Ac broke, should i upgrade?

[euroz06]

Hi all,

I have 68 charger with factory ac, and i live in Miami. When i got the car 7 yrs ago, it was post restoration, but certain things werent finished. AC was one of them, everything looked restored, but ac wasnt working. First problem i noticed was that condenser fitting was leaking, so i had that welded. Then i found that compressor was also leaking, so i replaced it (the first condensor i received was defective, the second was working fine, but ac shop did sniff test and told me it leaks a bit, so ill need yearly refills). Then i found out that the tray inside the ac/heater was full of holes and was leaking condensate into interior (for some reason they didnt weld it, but just painted it during restoration). Then when all was well and done, my alternator had only 1 pulley, and after some ac use, the belt would snap (happened twice), so i finally got a dual pulley alternator… but even then, when i turn on ac, both belts start to dance at idle and rub on the pulleys a bit (though they are fully tight, any tighter and they start to burn). And just today when i went to go for a ride, i heard loud hissing sound from the engine bay, opened the hood and noticed that the weld on the condenser failed and everything leaked out. Ugh, fml.

So now im searching for a new condenser, as i dont think it can welded anymore. I came across classic industries AC upgrade kit (mb184527), which comes with new condenser, compressor and a few other parts. So im thinking of just upgrading things under the hood (the under-dash stuff is all restored/newish). Has anyone gotten this upgrade kit? Is it worth it? I assume new compressor would work much better in our heat, and would solve some of my issues.

 

[F4R/T]

I’m a fan oem stuff, very well built and usually lasts a long time. Aftermarket has one advantage imo, weight of the compressor. Most compressors are chinesium now a days. Oem set ups “fit” aftermarket is made to fit. The V2 will frost your windows on a hot summer day. Neither system is cheap ... The old stuff can be rebuilt completely.

 

[Jerry Hall]

IMO, find a condenser and keep it stock under the hood. If all the bits and pieces under the hood are on it, any belt slapping will be handled by the shields and keep rubbing to a minimum. Refer to the 68 service manual to make sure you have everything in place. Again, just my opinion.

 

[euroz06]

I saw a guy with an all original set up, he has even more slap. I was told thats how it is from the factory, replace belts every few k miles.

 

[davek]

I was happy with the original ac on my challenger,going to use the original on my 70 charger.

 

[AR67GTX]

I have to agree with keeping it stock if you can. My 67 GTX had been converted to 134a when I bought it 23 years ago. Shortly, it blew the front seal. I took most everything apart, had a shop put in a new seal, I replaced all the o-rings, installed a new drier, bought the proper oil for it and added it, reassembled it all, borrowed a vacuum pump to make sure it now held a vacuum, and had a mechanic friend buy me a bunch of R12 cans and charge it for me. That was 20 years ago and I haven’t touched it since. To me, it’s part of the charm of these old cars to see original parts under the hood that still work.

 

[Dave6T4]

If you get 2 random A/C belts, even though they are same part number, they can be slightly different lengths. Then, one will be tight, and the other will be loose, and will slap. They used to be sold in matched pairs, and were the exact same length.

 

[euroz06]

Has anyone converted to a modern ac compressor? Is so, what parts do i need? I see a kit that is like $1300, but i see compressors are only about $300, and condenser under $300

 

[F4R/T]

No, I prefer Chrysler ac systems because they work very well . The choice is yours but I would stay away from China parts for it. The air temp system is heavy but it’s also simple and long lasting. Parts still pretty easy to find there are made in USA condensers out there. Put a WTB ad for parts they are out there.

 

[Some Car Guy]

I saw a guy with an all original set up, he has even more slap. I was told thats how it is from the factory, replace belts every few k miles.

The belts dancing unnerve me, but seem to be ok. I tired repop ones, they looked great, but were total junk. Stretched in a few hundred miles or less. I’m running Conti now as they at least are smooth on the top side.

One huge problem I had to fix was the alt mounted at an angle, first I’ve seen that weirdness. Had to get hardened washers from ARP so they wouldn’t crush when I jacked the bolt down. Having things lined up made the problem much better, but as a noted, you really need a matched set. How you get that in 2024 I dunno.

 

[Demonic]

Many aspects of a restoration require a high level of attention to detail. A/C service is one of them.

The factory condensers were good, but they're all 50 or so years old now. Time to get a replacement. Watch all the aluminum threads at the evaporator, condenser and lines/hoses. Use oil on the threads and do not distort the fittings or over-tighten them. Make sure the o-rings are all in place and not too small in cross section.

To answer you question - yes, many folks have had good success with a Sanden-type compressor and 134a. Whatever refrigerant or compressor you go with, it must be a leak free system. I always recommend a pressure test with nitrogen on a newly assembled system by a professional AC service tech.

 

[Dennis H]

Sanden supplied with the Classic Auto Air 134 flawless. 15 years of reliable service.