Hey everyone,

I have a friend who has located a 65 Dart GT with factory air. I bought an aftermarket setup a few months back to put into my 62 Lancer, but I'm sure its not a perfect fit. I wanted to get some detailed pics of the compressor, evaporator and venting in a factory setup so I can see if I want him to grab some parts for me to make mine work. If you happen to have air and wouldn't mind taking some pictures for me, I'd be most grateful! I'm worried they are taking this thing to the crusher very soon.

Thanks!

Menko

Be aware there were several different AC units for early A-bodies and they varied in configuration. Many were dealer installed and made to fit by each mechanic. One thing in common was that the entire system was centrally mounted under the dash and all switches and ducts were part of the unit, not dash mounted.

If you have an aftermarket system, you have a modern Sanden style compressor, while the early A-bodies had York units. They use entirely different mounting brackets.

When I installed a Vintage Air system in my '64 Valiant, I used mounting brackets from an Aspen and modified them to fit my compressor.

I pulled a factory AC set-up from a 66 Dart and will be using all the underhood/underdash components. Other than modifing the firewall for the larger blower and adding the cut-outs for mounting the AC Box, the hardest part of the swap is locating a factory AC/Heater control panel bezel for the 65 Dart. Unfortunately I don't have any photos of the 66 before pulling all the stuff. The lines, hoses and hard parts all are pretty self-explanatory as to location, especially if you're using an original compressor.
Don
65 Dart GT convert
65 Dart station wagon
65 Valiant Signet convert
65 Barracuda
65 Coronet 440 convert
69 A108 cargo van

That's true exclusively of A-bodies through the '64 model year, and then it becomes one of two possibilities (the other being factory-installed heat/AC). Of course, some dealers(!) bought aftermarket A/C units rather than the Chrysler Mopar "Airtemp" and "Cool Comfort" units. The idea was the same (combination evaporator housing/blower motor/control panel centrally mounted under the dash) but the details were different (design of the underdash housing, compressor type, etc.)

The factory A/C system introduced in A-bodies in '65, the Model 754, is undersized for the job it's asked to do. This unit was improved in '67 and again in '68, by which point it was an effective and properly-rated system for its task. Having put a 754 in a '65 not originally so equipped (NOT the way to do it unless you are a masochist!), I learned the hard and expensive way how to avoid several different kinds of pitfalls.
Nope. The aftermarket systems of the day ('60s, '70s) used York or Tecumseh compressors. These are the rectangular "looks like a lawnmower engine" compressor. The two makes are interchangeable; Yorks are made out of aluminum, while Tecumsehs are cast iron. Both the factory and dealer-installed Chrysler/Mopar systems used the Chrysler V2 compressor, with the sole exception of the 1961 systems for 6-cylinder models, which used a Tecumseh. The round Sanden compressor didn't hit the aftermarket scene in any great numbers until the late '80s/early '90s.
But, a bracket for a York/Tecumseh can very easily be made to accept a Sanden by means of a very commonly available adaptor bracket.

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Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Did he/did you figure out which system it is?
Making any of the '64-up systems (dealer or factory) fit a '62 varies from "semi-difficult, requires cutting and fabricating" in the case of the Mopar dealer add-on units to "impossible" in the case of the factory system with the button controls in the dash. IOW, there's no such thing as a perfect fit in a '62 unless you happen to have a '61-'63 evaporator unit (I have seen exactly ONE in real life over the last 2 decades' worth of looking, and a photograph of a hacked-up other one.)

My '62 has a '64-'66 evaporator housing. It kinda mostly fits, though because the bracketry is different the glovebox does not open fully. I have some plans for a revised mounting bracket that will make it fit more like they did in '61-'63, but this will affect front seat footroom.
Compressor mounting's no big deal. You've already got a complete York/Tecumseh bracket setup, which means you have your choice of two different compressor designs (York/Tecumseh or Sanden by bolting the Sanden adaptor bracket onto your York/Tecumseh brackets). If you want the factory-style compressor you can grab the bracketry off the '65.

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Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Perhaps I assumed something that wasn't true, but I understood that he has a modern aftermarket system and as you said, they have used Sanden compressors for many years.

The point I was trying to make, but obviously didn't do very well, is that there is no such thing as a universal configuration for all early A-bodies AC systems and a photo may or may not have any value if the goal is a detailed restoration. If that's the goal, a modern AC system looks out of place, but has obvious advantages when it comes to parts availability.

Sorry, I should've clarified. I happen to know the system he bought is an old one, not a modern one.

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Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Ok here's a bunch of pics of what I have so far. Let me know what you think I better start grabbing from the 65 Dart (except the interior vents/controls--wont know about those for a few days)

The compressor has an oil leak...not sure if this is from the hose attachments or internal. The box was soaked with oil.



The condensor worries me, the fins look beat





Also this end has some oil too...





That's more or less what I have. I've got more pics, but I wanted to start there.

MJ

Is your compressor aluminum (York) or iron (Tecumseh)? Looks like it needs a shaft seal. Those aren't hard to come by.

Your condenser, don't worry about. See the "A/C Fix" thread for a link to parallel-flow condensers.

The evaporator housing looks VERY similar to the factory '61-'63 unit. I'd keep it.

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Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

iron, tecumseh.

...the close all tags messed stuff up. It should be fixed

yeah I saw the post...so what happens is this like a radiator in principle then? The housing stays, and they put parallel flow fins in there?

Here's the compressor closer up:

OK, a Tecumseh HG-850 built under license in Italy. Nothin' wrong with those, as long as they're in good shape.

No, you throw the original condenser in the recycle bin. Follow the link in the other post. You buy a complete new parallel-flow condenser and bolt it onto the front of the radiator support panel.

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Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Hey guys that looks like the same compressor that Ford use to use. My F-150 has a very similar unit to the one on your Val.

The V2 Compressor on my car has a "remanufactured for General Motors" sticker on the top of it. I did'nt think that GM used this compressor design.

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82 D150-225/727
02 Dakota-3.9/5 speed
87 GMC C7000-8.2 Detroit Diesel/5+2

The York/Tecumseh compressor was used VERY widely. Ford and AMC used zillions of them. Lots of heavy trucks, farm implements, buses and huge numbers of imported cars used them. Virtually all aftermarket A/Cs used them.

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Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

How can I inspect it to be sure its ok?

MJ