I better see if there is a filter in there, too.
The unit has a 3-speed fan and it is always on high for the a/c.
My old cars never had air and the new ones I just set the temp's degrees and never change it.

[GMtrucknut!!]

Well after talking with the local Vintage air dealer he is swapping me a brand new sure fit Vintage air unit for my compact unit, I bought mine unused for a song and he is giving me 400 bucks trade in on the new sure fit system

[DransportGarage]

Originally Posted by coralhead

What year truck is the install?

Mine is in a '55 2nd series. Sorry for the late response.

Oops. Thought you were asking me. Can't delete...

[_Ogre]

as long as you can handle all the cheesy plastic stuff hanging under the dash
cheesy and flimsy plastic is why i didn't like the sure fit and build the dash fascia to hide the rest