IML: '52 Air Conditioner

[Joe Strickland <jwstrick426@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jack wrote:

"As an owner of a '56 with a factory  authorized dealer installation a/c 
system, I am without the air intakes you speak of [see Turq on '56 page] which 
would be located on the rear quarters should the car have come with the a/c 
factory installed.  At the time of my purchase, I bought a set of intakes to 
weld onto the rear in the event I undertook an entire restoration and wanted 
a 'factory' look.  After  investigating the matter, I was told that those 
intakes only account for about  20% of the intake as the recirculation ducts 
mounted in the rear deck with the  blowers actually do 80% of the work, or 100% in 
my case and I can introduce fresh air via the cowl intake when necessary.

   I guess my point is that the exterior rear intakes are not an absolute 
necessity if one wants a/c."

Jack makes a good point.  You could use the cowl vent to adjust temperature inside
the car as well as changing the fan speed of the twin blowers.  Not having the
external air intakes would make the installation much easier and less expensive.

If you elect to use steel lines for the refrigerant, I would suggest using stainless
steel lines.  Ordinary steel lines, even the tin plated ones would be more likely
to corrode.  It would be too expensive for the average person to have steel lines
copper plated inside.  Copper lines could be used as long as adequate measures are
taken to secure them and protect them from flying rocks or debris.  Copper lines are
much more flexible to install.  In the area under the hood some way of transitioning
from hard lines to flexible hoses would have to be created.

If a late model type compressor is used, such as a Nippondenso or Sankyo, it would be
much easier to find a way and space to mount it.  Any compressor mount will probably
involve going to a machine shop to have a custom bracket made.  It would be a good
idea to have an idler/tension pulley for the belt that drives the compressor.  A
Chrysler OEM type compressor would likely be difficult to locate and keep repaired.
The later V-style Chrysler compressor would be easier to locate than the early types.

Years ago it was possible to get matched pair AC belts for car air conditioner
situations, but in recent years the best that can be obtained is a set of belts
from the same production lot and date code.  They tend to vibrate more than the
matched pairs available years ago.  The newer serpentine belt arrangements are not
as subject to this problem and the tensioner pulleys help too.

Vibration from belt drives can be a real problem in some cases.  My family had a
car years ago that had an after-market AC installed.  Because of vibration from the
compressor and belts, a bolt holding the compressor bracket to the engine would back
out and cause engine coolant to leak out.  That was not a good thing on long trips
to/from West Texas during the hot summers!  It always happened hundreds of miles
from home.  Use some locktite on the bracket mounting bolts or nuts.

Joe


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