Anyone install Vintage Air in a 1967 Coronet?

[Billccm]

I found that with the brackets on the evaporator, there was at least a 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" space between the evaporator and firewall. I mounted Dwayne's ECM, Ballast Resistor and Voltage regulator with no risk of touching the evaporator when I drilled for the mounting screws.

View attachment 1646042

If you gave the opportunity to paint the firewall block off plate to match the color of the car, do it. This one blends in so well, it looks like it is OEM.

Thanks Kern! I was hoping someone would reply with an example picture! Appreciate this!!!

The two guys helping me said to paint the block off plates, but when we were test fitting it was like the brake reinforcement plate is black, so it's not too bad to just keep the block off plate black. This car is a driver and I just convinced myself to keep it black and move on.

 

[Billccm]

Busy Sunday with church and a cookout provided by a local car cruise club. I did manage to get the voltage regulator and ballast mounted. Tapped the holes for a 1/4 20 and reused the hardware.

Read for the fifth time the instructions for installation of the heater box. Will drill the firewall holes tomorrow and get this box installed.

Perhaps a question @Kern Dog can answer; do you know the approximate lengths of the heater hoses? Interesting the instructions never mention what heater hose to buy? I assume it's just 3/8 hose, right?

 

[Kern Dog]

It is 5/8” heater hose, both nipples. I had a large roll of hose so I just cut mine to fit. I ran the hoses from the evaporator and heater core, through the firewall and then to the fender apron. Maybe 24” each? Not sure. The engine side hoses were just cut back on Dwayne’s car to fit the shorter run.

 

[Billccm]

It is 5/8” heater hose, both nipples. I had a large roll of hose so I just cut mine to fit. I ran the hoses from the evaporator and heater core, through the firewall and then to the fender apron. Maybe 24” each? Not sure. The engine side hoses were just cut back on Dwayne’s car to fit the shorter run.

View attachment 1646650

View attachment 1646651

THANKS AGAIN! If I get time tonight I am going to re-read your install thread. I followed the thread from start to finish, but need to refresh my memory and get some details. Appreciate your help, Kern.

 

[Kern Dog]

I’m glad to help.
As always, you have to sift through some off topic content to get to the meat of the matter. My threads deviate from the line sometimes!

 

[Billccm]

For others following this thread you may want to review this thread, also:


Vintage Air installation in a 1968 Satellite

 

[Billccm]

Well three of us worked on this install project from 10am until 6pm. One trip to ACE hardware as the hole saw pilot bit broke, and another trip to O'Reilly's for 15ft of 5/8 heater hose. Plus we took a break for a quick lunch.

Accomplished today holes in the firewall, installed the evaporator box, and mounted the aluminum tubes that pass thru the alignment opening in the fender well. I assume my template worked, but really won't know until we mount the heater control valve and get all of the lines connected.

Reading the compressor mounting instructions is a bit intimidating, but we will dig into that soon.

 

[Billccm]

So I studied Figure 15 intensely and read and re-read the instructions. According to the instructions you take these small Adel clamps and clamp the smaller refrigerant line to the fender apron. Then zip tie all the other lines to that small refrigerant line.

I just can't see how this would work. For one these clamps are way too small for the refrigerant line. Two, you won't be able to dress these hoses such they stay way up high.

I decided to use the fender bolts to attach larger Adel clamps. Three trips to ACE hardware, but worth it. I got 5/16 18 1.5 inch long bolts, two washers, a nut, and the largest Adel clamps I could find. This seems to be the best for integrity of keeping the lines clamped and up as high as possible.

My friend who has installed three vintage air systems has been hired by me to help mount the compressor tomorrow or Thursday. I will look at wiring now, but probably going to take a break for the rest of the day.

 

[Kern Dog]

The concern I had with the wheelwell route of the lines was tire clearance.
Personally, I love a wide wheel and tire because I'm into cornering and braking rather than drag racing or casual cruising. The lines in the wheelwell would be fine with stock width tires and wheels and a little larger but by the time you go to a 7" or wider wheel, you're crowding those A/C lines and heater hoses.
Zip ties on the lines can tidy those up nicely.

 

[Billccm]

Dipped my toe into the wiring waters. Heater control valve wiring routed and plugged into the proper pigtail. I ran the "binary switch" (low pressure switch) wire through the firewall grommet and zip tied up front near the dryer.

Question to ponder; vintage air instructions say the circuit breaker should be no more than 4 inches from the battery, yet they wired the circuit breaker almost mid point in the harness? I may just jump through a firewall grommet and connect the circuit breaker to the starter relay stud. Any opinions or recommendations here? If I follow vintage air instructions then it's cut and splice time.

I'm really tired. Got the wheel back on and torqued. I'm taking the rest of the afternoon off.

 

[Dave6T4]

I wired mine to the ammeter stud where the cigar lighter and clock take their power.

 

[Kern Dog]

Question to ponder; vintage air instructions say the circuit breaker should be no more than 4 inches from the battery, yet they wired the circuit breaker almost mid point in the harness? I may just jump through a firewall grommet and connect the circuit breaker to the starter relay stud. Any opinions or recommendations here? If I follow vintage air instructions then it's cut and splice time.

I thought their suggestion was bullshit.
I didn’t cut or modify the harness to abide by that suggestion. The circuit breaker is inside on the Plymouth I did. It is within reach on the firewall above the left corner of the evaporator.
My Classic Auto Air system installation in my Charger has all the wiring ran over to the passenger side and to a supplemental fuse panel.

 

[Billccm]

Frustrating day and I'm exhausted. I stopped counting after I had the power steering pump off for the 20th time. My problem is the compressor mounting instructions are for the Saginaw pump, and if you've followed this thread you know I have a TRW pump with a special order mount.

The examples in the compressor mounting instructions for shims and spacers are light years off for my configuration with the TRW pump. I've tried close to 30 different combinations of shims and spacers and this is as close as I can get. It's off by an extremely small margin. Two calls into vintage air tech support have gone unanswered today (I'll assume they don't know what to tell me here since everything is written for a Saginaw pump).

Last hope here is bringing in a mechanic friend who has installed three vintage air units to help. I hope he can be here tomorrow.

I've got bad tennis elbow right now, or rather power steering pump elbow. Going to swallow half a bottle of ibuprofen and hit the couch.

 

[66/440]

The kit arrived in three boxes yesterday. I am still unpacking and looking at the inventory of items. First bump in the road is the Compressor/Power Steering bracket. This kit is for 'Modern Saginaw Power Steering pumps". If you have a TRW pump you will need bracket 161010, which of course is missing from my kit. I sent an email to Vintage Air tonight asking about this item.

Products: Brackets - Bouchillon Performance Engineering

Bouchillon Performance Engineering - Specializing in Mopar geniune and custom engineered parts and accessories located in the low country of South Carolina.

www.bouchillonperformance.com

 

[Billccm]

I looked at the Bouchillon brackets, but it still doesn't answer the question of what happens to the pulley for the fan. Also, it seems with these brackets the alternator will sit further back (closer to the block).

I also want to know how to use what vintage air provided for the alternator. I looked at a few example images on line and every use has the fan driven from the same pulley as the alternator.

If I stare at this long enough it looks like the alternator can stay where it is?

 

[Kern Dog]

The alternator moves back toward the head by about an inch.

 

[YY1]

Uh, oh. A new version of "pulley hell".

Is the kit designed for a car that did not have AC as built?

If it was, things won't line up.

There are all kinds of things different, especially with respect to pulley grooves lining up between factory AC and non-AC cars.

Different brackets, different fan spacers, different water pumps, etc.

Not what you wanted to hear, I know.

 

[Kern Dog]

The Charger and Satellite did get a factory based setup but also used the Saginaw steering pump. I used a Saginaw because it is what I put in the car back in 2001 when I converted to a 440. Back then I used whatever parts I could find, not what was correct for the year. In truth, the Saginaw is the best pump of the muscle-car era and the mounting brackets are being reproduced.

 

[Billccm]

Uh, oh. A new version of "pulley hell".

Is the kit designed for a car that did not have AC as built?

If it was, things won't line up.

There are all kinds of things different, especially with respect to pulley grooves lining up between factory AC and non-AC cars.

Different brackets, different fan spacers, different water pumps, etc.

Not what you wanted to hear, I know.

Unfortunately I think you are correct, and no help is available. My retired mechanic friend who has installed three of these systems (two Chevelle and one Charger) is coming over to discuss.

If you've followed me over the years on FBBO you know my skills are limited to turning a wrench. I can't fabricate and now worried this project will stall.

Let's see what the meeting of the minds comes up with today.

 

[YY1]

Are there "only" two things not lining up?

Compressor and PS?

Can the pulleys be slightly re-positioned on the shafts?