I put the A/C back in the 69. I'm looking for ideas on how to get it colder. It blows cold but not enough. The drain hole is the size of a quarter. The headed is close to the expansion box and the fan squeeks at times. I've got a stock type compressor. If i fix all that crap will it cool the car? Maybe it needs a good quality roof insulation too. Humm couple hundred bucks and a day or so and I'll have the answer...
My 95 Astro gets down to 39, 40 degrees. Original 134 system. I'll get back to you on my 65 ac. I'll be putting the compressor in real soon.
Much like the leaded high octane fuel that many of our cars were designed to run on the juice of choice for your AC is a thing of the past and that can hurt the potential of the unit. If you don't get the answers that you need here you should just stop into a radiator shop and talk to them. Most radiator shops that I know of do heater cores and AC also, so they may be able to tell you how yours is doing or what can be done to help it.
For today's 200.00 (actually fewer), go to Sears and buy a set of manifold gauges. Then go to a restaurant supply and buy a pocket kitchen inspectors (and manager's, we hope) thermometer. Hook 'em up and report your findings. :Comp:
I got a cheap set of gauges from Harbor Freight for around $45. I hooked my AC back up and needed something. They seem to be working fine.
This thread reminded me of when I had the air system in my '72 Electra completely restored- NEW AC Delco pump, all new hoses, reciever/dryer & everything. I took it to this real "old-School" shop who specialized in custom A/C lines. Well. they really loved the Buick-saying they don't make 'em like this anymore etc- I filled it with the good stuff- FREON! and that car read 32 degrees at the vent!! The owners wife, a sweet older lady who helped out, said is was too damn cold to sit in it to take the temp reading!! she had to get out and shut the door during the test- This was in late nineties- loved that car-
:TU: When I had the AC on my '72 Electra gone over before a road trip to the Black Hills, SD, there was an old timer at the shop that worked on it. When I picked it up at the end of the day he was just ecstatic that he was able to get 34* at the vent. He wouldn't let me leave until he proved it to me. "Try that with that R134 Sh*t! It was a pleasure to work on an old car with an R-12 system!" he said. I had to agree with him, it was a pleasure flying down I-90 at 80+mph, in 100* heat, while riding in meat locker cold comfort! :bglasses:
There was this old timer car salesman I heard tell of that picked up a car @ an auction and on the way back home with it dropped by the liquor store and bought a 6 pack of beer. He claimed the A/C worked so well on the 30 mile drive back home with the A/C blasting out the chills.......that 3 of the bottles froze and broke! Now is that a tall tale or what? LOL!
Things that make an ac blow cold (assuming pressures/fill is corret,compressor is working and poa valve works): Good fan shroud Properly working fan clutch No air leaks in A/C boxes/heater box(inside and out) If the A/C lines going to the evaporator have gaps around them or the insulation has shrunk away, replacing it will will make a HUGE improvement. Heater control valve working properly Correct vacuum to appropriate diverter doors Doors move freely and seal as designed Ductwork is intact and seals as it should In my opinion, GM has crappy AC. Fords will freeze you right out of the car. I hate Fords but they have the BEST A/C in the world. Make sure the charge level is correct. The only way to properly do this is to evacuate the system, vacuum test it for leaks, and charge with the specified amount of refrigerant. Only then can you test the rest of the system for proper operation. Low side pressure should be able to go as low as 32 psi. high side pressure should be 100-125 plus ambient temp. So on a 100 degree day, high side should be 200-225. Add 50 psi if using 134a Just a start. I could go on for a long time, but dinners done
My A/C has been recently gone over. New compressor, expansion valve, POA valve calibrated for 134, but all I can get is just a cool breeze on a hot day. Is it possible I need a new condensor?
Been there done that, My A/C still sucks. The condenser, muffler, some hoses, and evaporator are the only things that haven't been changed. On 75* days it will freeze your butt off, but 85-90* it doesn't cut it. That leads me to believe the condenser isn't working correctly. The A/C worked the same with the old R12 system as it does with 134 and the new parts.
When I charged the AC on my '72 olds with R12 I got 14* at the vent with a digital pyrometer!! Nothing cools like the R12, I'm just glad I got a life time supply stashed. JKaz
It is possible, but not probable. The condensors job is to remove btu's from the refrigerant. If the fins are corroded and falling off, then yes, you need a new one. If not, make sure all the airflow is going through the condensor. That means the right shroud, correct fan, and good sealing between the condensor and the radiator. Pressure readings sure would help.
I recall as a kid, the metal vanes on the center AC vent of Dad's '64 LeMans would develop frost on it. I've never cracked open the system on the '70 Riv, nor added anything to it, but the last time I ran it after rebuilding the engine it was still very cold.
