PINTO CAR CLUB of AMERICA
Welcome to FordPinto.com, The home of the PCCA => Pinto FAQ => Topic started by: Bullseye on October 25, 2014, 10:08:49 PM
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I am looking at adding a dealer ac to my 76. I was able to purchase the interior parts from dick on this site. The problem is that I have no idea what it looks like installed. Does someone out there have one in their car they can send me pictures of? I would also like some under the hood of the compressor mounting. Drier location (I have the condenser mounted drier style condenser.) Any help is appreciated.
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Well, don't know if this will help but it's the only pic I have, took it just before I yanked it out.
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b131/GoFastRacer/74%20Pinto%20Wagon/ACUnit.jpg)
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The ones I've seen mount the main unit somewhat crappy, it will move around quite a bit. May need to make custom bracketry like I did on mine to be clean and fit well with no rattles. I also changed my ducting up somewhat to make it quite a bit more efficient. If the expansion valve is not covered with tar wrap then use some sort of insulation to lock the cold into the airspace immediately around the valve or valve will not work efficiently either.
If using R134 don't expect it to cool nearly as well as a factory one, the condenser area is way off even for R12 and not nearly dense enough finning there. I put a small condenser fan on mine to make it cool much better.
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The one in mine was mounted solid no way was it moving around..
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Could be the way the dealerships went about installing them. Some sloppy and others not. Both my Pinto and MII installs had the unit mounted on one end to let the other end's weight simply fall to lie on dash components as it would. The glove box gets squashed all out of shape on one to make room. You can look over the mounting strap layout and easily mount them better. I had trouble with the ducts dropping off as the boxes operated and why I mounted everything tighter, the ducts were then screwed on tight too so no falling off under the dash. Bulletproof after that.
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There were brackets on both ends of mine nothing dangling and all hoses were tight, it was a good install it actually looked factory.
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Where do you mount the controls. As a tip for you guys out there, if you need the tar tape around the expansion valve, John Deere has it.
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Where do you mount the controls.
Controls go in the center console, also a duct is added right next to the heater controls.
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b131/GoFastRacer/74%20Pinto%20Wagon/ACControlampDuct.jpg)
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You have to cut a hole in the dash?
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Yep, that's what they did.
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Does anyone have pics of the compressor and bracket?
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A couple old engine photos from ebay. Gives general locations but no bracket detail. The air pump appears to be have been removed on two of the engines.
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Per lowest pic, compressor fits below and outboard of smog pump. The bracket is obviously aftermarket (welded up) and not as big and solid (one piece casting) as an OEM Ford one is but works. Sometimes they cracked from the load.
Controls can mount in the upper dash or lower console if you have one. I used MII stuff in mine. Could take my pick of Pinto location and mounted in the dash itself. The console slot was used for gauges. I also added the one duct and another of my own to make a hurricane when air was on. That required a mod to the evap box for the extra flow. I screwed down all duct work instead of the crap snap-in configuration which commonly comes loose.
By 'mounted on one end' I meant that you can have two mounts on one end of an object yet it extend far enough that its' inherent weight then topples it one way even though twice mounted. It then rests against dash to rattle. Not all units were mounted dead vertically. If horizontal mounted these need FOUR mounts, I added the other two. Mine was in at about 60 degrees give or take. To minimize duct length for efficiency and room to make a glovebox, which was non-existent. Not nearly so low as that pic there, my evap hoses entered over the heater box rather than under.
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I had add on AC in my '76 wagon - I pulled it out during restoration and it was an absolute mess - cracked housing, etc. I opted to install factory A/C out of a '74 wagon, it's FAR better than the add-on system, though I've yet to complete the entire installation and run it. But the stuff under the dash is "good to go".....
Chris
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Probaly the installers that messed it up, the add on in mine was done very well, looked like it could have came from the factory that way.
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All except the glove box. Ok if you smoke as there is just room for a pack of smokes.
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Yep, glove box is small..