heater backdate with AC still installed questions
 

Hello all,

I am getting ready for the heater backdate on my 83. One thing I have not convinced myself to do yet is go sans airconditioning - this is the southeast.:eek:

That said, I have been reading through various heater backdate threads this morning, trying to make use of my last day of vacation, and so far I think I have found that the heater backdate can take place and still retain the AC compressor. What I have not seen very clearly is how this is done. Anyone know of a thread that already explains this in detail? Until then, I will keep looking around.

if you have the correct socket you just remove the compressor, hang it on a towel on the fender and then you remove the top part if the AC bracket.

OK, tried to find a decent heater backdate thread that involved the AC system, and this one will have to work :p

I finished my full backdate today, including keeping the AC system. I used the metal left side duct and BFH solution (took lots of time, but I didn't break any welds). No reason to go into that any further, since it's been well documented.

The right side with the AC bracketry is the issue. Using a 2 inch PVC street 90 glued into the stock block off plate works fien without AC (as seen here http://forums.pelicanparts.com/3925122-post10.html ) but the AC brakets interfere something serious.

I needed something significantly smaller, that would still allow use of the 2.5 inch SCEET tubing. At Home Depot, I found a magical little piece...but it was part of a larger ($2.50!!) item. Find a >>1 1/2 inch P trap, Solvent Weld<<, and use the very small, very tightly bent 90 piece. It has a flared end that is about 2 inches, so it just requires a bit of extra tightening of the hose clamp to get the SCEET to lock on.

PLEASE NOTE! I did NOT use a reduced tube to go under the bracket like the factory did. I used the standard 2.5 inch SCEET everywhere. There is plenty of clearance for it, it's just that the tubing needs to bend more than the factory aluminum/paper crap could handle. I kept reading that people thought that there wasn't actual clearance for the 60mm tube, but there is PLENTY.

Take your block off plate, and put a hole in it for the PVC. Stick yer ell in there, and then start the orienting to get it to fit under the AC bracket:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227401736.jpg

It took a few rounds of checking things until I found an orientation that will clear that damnedable bracket:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227401680.jpg

Compare how much more compact this is than the 2 inch street 90 in the link above!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227401852.jpg

Install the SCEET on the duct, and mount that sucker! Even though it seems that the duct is pointing WAY to high up, the SCEET is flexible enough that it happily clears the mounting bracket for the AC compressor:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227401943.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227401968.jpg

And with the compressor installed:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227402012.jpg


Badda boom, yer done, go drink a beer.

Great job! I still have to finish mine up. I used a 2" 90 instead of tghe 2.5" and was going to use the smaller hose to the bulkhead fitting on the engine tin, but your idea looks like it worked great. I make have to redo my right side.

What are you doing on the left side. I have a factory style turbo piece for the left side, but had been looking at options to convert my stock SC left side duct into something. Problem has been doing that in a way that it does not look like crap afterwards.

Any, great job. I still have to buy the tubing, but the weather hear is nudging me to get this job completed soon... getting cold!:eek:

Now clean your engine man!

nice
 

mike, thats my kind of ingenuity, looks good. hey shane, just mentioned your name in patron1080's thread

I'll trade you, I still have over 6 feet of tubing left (I was being sloppy, and used less than 5, so you'd have plenty to do both sides), I'll trade ya for a SCWDP shirt or something ;) PM me if yer interested...

Left side was the standard piece shown here:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/...-321-01-PH.jpg
that was slightly massaged to clear the dizzy.

PM sent