falconvan Posted June 20, 2012 Report Share Posted June 20, 2012 Has anyone on here put an A/C compressor on their flathead? How about some pictures if you have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james curl Posted June 20, 2012 Report Share Posted June 20, 2012 Yes they have, you will have to do a search of the archives to find the pictures. Several of the members of the Forum have installed air conditioning in their flat head powered cars so maybe one of them will also reply. Some no longer visit the forum daily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p24-1953 Posted June 20, 2012 Report Share Posted June 20, 2012 falconvan, do a search for my posts. I have a/c on the 53' and it work well. Its will get a little high on the temp guage sitting in traffic, but it will cool the car well while moving. one problem i didnt expect is that it sounds like my the compressor is turning at its maximum when i am doing 55-60 with out the overdrive engaged. let me know if you have any questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted June 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2012 I'll do that; thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
40P10touring sedan Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 falconvan, do a search for my posts. I have a/c on the 53' and it work well. Its will get a little high on the temp guage sitting in traffic, but it will cool the car well while moving. one problem i didnt expect is that it sounds like my the compressor is turning at its maximum when i am doing 55-60 with out the overdrive engaged. let me know if you have any questions. What motor did you have?...people have been known to change them out. How'd you come by the AC engine bracket...make one or buy it? I want to install AC on my 52 265ci block so I'm guessing dual pulleys high and low...one side for the alt and the other for the AC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 one problem i didnt expect is that it sounds like my the compressor is turning at its maximum when i am doing 55-60 What is the maximum RPM rating for the compressor and where did you find that information? How did you determin (by sound) that the compressor is turning at its maximum? I would think that knowing the shieve sizes and the engine RPM's it would be easy to calculate the speed of the compressor. And I would think that you would have done this calculation prior to the AC install so as to not overspeed the compressor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 often times..it is not so much the speed that it is running but the sound that tends to make you think it is doing so..I refer to belt whip..this alone will make the compressor seem very noisy..that is why when making belt runs to such a high demand item that the distance be kept as close to the driving pulley as you can get..in the applications where close pulleys is not an option..that is the time you run a compressor with dual belts.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 (edited) ..that is the time you run a compressor with dual belts.. I disagree Tim. Belt wrap is (as if not more important) than dual belts. Still hard for me to wrap my self around determining maxium compressor speed by sound when the maximum compressor speed is not known, not calculated, but guessed at by noise. Edited June 21, 2012 by Don Coatney Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 I spoke of belt whip..not wrap...wrap is the degree of circumference that the belt makes contact..also did not say it was relevant to speed only that the noise often makes folks think there is a problem as the thought that a loose belt could be making the noise rarely occurs to them.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p24-1953 Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 I m still running the stock engine, and fabricated the brackets to hold the a/c compressor from some flat plate. I am currently running a 2 groove crank pully and a single groove fan pully. my belts run crank to fan and crank to ac I run the 6 volt positive ground a/c off of the compressors second pulley. Prior to purchasing and installing the system i did not even think about the pully ratio to speed. ( i know... once again i am a idiot.) belt wrap or belt whip, dont know about that, but what i do know is that when crusing at 60ish with out overdrive when the a/c is on i get at sound that only appears when the a/c is on, I can engaged the overdrive and the sound goes away, so i know it is caused by the rpms and the compressor, but honestly how many times will you be crusing at 60 without the overdrive engaged? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted June 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 I m still running the stock engine, and fabricated the brackets to hold the a/c compressor from some flat plate. I am currently running a 2 groove crank pully and a single groove fan pully. my belts run crank to fan and crank to ac I run the 6 volt positive ground a/c off of the compressors second pulley.Prior to purchasing and installing the system i did not even think about the pully ratio to speed. ( i know... once again i am a idiot.) belt wrap or belt whip, dont know about that, but what i do know is that when crusing at 60ish with out overdrive when the a/c is on i get at sound that only appears when the a/c is on, I can engaged the overdrive and the sound goes away, so i know it is caused by the rpms and the compressor, but honestly how many times will you be crusing at 60 without the overdrive engaged? I looked up the thread on your A/C install but it's saying that Photobucket has removed the pictures. Any chance you could repost those? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p24-1953 Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 I guess the others were cleared out for baby pics. let me know if you want something specific. sorry for the quality of the one image it was after the fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted June 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 I see; you moved your alternator up high and mounted the compressor in the generator spot? What did you use for your two groove lower pulley? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Labrauer Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 (edited) I was told that you could not run an AC on Positive ground engines. Have you all that have AC installed in your flathead L6 engines changed to negative ground and also from 6 volt to 12 volt? If you can run the AC from a 6 volt postive ground let me know how you did it. Change from a generator to an alternater that puts out more voltage? I once contacted vintage air and they told me that you couldn't go 6 volt positive AC. I would like information on this subject e-mailed to me or just address me. Thanks, Larry braular@yahoo.com 713-410-7481 Edited June 21, 2012 by Labrauer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ194950 Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Curious as to how you routed the Hoses/Pipes to/from condensor, drier, evaporator and the insulation of hoses/pipe, etc. as your compressor in mounted driver side and low. Location of AC inside?? I quess that i might have to wait with others for new pics?? Thanks, Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
40P10touring sedan Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 I guess the others were cleared out for baby pics. let me know if you want something specific. sorry for the quality of the one image it was after the fire. If we search ykp53 in photobucket you can find this album...nice radio rehab vids! I like the bracket set up you did for your AC...sorry about the fire! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
40P10touring sedan Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 I looked up the thread on your A/C install but it's saying that Photobucket has removed the pictures. Any chance you could repost those? One of the things I'm not happy with in PB is if you move your pics around in any way the link is lost so the pics are removed...or if the owner makes them non public. Wish there was a way to re-arrange pics in one's ablums and retain the links. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
40P10touring sedan Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 I m still running the stock engine, and fabricated the brackets to hold the a/c compressor from some flat plate. I am currently running a 2 groove crank pully and a single groove fan pully. my belts run crank to fan and crank to ac I run the 6 volt positive ground a/c off of the compressors second pulley.Prior to purchasing and installing the system i did not even think about the pully ratio to speed. ( i know... once again i am a idiot.) belt wrap or belt whip, dont know about that, but what i do know is that when crusing at 60ish with out overdrive when the a/c is on i get at sound that only appears when the a/c is on, I can engaged the overdrive and the sound goes away, so i know it is caused by the rpms and the compressor, but honestly how many times will you be crusing at 60 without the overdrive engaged? Unless you've gone and changed the pulley size for the AC compressor or the upper or lower pulleys she should spin fine especially since these motors don't spin as high as most V8s...one needs to compare any given car's pulley sizes, with AC, to what you have in the car you wish to install AC in...match them up and it should be fine. What I question is what I've been told as well about modern Ac compressor clutches..they run at 12v and if your hitting it at only 6v{am I right?} that could be your noise, unless your alittle low on the PAG oil for the compressor...being low would casue drag and overheating ans well as added noise. The clutch seal on my 99 gran voy is bad and has let out alot of the PAG compressor oil, which is making the van run sluggish when the AC is on and my temp gauge is running alittle hotter than usual because if it...the van is going in next week for a new AC compressor and dryer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p24-1953 Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 (edited) I will try to answer all the questions posted so far. I mispoke earlier. I used the stock crank pully, so i am runing crank, fan, a/c. I dont think it is a oil issue, because it did it from the very start, on a brand new prefilled compressor, but really it is not an issue because most of the time I have the overdrive engaged. I started by purchasing a complete underdash kit from Hot Rod Air. The Interior Unit is mounted under the dash on the passanger side. The lines are ran to the dryer which is located under the passanger hood hinge. the supply and return line are ran tight along the top of the fire wall and driverside fender well to the compressor and condensor. The lines were bought un-crimped so i could run them a little long. Now, heres where it gets a little weird. I am running this A/C on a six volt positive ground system. I had the Blower fan replaced with a six volt unit, and i run the compressor off of a buck boost convertor. this unit will take a 6 volt charge and up it to a 12 volt charge. Since the conversion causes you to lose half your amps i upgraded to a 105 amp 6vlt alternator. the convertor is wired directly so that i did not have the large current running through the dash harness. The fan and saftey switches are wire with everything else so that when the keys off it shuts off. The originaly buck boost convertor that i used was a home built unit that originally supplied power for a cb radio in a old bug, but it hummed loudly. there is a austrialian company that makes these new that are solid state and so far extremely reliable. it is mounted under the dash. They are extremly easy to wire. All in all did i do it the best way? or would i do it again? It was simple to wire and charging system was in good shape , since i had rewired the car and i didnt want to have to change out all the wiper, heater, blower, overdrive relays ect.... and i didnt want to lose the tube radio. Yes it was the long way around to get something done but honestly isnt that half the fun, But if i had a car with a stock wiring harness and various other bits that need to be replaced i would thing that a 12 volt system would be better. One last note. On the quality of the Hot Rod Air system vs, Vintage Air. Vintage is 1000 time better quality. Several Hot rod air Parts have failed or broken. I had 2 hose end split when i recived the kit. There were no instructions, the dryer bracket was oversized so i had to wrap the dryer with a rubber sheet to get it to hold. The fit and finish of the Vintage air kit is higher. But the money i saved covered the cost of the additional relays, electric fans and 12v convertors. Edited June 22, 2012 by p24-1953 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
40P10touring sedan Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 I was looking at either vintage air or southern air for the AC system for mine...probably vintage. Your converter...while it may drop half the voltage given to it, is there a max amount that it can let thru or handle? Just curious as to how many amps that system can handle verses what clutch engagement amps are needed. On a possible sour note...going by your so far issues with this Ac system, is it possible that the compressor has a slight issue too...bad or questionable bearing{s} in the comp or clutch...? My old dakota had a noisey AC system when I bought it, it squeeked and groaned when on, turned out to be a bad clutch and once replaced it was quiet and smooth running. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 the Hurricane 1000 is ideal for installation in these cars..do go analog and not electronic control..the proprietary control circuit is just not work the cost and hassle.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james curl Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 I understand that the person who started Hot Rod Air in Selma,Texas a suburb of San Antonio was an engineer for Vintage Air who left to start his own company. Might gets his parts made in China to his design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 Here is another P-15 option. Designed and built by the brother of forum member Richie Hodge and possibly still owned by forum member Louman Earle. This install uses a dual voltage (6 volt positive ground, 12 volt negative ground) system with a common ground and dual charging system. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 Here is a system install on a 36 Plymouth done by a friend (Jesse Harvey) here in the Boro. I am not sure but I believe this is a 12 volt system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveplym Posted June 23, 2012 Report Share Posted June 23, 2012 I saw Jesse's up close and personal last year at Frog Follies car show in Evansville, IN. He took the time to show me how he fabricated the brackets and made it sound like a pretty straight forward deal. He is running 12 volts and it keeps his car nice and cool. I can't remember exactly how he had it set up, but it was very neat. Did he get the body work done from the rear end accident yet Don? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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