Frankie the Fink

Spent a good 9 hours on the car today - got sidetracked detailing the engine compartment quite a bit. Anyway - got the alternator relocated to the driver's side. It didn't look like the alternator was aligned worth a damn until I did the final tightening on the do-dad bracket VA setup but then it all clicked in. The upper radiator hose hits the alternator bracket but I think I can shorten it and it will be OK.

Got the condenser brackets on and drier tank hooked together but hit some snags:

1) Tell me if I have the drier line on the right side -- there is an IN and OUT label on the device but the instructions say nothing about it. The right side is OUT in my picture.

2) The condenser brackets do not line up...if I get the bottom OEM bolts for the brackets lined up the upper bracket misses the top radiator support bolts by a good 1/2". I triple-checked my setup against the instructions and i did it correctly. None of the bracket holes line up precisely right - figure I'll have to elongate some holes. Anybody else have this issue ?

3) I see no way to put the condenser on without hitting the X brace in front of the radiator. Does this have to come out ? Nothing in instructions about it.

I'll mount the compressor tomorrow and clean up some small stuff. Then the evaporator and dash are waiting in line

wmf62

my opinion... (and i think it's the wrong approach...)

if you don't tajke out the x-brace you will have a poorly operating a/c and possibly a engine overheating problem.

unless there is a plug on the other side (back) of the drier fitting, you have it hooked up correctly; that port is where the binary/trinary switch installs.
Bill

mike coletta

Frank,
You have the dryer hooked up backwards. Look at figure 13. The "in" port is connected to the bottom of the condenser. You might have to flip the dryer, and move the plug. Also, if you look at the top of the drier, there is an "in" and "out" molded into the top. The "out" goes to the hardline, back to the evaporator.

Cut the "X" brace out. I've done it on every single car.

Loosen the top radiator hose at the thermostat housing, and turn it counter clockwise a little. It will "lift" right off of the belt. No need to adjust brackets.

I'm not sure why your holes aren't lining up??

Mike

SS409

Would you mined clarifying why the X brace needs to be cut out? I have Vintage air in my 66 coupe and don't have any problems with it there. thanks.

Frankie the Fink

Thanks Mike
Its figure #14 in the newer instructions and it shows exactly what you stated.

SS409:

If you try to mount the condenser with that X brace on the car it will hit at the very center of the brace and damage the condenser. If you use the Vintage Air brackets as instructed I don't see how the X brace can remain in the car. Maybe a 63 is different or maybe you had some kind of 'standoffs' on your particular condensor -- can't say.

mike coletta

You can leave it if you want, but the condenser will cool much better with it being closer to the radiator. I've always cut the brace out (probably 100 or so). Just my way of doing it I guess.

Mike Coletta

mrtexas

Are you moving the battery to the driver's side? It sure makes getting at the battery easier. Requires surgery tho. BTW I bought a radiator
hose for air conditioning on my Vintage Air install.

SS409

Frank and Mike thanks for the explanation. Makes sense to to me. It was this way when I purchased the car. Would there be any structural integrity issues with it removed? I don't think factory ac cars had them.

Frankie the Fink

Judging by Mike's experience on dozens of cars I don't think its a structural issue at all.
I've looked at the brace from all angles and it doesn't seem to do much. If that beefy radiator surround doesn't keep things squared up then those thin metal rods certainly aren't going to do much.

mark6669

Frankie the Fink

Thanks Mark....

But how ridiculous is it to have the directional decal on the drier out of sight when its mounted properly ??
At least I was smart enough to ask the pros

Frankie the Fink

No. After changing the battery in my C1 twice the C2 isn't that bad IMO...

La Rossa

Just wait when you get to work the unit under the dash!

Frankie the Fink

It'll be even worse as I'm gonna try to route the hoses to save the right hand vent - its been done before but nobody's supplied details...

rich5962

Frank, The '63 we had already had a HotRod Air system in it, but the PO cut the braces and mounted a pusher in front of the condenser. If you add a fan be careful you'll still be able to close the hood without it hitting. PO had it too high and it hit the edge and was chewing up the plastic top of the fan. I moved it down about a inch or so to clear better. A few pics below.

Ignore the Compressor on the left. I hated it. PO did it that way.

Do you know the upper rad hose is special for A/C w/Alt on DS?
ZIP Upper Rad A/C hose

Rich
edit......p.s. I'd rather do a C1 battery than that '63 battery(2nd last pic). That's what started the whole enchilada a few years before it sold. Had to pull hoses, exp tank, then, decided a months worth of cleanup while I was at it.

wmf62

when i put HRA on my 62 the driver's side was the side they normally installed it on, i reckon it was so that people who had tach drive generators didn't have to give them up, but the way they routed the hoses was to drape them over the front of the intake.

i asked them to supply the stuff to mount the compressor on the passenger side and it was no problem..

BUT, they're out of business...
Bill

Frankie the Fink

Rich - great pics thanks !

Glad to see you cleaned up that master cylinder between the first and last pics (didn't think I'd notice did you?)

Got the condenser, drier and hard lines mounted this morning. Mounted the drier correctly too thanks to Coletta's advice. Cut off the radiator X brace with a dremel and cut off wheel - hated doing it but not that bad a job.

Damndest thing - the upper condenser bracket was off 3/4" nearly on my first mounting attempt. Loosened all the brackets, slid them around a little in the SAME holes and tightened 'em back up and the darn thing went right on.

Guess i wasn't holding my mouth right.

I'm gonna be hard core and not move the battery. I'm gonna do the compressor mount today and that'll prob be enough for one day. The evaporater is on hold until I get some new seals for the fresh air vent flappers - don't want them bleeding air into the car - the ones on there now are in bad shape

VetteJohn

Frankie,

How for you plan on routing the hoses so you save the RH vent?

John

rich5962

Oh yea and BTW the air cleaner base is unique for C60 A/C cars to shift it to the right a bit away from the upper rad hose. I think the base had a different cutout for the carb locating boss.

I just tilted it a bit to the right on mine and bent the base metal a bit. (no pics) looked kinda that way though so I put it back straight.

Rich
p.s. yes I knew you'd notice that rusty old '67 style MC. Wire brush, a little solvent, then brushed on some 'cast-blast' made a big difference.

LabRat

Frankie, I used Braided SS,Teflon lined hoses on my conversion. A little pricey but I like the look. I also polished out my hard lines. I went 12 years until my first leak and it was at the compressor so I had no issue with sealing using AN fittings. Save the Wave.