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Classic Auto Air Perfect Fit System Install - Cool Like ThatKeep your vintage Mustang’s interior cool for those coming hot summer months From the January, 2012 issue of Modified Mustangs & Fords By Mark Houlahan Photography by Steve Baur
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1 Following a shop manual,... 1 Following a shop manual, we removed the factory HVAC case from the Mach 1 and brought it to Classic Auto Air’s Florida facility, where the company builds and repairs its line of OE system components. Classic Auto Air’s Matt Paskins jumps on our project and begins the disassembly of our case. Classic Fords of the '60s were rarely optioned with factory air conditioning (unless you are discussing high line vehicles like the Thunderbird or a Lincoln). The early A/C systems of the time period often bolted to the underdash area and hung down between the front seat passengers (a few non-Ford systems even mounted in the trunk!). Later in the decade, as the option’s popularity grew, Ford engineered in-dash A/C solutions for assembly-line-installed, factory-optioned systems. As A/C became more and more prevalent into the '70s, it was easier to find a Ford on the dealer’s lot with factory in-dash A/C. This has become one of those infamous good news/bad news scenarios for classic car buffs. It's great when you find a car with factory air, but finding the parts to make it all work can often be a chore, as many parts are not reproduced. This is where you have to call in an expert on classic Ford air conditioning systems, and that's exactly what we did with this '73 Mach 1. A call to Classic Auto Air's OEM factory parts division was our first step in helping this Mach 1's owner feel comfortable again for the upcoming summer driving season. The '73 Mustang, like most Fords of that time period, has a fairly complicated factory air system full of vacuum motors, vacuum switches, cables, doors, fiberglass, and steel components that don't take 35-plus years of moisture and deterioration well. Sure, you can yank it all out and install something like Classic Auto Air’s Perfect Fit system, but admittedly, as well as the Perfect Fit is designed and works, you still have to drill a few holes and make some permanent modifications. While that's rarely an issue here at Modified Mustangs & Fords, we do take exception to the rarer of the breed and would never build a Pro Touring or street machine effort out of a Boss, Mach, or Shelby. This '73 Mach is a perfect example. It's completely stock except for a nice mild build of the 351C underhood, so to get the A/C working right, we opted to go through the factory system and rebuild/repair what was needed using Classic Auto Air's vast inventory of reproduction and good used parts. Topping off the rebuild is a new Sanden compressor on the Clevo. The Sanden is more efficient than the original compressor and can take higher rpm than the original as well. Since our new 351C is built for a little more rpm, we decided to play it safe with the Sanden, which is a simple bolt-on upgrade and is completely reversible.  2 The metal retaining clips...  2 The metal retaining clips for the case halves are often broken or missing. Classic Auto Air has these in stock to properly seal the case. While we've used a screwdriver in the past (carefully), Matt has the proper expanding pliers to remove the clips without damage.  3 With the case halves separated,...  3 With the case halves separated, you can see the effects of years of accumulation of leaves, coolant leaks, and moisture has had on the metal parts and the heater and A/C evaporator cores.  4 Classic Auto Air's replacement...  4 Classic Auto Air's replacement evaporator core is designed for use with R-134a refrigerant, and has more tubes for better thermal transfer. Even though it looks larger, it is a direct replacement.  5 The stock heater core will...  5 The stock heater core will be replaced with a new unit and all internal metal doors/dividers will now be bead blasted, repaired as needed, and painted for reassembly into the case, but first we have to repair some common case damage.  6 Since the case is made...  6 Since the case is made of reinforced glass material, fiberglass mat, and resin is a perfect repair product to fix any cracks or rebuild broken sections. Common breakage includes the drain tube and the area the metal mounting tab is riveted to, but Classic Auto Air has fixed hundreds of these cases to look like new.  7 The case assembly begins....  7 The case assembly begins. Matt applies spray glue to the required areas and adds new foam to the doors and diverters in the case and installs the new heater core.  8 Sometimes, due to fiberglass...  8 Sometimes, due to fiberglass repairs in some areas, the metal diverters or doors will not seat correctly. Matt stipulates that it’s a safer bet to trim away a little of the metal than it is to trim the repair area and possibly weaken it or crack the case again.  9 The case halves need to...  9 The case halves need to be sealed and Matt uses something they call gum cord. 3M makes a strip caulk product that would work as well. Whatever you use, don’t use silicone products, as they are difficult to remove the next time around, not to mention that you have to wait for it to cure before working with the case.  10 Matt slips the new evaporator...  10 Matt slips the new evaporator into place and secures it to the case with all new hardware. The case halves are now ready to be joined once more.  11 The two case halves are...  11 The two case halves are carefully aligned and pressed together and then Matt installs new case clips around the perimeter of the assembly as required.  12 All vacuum motors are...  12 All vacuum motors are inspected for proper working order before being reinstalled. You can either use a hand vacuum pump or simply push the actuator in with your fingers and then cap the hose nipple. Either way, the diaphragm should hold its position.  13 The thermostatic switch...  13 The thermostatic switch is mounted to the case and its capillary tube is inserted into the evaporator through the case's access hole. To test the switch, there should be continuity at room temperature, and placing the capillary tube end into a freezer will cause the switch to open, which you will hear an audible click.  14 Lastly, Matt goes around...  14 Lastly, Matt goes around the case using cork tape to seal any areas where the case has warped from age...  14a ...as well as around...  14a ...as well as around fittings that protrude from the case.  15 With our HVAC case back...  15 With our HVAC case back to perfect working order, we brought the Mach 1 into Modified Mustangs & Fords' tech center where Walt Cunningham and Antwaine Christopher of Custom A/C Solutions lent us a hand in getting our Mach ready for summer. Here, Walt is reinstalling the rebuilt case into the underdash area.  16 Classic Auto Air has a...  16 Classic Auto Air has a complete vacuum hose kit for factory in-dash air vehicles. It is color coded for each line and comes with full instructions. After going this far with your rebuild, don’t rely on three-decade-old rubber hoses or universal hose from the parts store.  17 Temporarily removing the...  17 Temporarily removing the water pump pulley and power steering belt, Walt positions the Classic Auto Air compressor support bracket on the engine and installs the supplied mounting hardware.  18 This custom bracket from...  18 This custom bracket from Classic Auto Air is affixed to the OE compressor bracket and converts the stock vertical mounting hole pattern to a horizontal pattern for the new Sanden rotary compressor.  19 The Sanden unit drops...  19 The Sanden unit drops right into the new Classic Auto Air bracket and is secured with the included hardware from the compressor conversion kit.  20 The final piece of the...  20 The final piece of the compressor mounting kit is a U-shaped bracket that secures the support bracket to the top of the compressor. Walt then places the supplied belt over the pulleys and installs the tensioner pulley (not shown) to tighten the belt.  21 All hoses for the system...  21 All hoses for the system are included and come pre-crimped with the proper ends for both the stock evaporator and reproduction condenser (already in place), and also for the updated Sanden compressor. Use the supplied tube of O-ring oil on all O-ring fittings during assembly.  22 The condenser hard lines...  22 The condenser hard lines are bent just like the OE hoses and route perfectly through the original core support opening. When tightening the hoses at the condenser and dryer assembly always use two wrenches; one on the fitting and one on the hose end. This prevents twisting and damaging the fittings.  23 The final installation...  23 The final installation hurdle is plumbing new heater hoses and installing the hot water shut off valve included in the Classic Auto Air kit.  24 With the system installed...  24 With the system installed and all hoses tight, Walt used a vacuum pump to suck down the system and check for any issues with the system sealing (which there were none). Once the system was OK’d for leaks, Walt added the proper amount of refrigerant, per the Classic Auto Air instructions, then gave the system a once over with a leak detector for extra insurance. The Mach passed with a clean bill of health and the new A/C system has this owner ready for summer. Quit Your Stalling
While our Mach 1 had nice cold air blowing from its dash once again, the modified Cleveland wasn't too happy about running the compressor at idle speeds, especially when cold. A simple solution is a "throttle kicker," a vacuum or electrically operated solenoid that raises the idle speed when the A/C is on by simply pushing on the mechanical throttle lever just enough to bump the idle a couple of hundred rpm. While there are original Ford units to be found, the owner of the Mach wasn't too concerned with originality when it came to the engine, so he simply ordered one up from Holley. Check it out as Carriage Automotive in nearby Apollo Beach, Florida, performed the quick installation.  From Holley, the owner purchased...  From Holley, the owner purchased a throttle solenoid (PN 46-74, $72.95), a solenoid locknut (PN 26-57, $6.99), and a solenoid mounting bracket for 4150/4160 based carbs (PN 20-9, $8.95). Basic wiring supplies like primary wire, a relay, and terminals will also be needed.  Carriage Automotive technician...  Carriage Automotive technician John Potter assembled the bracket to the Holley carb and then secured the solenoid with the locknut, ensuring the solenoid’s arm was square to the carburetor’s throttle lever.  A relay was used to control...  A relay was used to control the solenoid and mounted on the inner fender panel. Essentially, John wired the system so that when the A/C compressor clutch gets power it also feeds the relay, which takes power from a keyed hot circuit and powers the solenoid. The solenoid is adjustable to ensure you have just enough idle increase to prevent stalling but not have too much rpm at idle.
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