Does your Air Conditioning Work - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

davepl · 01-09-2016, 07:18 PM

I thought it'd be interesting to find out what percentage of original factory AC systems are still operating today - and I'm not looking for your "Just needs a recharge" eBay excuses :-) It either works like it's supposed to or doesn't, and I'm curious what the 'kept it working' rate is.

If you've removed it, I put an option there (same deal if a previous owner removed it)
If you don't have air, you don't need to vote, but if you like to anyway, pick Option 4 "Not a factory AC truck"
If you have aftermarket air (ironically often called Vintage like the brand) please pick Option 4, "updated to modern"

72MARIO · 01-09-2016, 07:28 PM

I voted " because this was not a factory air truck or has been updated to modern stuff"

I installed a old air kit in our 1968 suburban. Should have pieced together a factory kit rather than buying the old air kit. I am far from happy with its performance and it will be removed this year. I bought a 1972 a/c cab to use all the parts from.

**Grumpy old man** · 01-09-2016, 07:30 PM

Where's the box for 260 air ? 2 vent windows at 60 miles an hour

hdff · 01-09-2016, 07:39 PM

I pulled mine out a couple of weeks ago. I hope to have it back in and workin within a month. Going back original with R12. Sent the evap fan assembly and the heater box off to get refurbished. Having my original Harrison heater core record.

**leddzepp** · 01-09-2016, 07:58 PM

It blows snowballs even in 110 degree heat, sitting at a standstill in traffic. Nothing beats a factory AC system with r-12.

57larry · 01-09-2016, 08:44 PM

half of mine is missing. I'm going to install a Vintage Air system

mrein3 · 01-09-2016, 09:04 PM

I voted yes. My AC isn't original to the non-AC truck but I bought all original parts, modified the firewall to look like an AC cab, adjusted the POA to run r134a, and it blows cold all summer.
FWIW, both of my Chevelles are factory AC cars and both still blow REALLY cold air as they are still both charged with R12. I have to top off the 71 every couple of years but the 72 was last charged in 1989 when I was working my way through college at a local service garage. Sounds impossible but it doesn't get many miles put on it so the system isn't subjected to lots of vibration. It leads a pretty cushy life.

davepl · 01-09-2016, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leddzepp

It blows snowballs even in 110 degree heat, sitting at a standstill in traffic. Nothing beats a factory AC system with r-12.

I was worried about R-134 not chilling enough, but the discharge pipe frosts right up, so something's cold somewhere. Remains to be seen what it does in 100F temps but in principal the 134 has been good; I do have a replacement condenser that I'm sure is bigger than the old R-12 originals, so maybe that helps.

RustyBucket · 01-10-2016, 12:56 AM

The 454 in the Blazer's not factory but the A/C is, blows cold but SQUEALS!!
Neighbor A/C guy says it's a bearing inside the compressor. Haven't bothered to fix it 'cause I never put the top on.
The engine in the '71 GMC is original but the A/C is a kit with a sanden compressor. Blows good and cold

Andy4639 · 01-10-2016, 01:18 AM

Mine looks factory and is except for the 134 a Freon and sanderson compressor. All other parts are Chevy are new replacement parts. I'll put my 134 a up against anybodies r12 system anytime.
38* is 38* no matter what!
Mine has performed well now for over 10 years with 134 a.
No I didn't vote.

cleanfreak · 01-10-2016, 11:27 AM

My 68 has air , not working , original compressor was long gone when I got it , haven't focused the time & funds to fix it , but would like to keep the original components with a new compressor like Andy's

hdff · 01-10-2016, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 57larry

half of mine is missing. I'm going to install a Vintage Air system

Heard good and bad about VA, have you thought about getting what your missing and staying stock. Lots of parts on here to be had and you can get most of the parts from a catalog, just my $.02

**Already Gone** · 01-10-2016, 05:58 PM

Yes, it works and blows cold air on hot days... The original working A/C in my truck was one of reasons I bought it. I was given some invoices when I bought the truck and one of them shows that in July 2011 the A/C was converted to R134 and the original compressor was replaced with a used original. Last summer was the first year I owned/used the truck and the A/C blew nice and cold.

greedy geezer · 01-10-2016, 07:29 PM

No connection was pulled to compressor when I pug it in the belt squeals and the fuse blows I'll be looking into this further in the spring

**special-K** · 01-11-2016, 12:29 AM

Mine's all there and working but I rarely use it

67ChevyRedneck · 01-11-2016, 12:34 AM

Vintage Air been blowing ice cold since 2006. Was a non air truck.

**WorkinLonghorn** · 01-11-2016, 02:51 AM

I had mine off after an engine swap and a "metal recycler" criminal hopped the fence and stole my compressor and mounts (alone with a collection of vintage power tools and many other tools I used for work).

How hard is it to find small block AC compressor mounting hardware? It was a dealer installed unit with the York type compressor.

hdff · 01-11-2016, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WorkinLonghorn

I had mine off after an engine swap and a "metal recycler" criminal hopped the fence and stole my compressor and mounts (alone with a collection of vintage power tools and many other tools I used for work).

How hard is it to find small block AC compressor mounting hardware? It was a dealer installed unit with the York type compressor.

for a small block you can but them out of a catalog, LMC and others
I think

cooperhw · 01-12-2016, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hdff

for a small block you can but them out of a catalog, LMC and others
I think

You are in luck. My 68 came with a 327 that also had a dealer installed York compressor. I pulled the 327 and gave it to a buddy. If you want you can PM me your name and address and I will send the bracket to you. I could include the York compressor but it would add considerable weight to it and you would need to pay for the ride.

Matt Cramer · 01-12-2016, 12:23 PM

Some previous owner had removed a lot of the A/C in mine. Not sure if it had been working at the time or broken.

kehstr · 01-12-2016, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy4639

Mine looks factory and is except for the 134 a Freon and sanderson compressor. All other parts are Chevy are new replacement parts. I'll put my 134 a up against anybodies r12 system anytime.
38* is 38* no matter what!
Mine has performed well now for over 10 years with 134 a.
No I didn't vote.

I'm working on doing the same thing, it's a lot cheaper to replace parts, and you can actually buy the refrigerant

73737373 · 01-12-2016, 02:24 PM

Of my 6 that start, run, drive etc and have factory AC.....none have a working AC system....waaaahhhhh!!!

tk1251k · 01-13-2016, 09:26 AM

My 1972 GMC Sierra Grande works just fine. It has 385,000 miles on it with all original hoses in place and 2nd a/c compressor but other that it works like a charm with no leaks.

davepl · 01-13-2016, 02:49 PM

So far it's a perfect 50/50 split between working and non-working on original AC trucks! I am surprised it's actually that high, I figured there would only be a handful that were kep working.

Probably a lot of those in the South I'm going to guess.

Andy4639 · 01-13-2016, 03:43 PM

The over all design back in 71 was simple and not hard to work on. They work well as long as they are kept running.
When you think about it there is only 2 things that can go wrong with it.
#1 part failure
#2 A Freon leak. Nothing else can go wrong with it so it's pretty straight forward.

View Poll Results: Does your original, factory air conditioning work?
Yes, it works and blows cold air on hot days	47	40.52%
No, it does not work right now	44	37.93%
No, because I removed it	4	3.45%
No, because this was not a factory air truck or has been updated to modern stuff	21	18.10%
Voters: 116. You may not vote on this poll

01-09-2016, 07:30 PM	#3
Grumpy old man Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Gods country East,Tn Posts: 8,545	Re: Does your Air Conditioning Work Where's the box for 260 air ? 2 vent windows at 60 miles an hour

01-09-2016, 07:39 PM	#4
hdff Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: pasadena,TEXAS Posts: 880	Re: Does your Air Conditioning Work I pulled mine out a couple of weeks ago. I hope to have it back in and workin within a month. Going back original with R12. Sent the evap fan assembly and the heater box off to get refurbished. Having my original Harrison heater core record. Attached Images __________________ 1971 Cheyenne SWB 402BB, 700R4, 3.73 posi, PS, PB, A/C, Tilt, Tach "Wanda" Don't argue with idiots, People watching may not be able to tell the difference... There's someone in my head........But it's not me...... cheap tricks thread great info here!! http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=489394

01-09-2016, 07:58 PM	#5
leddzepp Moderator Join Date: May 2007 Location: Southern Cal Posts: 19,996	Re: Does your Air Conditioning Work It blows snowballs even in 110 degree heat, sitting at a standstill in traffic. Nothing beats a factory AC system with r-12. __________________ 1972 C/10 Cheyenne Super SWB. Restored, loaded, slammed. 1968 C/10 50th Anniversary LWB. Unrestored, stock, daily driver/work truck. RIP ElJay RIP 67ChevyRedneck RIP Grumpy Old Man

01-09-2016, 08:44 PM	#6
57larry Registered User Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 1,162	Re: Does your Air Conditioning Work half of mine is missing. I'm going to install a Vintage Air system

01-09-2016, 07:18 PM	#1
davepl Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Redmond, WA Posts: 6,332	Does your Air Conditioning Work I thought it'd be interesting to find out what percentage of original factory AC systems are still operating today - and I'm not looking for your "Just needs a recharge" eBay excuses :-) It either works like it's supposed to or doesn't, and I'm curious what the 'kept it working' rate is. If you've removed it, I put an option there (same deal if a previous owner removed it) If you don't have air, you don't need to vote, but if you like to anyway, pick Option 4 "Not a factory AC truck" If you have aftermarket air (ironically often called Vintage like the brand) please pick Option 4, "updated to modern" __________________ 1970 GMC Sierra Grande Custom Camper - Built, not Bought 1969 Pontiac 2+2 427/390 4-speed Coupe 1969 Pontiac 2+2 427/390 4-speed Convertible

01-09-2016, 07:28 PM	#2
72MARIO Registered User Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Huntsville Ontario Canada Posts: 4,052	Re: Does your Air Conditioning Work I voted " because this was not a factory air truck or has been updated to modern stuff" I installed a old air kit in our 1968 suburban. Should have pieced together a factory kit rather than buying the old air kit. I am far from happy with its performance and it will be removed this year. I bought a 1972 a/c cab to use all the parts from. __________________ 1968 Suburban numbers matching all original truck now equipped with 6.0/4L80 on Accuair http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=625017 1967 C/20 6.0/4L80 Roofing Truck 1990 V2500 Suburban "Plow Truck" 2005 TAHOE DD

01-09-2016, 09:04 PM	#7
mrein3 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Center City, MN, USA Posts: 3,253	Re: Does your Air Conditioning Work I voted yes. My AC isn't original to the non-AC truck but I bought all original parts, modified the firewall to look like an AC cab, adjusted the POA to run r134a, and it blows cold all summer. FWIW, both of my Chevelles are factory AC cars and both still blow REALLY cold air as they are still both charged with R12. I have to top off the 71 every couple of years but the 72 was last charged in 1989 when I was working my way through college at a local service garage. Sounds impossible but it doesn't get many miles put on it so the system isn't subjected to lots of vibration. It leads a pretty cushy life. __________________ '70 cab, '71 chassis, 383, TH350, NP205. '71 Malibu convertible '72 Malibu hard top Center City, MN

01-10-2016, 12:56 AM	#9
RustyBucket Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Space Coast, Fl. Posts: 1,050	Re: Does your Air Conditioning Work The 454 in the Blazer's not factory but the A/C is, blows cold but SQUEALS!! Neighbor A/C guy says it's a bearing inside the compressor. Haven't bothered to fix it 'cause I never put the top on. The engine in the '71 GMC is original but the A/C is a kit with a sanden compressor. Blows good and cold Attached Images __________________ Dad always said, "Son, WISH IN ONE HAND, and ......." -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Current toy trucks: '71 GMC 1500 SUPER CUSTOM short/step, orig. dk. blue, 350/700r, ps,pb, A/C '72 Blazer 2wd, ochre & white, 454, tremecTKO 500 5spd. ps, pb, A/C, tilt Last 10yrs of hobby vehicles, had a FEW more in the 50yrs. before these: '66 Plymouth Belvedere City of Miami cop car clone. '70 Nova 406"sb, 13.5-1, solid roller, Brodix, p.glide/t.brake, back halved, 9" Ford, spool 4.88, cage,ladder bar/coilover, 10.5 tire....... SOLD!! '67 C10 short/step side mount spare -- SOLD!! '72 Jimmy 2wd, 350/350, ps, pb, fun driver, lots of bondo & a shiny red paint job..... SOLD!! '69 Nova 350, 4spd, A/C, ps, p.b, ...SOLD!!

01-10-2016, 01:18 AM	#10
Andy4639 Old member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Liberty, & Garden City S.C. , U.S. Posts: 19,936	Re: Does your Air Conditioning Work Mine looks factory and is except for the 134 a Freon and sanderson compressor. All other parts are Chevy are new replacement parts. I'll put my 134 a up against anybodies r12 system anytime. 38* is 38* no matter what! Mine has performed well now for over 10 years with 134 a. No I didn't vote. __________________ 1971 LWB Custom, 6.0LS & 4L80E, Speedhut.com GPS speedometer & gauges with A/C. 20" Boss 338's Grey wheels 4 wheel disc brakes. My Driver Seeing the USA in a 71 Upstate SC GM Truck Club 2013,14 and 2016 Hot Rod Pour Tour http://upstategmtrucks.com/ Get out and drive the truck this summer and have some fun! It sucks not being able to hear! LWB trucks rule, if you don't think so measure your SWB! After talking to tech support at Air Lift I have found out that the kit I need is 60811. Per the measurements I gave them. Ride height of truck inside spring and inside diameter of springs.

01-10-2016, 11:27 AM	#11
cleanfreak Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: port robinson ontario canada Posts: 398	Re: Does your Air Conditioning Work My 68 has air , not working , original compressor was long gone when I got it , haven't focused the time & funds to fix it , but would like to keep the original components with a new compressor like Andy's

01-10-2016, 05:58 PM	#13
Already Gone 70+ ( Old Skool Club ) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan ,Canada Posts: 9,109	Re: Does your Air Conditioning Work Yes, it works and blows cold air on hot days... The original working A/C in my truck was one of reasons I bought it. I was given some invoices when I bought the truck and one of them shows that in July 2011 the A/C was converted to R134 and the original compressor was replaced with a used original. Last summer was the first year I owned/used the truck and the A/C blew nice and cold. Attached Images __________________ 1972 C10 Custom/Deluxe 613 Highlander 406/700R4 1999 White Tahoe LS 4x2 with Z56 Police Package 1992 K1500 GMC Suburban Members I have personally met: MusicMan70 - HeavyD - ChewyChevy67 - StingRay -71SWB4x4 - 67 Burb - DeadheadNM - too much stuff - bc65 - das601 " Circumsatances Do Not Change Responsibility " " The Sky is not the Limit, Your Mind is." Marilyn Monroe .. RIP Charlie Watts 1941 - 2021

01-10-2016, 07:29 PM	#14
greedy geezer Registered User Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Stoughton MA where everyhing on the road gets rusted out from winter and rock salt Posts: 168	Re: Does your Air Conditioning Work No connection was pulled to compressor when I pug it in the belt squeals and the fuse blows I'll be looking into this further in the spring Attached Images

01-11-2016, 12:29 AM	#15
special-K Special Order Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mt Airy, MD Posts: 85,861	Re: Does your Air Conditioning Work Mine's all there and working but I rarely use it __________________ "BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~

01-11-2016, 12:34 AM	#16
67ChevyRedneck Hittin E-Z Street on Mud Tires Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 23,090	Re: Does your Air Conditioning Work Vintage Air been blowing ice cold since 2006. Was a non air truck. __________________ Jesse James 1967 C10 SWB Stepside: 350/700R4/3.73 1965 Ford Mustang: 289/T5-5spd/3.25 Trac-Loc 1968 Pontiac Firebird: Project Fire Chicken! 2015 Silverado Double Cab 5.3L Z71 2001 Jeep Wrangler Sport 4.0L 5spd 2020 Chevrolet Equinox Premium 2.0L Turbo 2011 Mustang V6 ~ Wife's ride American Born, Country by the Grace of God 1967 CST Shop Truck Rebuild! My 1967 C-10 Build Thread My Vintage Air A/C Install Project "On a Dime" Trying my hand at Home Renovation! 1965 Mustang Modifications!



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01-11-2016, 02:51 AM	#17
WorkinLonghorn Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Studio City, Calif. Posts: 2,861	Re: Does your Air Conditioning Work I had mine off after an engine swap and a "metal recycler" criminal hopped the fence and stole my compressor and mounts (alone with a collection of vintage power tools and many other tools I used for work). How hard is it to find small block AC compressor mounting hardware? It was a dealer installed unit with the York type compressor. __________________ '69 GMC C2500 Custom Camper, 8 1/2' bed, New GM 350, NP 435 Close Ratio 4spd. Trans., 3.73 Dana-60 open.Camper and Trailer wiring, PS, PB, AC, tach , three gas tanks, 2nd owner, Work-Truck supreme. Best $300 I ever spent.

01-12-2016, 12:23 PM	#20
Matt Cramer Registered User Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Covington, GA Posts: 386	Re: Does your Air Conditioning Work Some previous owner had removed a lot of the A/C in mine. Not sure if it had been working at the time or broken. __________________ Matt Cramer 1972 Chevy C10 - 4.8 swap, long bed, and maybe one dent free body panel somewhere - SOLD 4.8 LS build thread

01-12-2016, 02:24 PM	#22
73737373 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Oklahoma USA Posts: 1,000	Re: Does your Air Conditioning Work Of my 6 that start, run, drive etc and have factory AC.....none have a working AC system....waaaahhhhh!!! __________________ 1968 Custom SWB, 327/3 speed OTC 1969 CST LWB, 402/400 1970 CST LWB, 402/400 1970 Sierra Grande LWB, 350/350 1971 Cheyenne LWB, 350/350 1972 Cheyenne Super LWB, 402/400 1972 Sierra Grande LWB, 402/400 1979 Silverado LWB, 350/350 1984 Suburban 1990 454 SS 1991 Silverado, X-cab, 4.3/5 speed Getrag 2005 Silverado Crew Cab Corvettes: 75, 77, 78, 93, 96

01-13-2016, 09:26 AM	#23
tk1251k Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Newton Posts: 174	Re: Does your Air Conditioning Work My 1972 GMC Sierra Grande works just fine. It has 385,000 miles on it with all original hoses in place and 2nd a/c compressor but other that it works like a charm with no leaks.

01-13-2016, 02:49 PM	#24
davepl Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Redmond, WA Posts: 6,332	Re: Does your Air Conditioning Work So far it's a perfect 50/50 split between working and non-working on original AC trucks! I am surprised it's actually that high, I figured there would only be a handful that were kep working. Probably a lot of those in the South I'm going to guess. __________________ 1970 GMC Sierra Grande Custom Camper - Built, not Bought 1969 Pontiac 2+2 427/390 4-speed Coupe 1969 Pontiac 2+2 427/390 4-speed Convertible

01-13-2016, 03:43 PM	#25
Andy4639 Old member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Liberty, & Garden City S.C. , U.S. Posts: 19,936	Re: Does your Air Conditioning Work The over all design back in 71 was simple and not hard to work on. They work well as long as they are kept running. When you think about it there is only 2 things that can go wrong with it. #1 part failure #2 A Freon leak. Nothing else can go wrong with it so it's pretty straight forward. __________________ 1971 LWB Custom, 6.0LS & 4L80E, Speedhut.com GPS speedometer & gauges with A/C. 20" Boss 338's Grey wheels 4 wheel disc brakes. My Driver Seeing the USA in a 71 Upstate SC GM Truck Club 2013,14 and 2016 Hot Rod Pour Tour http://upstategmtrucks.com/ Get out and drive the truck this summer and have some fun! It sucks not being able to hear! LWB trucks rule, if you don't think so measure your SWB! After talking to tech support at Air Lift I have found out that the kit I need is 60811. Per the measurements I gave them. Ride height of truck inside spring and inside diameter of springs.

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