Installing Classic Auto Air in a '70 Charger

[Kern Dog]

Two FBBO members went with a kit that used the add on crank pulley that required the A/C compressor to be mounted further away from the engine and closer to the fan.
I chose to use factory type pulleys, not the add on pulley so my setup uses stock sized fan belts in the stock location.

 

[70383ChargerSE]

Two FBBO members went with a kit that used the add on crank pulley that required the A/C compressor to be mounted further away from the engine and closer to the fan.
I chose to use factory type pulleys, not the add on pulley so my setup uses stock sized fan belts in the stock location.

Thank you for responding @kerndog.
I have a factory ac crank pulley. If I found ac brackets do you think it may work? This is the bracket for the compressor.

 

[70383ChargerSE]

Bracket from classic auto air

 

[Kern Dog]

There is a different bracket for aluminum water pump housings. The standard one they include is for iron housings.
Feel free to scroll through this thread. I remember most of the project but some details are not so fresh to my memory.

 

[CoronetDarter]

That was my Coronet that had the interference. The fan was just kissing one of the bolt heads so I filed down the leading edge of the fan blades. It's tricky though because all blades should be filed down the same otherwise the fan can be thrown out of balance.

 

[68 Sport Satellite]

You might call Bouchillon if you need a pulley or brackets. They are a wealth of information and know these motors inside and out.

 

[440 Charger]

This is the way the factory did it in 1970 on big block engines:
View attachment 825724

For the longest time, this just looked way too busy for me. I started working on the 3 belt arrangement. The main problem I had with that was that I could not find the right single groove water pump pulley. I wasn't alone in that. The other pictures I found online also had the 2 groove WP pulley:


View attachment 825727
The inner groove would have worked but the outer groove would have just been along for the ride. I tried looking for a WP pulley the right depth and diameter. Mancini, Bouchillon and others that sell pulleys refused to tell me the specific measurements when I told them what I had planned. They only told me the original applications for the pulleys they sell and said they were not interested in selling pulleys that are guaranteed to come back for a refund when they don't fit. Great....What ever happened to hot rodding?

That nay be my next thing.

 

[Kern Dog]

2 1/2 years, ten pages and finally I am inching closer to getting this finished.
One of my bad habits is where I get a task about 80% done and get distracted. This happened to me on this project. The heater and defroster was a huge improvement. In all the years that I've owned the car, the entire system was dead. Driving in the mild winters we have here wasn't great but it was not terrible.
Summer driving in an old car has always meant having the windows down because every old car that I have owned either had a broken A/C system or was never equipped with it when it was built.
The wife and I are going to Southern CA in a couple of weeks for the annual Spring Fling shindig and she would really prefer to do it with the A/C working.
I did the installation of this system myself and in doing so, I made one crimp on a line that may or may not seal. I needed a shop that could fix whatever mistakes I made and charge the system to spec. I have a trustworthy local shop that does the stuff that I cannot do. They referred me to a shop that has a bit more experience with A/C systems. Next week I plan to leave the car for the work.
I always worry about leaving the car somewhere other than here. They said that they bring customer cars into the shop when they close for the night.

 

[bearman]

Kd run some nitrogen in the system then spray dish soap on all the fittings. That way you'll know the system is tight or where a leak might be. Good luck and enjoy the a/c when done.

 

[CoronetDarter]

I have the same situation with both cars - full on aftermarket a/c systems about 90% done. Like you I'm hesitant to leave either car overnight somewhere.
Maria and I will have to grin and bear the drive down to Spring Fling an hope the weather cooperates. Two week forecast calls for mid to high 90's that Wed and Thur, cooling down for the weekend.

 

[chtampa]

I had one end crimped and then marked the other. The local hydraulic/air fitting shop did it for me.

 

[HawkRod]

I have the same situation with both cars - full on aftermarket a/c systems about 90% done. Like you I'm hesitant to leave either car overnight somewhere.
Maria and I will have to grin and bear the drive down to Spring Fling an hope the weather cooperates. Two week forecast calls for mid to high 90's that Wed and Thur, cooling down for the weekend.

There are some places that do not require that you leave it. I didn't want to leave my 70 so I asked a local "old timer" service station if they could charge my A/C while I waited. Of course, I let them pick their time, and then I stayed with the car the whole time (of course, this "old timer" has now shut down operations, so I'm no sure I could get so lucky again).

 

[rrTor-Red]

There are some places that do not require that you leave it. I didn't want to leave my 70 so I asked a local "old timer" service station if they could charge my A/C while I waited. Of course, I let them pick their time, and then I stayed with the car the whole time (of course, this "old timer" has now shut down operations, so I'm no sure I could get so lucky again).

No way, I'm leaving my car unsupervised. Either they like it or they dont.

 

[Kern Dog]

I know that it may seem silly to a NON car guy.....but I just don't like thinking of other dudes working on my car.
When it was first "finished", ( ha ha...) I could not stand to park it anywhere out of my sight. It took awhile for me to relax and remember that whatever happens to it, I can fix it.
FBBO member Dennis H has a Classic Auto Air kit in his 69 Coronet R/T and it works. I'm anxious to see how well it works for me.

 

[Kern Dog]

I am having trouble getting power to the compressor. The line going to it is dead, the same line is dead where it connects to a relay under the dash. I hot-wired the compressor and it does engage so I'm looking at some power supply problem. I changed the relay, checked all the grounds and nothing makes a difference. Maybe the control panel has a bad switch? This wouldn't have revealed itself during the "bench calibration" portion of the installation.....that was to test the servo motors that direct air to the floor, dash or defroster.
I was supposed to take it in this week to get evacuated and charged.
I have the glovebox liner and door off to get to the wiring.

 

[HawkRod]

I am having trouble getting power to the compressor. The line going to it is dead, the same line is dead where it connects to a relay under the dash. I hot-wired the compressor and it does engage so I'm looking at some power supply problem. I changed the relay, checked all the grounds and nothing makes a difference. Maybe the control panel has a bad switch? This wouldn't have revealed itself during the "bench calibration" portion of the installation.....that was to test the servo motors that direct air to the floor, dash or defroster.
I was supposed to take it in this week to get evacuated and charged.
I have the glovebox liner and door off to get to the wiring.

There is a pressure switch that does not allow the compressor to turn if it has no pressure. It is a safety to protect the compressor. If you short the switch, the compressor should come on. When a tech provides pressured Freon into the system, it will engage on its own.

 

[Kern Dog]

I read that during a search online but it seemed strange to me.
Thank you.

 

[chtampa]

There is a pressure switch that does not allow the compressor to turn if it has no pressure. It is a safety to protect the compressor. If you short the switch, the compressor should come on. When a tech provides pressured Freon into the system, it will engage on its own.

That is a normal part of charging the system. I had to jump the switch to get the compressor to come on and pull the Freon out of the can.

 

[bearman]

Kd if you have safety switches I agree with the other guys it must have freon to work.

 

[Kern Dog]

I jumped the wires together that go to the switch but still couldn’t get the compressor to engage. I hotwired it from the coil and did get it to engage though.
I put a call into Classic Auto Air. Hopefully they will respond soon.