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Late A-Body A/C -> Ealry A-Body?
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Author:  DionR [ Wed Jul 04, 2007 3:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Late A-Body A/C -> Ealry A-Body?
Anybody ever tried fitting a late A-Body A/C-Heater box in an early A-Body?

If got one of each, and have been thinking about trying it.

I know the firewall is different, I'm more concerned about if the box will fit.

Anyone?
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Wed Jul 04, 2007 3:50 pm ]
Post subject: 
Please define "early" and "late".
Author:  DionR [ Thu Jul 05, 2007 12:00 am ]
Post subject: 
Early = '63-66

Late = '67-76

Specifically, '73 A/C-Heater into a '63 Valiant.

Sorry, maybe big and little might have been more clear. :lol:
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Thu Jul 05, 2007 7:33 am ]
Post subject: 
Well, that's actually three jumps you're wanting to make all in one go. The '63 firewall, one year only, is different from the '64-'66 firewall, and the wiper motor might well cause you some grief due to its interior-firewall mounting location. The '67-'72 is all the same, but it changed again for '73. What's working in your favour, though, is that the heater box on an A-body isn't a full-width item. It goes from roughly the middle of the car rightward. Leaving aside any physical interference from e.g. the wiper motor, the most critical dimensions are going to be where components pass through the firewall: Blower motor, heater pipes, A/C pipes. The blower motor on the A/C-equipped units is larger than without A/C, so you'll have to enlarge the blower motor hole in the firewall, which means you might be able to adjust the position as needed by enlarging it in an offset manner. I think I'd start by carefully measuring the dimensions between protrusions: blower motor to heater pipes, heater pipes to A/C pipes, etc, on the '73 firewall, then seeing if you find enough clear space on the '63 firewall. Then the next stage would be to remove the heater core, blower motor, and A/C evaporator from the '73 box and do a test installation in the '63. You will save a great deal of time, effort, and blood in the long run if you will remove the '63 dashboard assembly complete before you attempt to fit the box. If you can make the '73 box bolt up cleanly to the '63 firewall, you can remove it, apply some paint or somesuch to the facing surface, and bolt it up again to "print" the locations to drill/cut for the heater and A/C pipes and blower motor.

Then you'll need to figure out the controls. The '73 setup uses a two-lever slide control plus fan switch. There's room up in the '63 dashboard next to the cigarette lighter; you'll have to do some cutting.

Please keep us up to date; this is an interesting idea I've wondered about myself -- though if I were going to the trouble, I would rather start with a '74-'76 box, to get the more effective defogger.
Author:  DionR [ Thu Jul 05, 2007 10:49 am ]
Post subject: 
I did some investigation a little bit ago and it looked like the firewall penetrations should work.

I was aware of the '63 only firewall, didn't know that the firewall changed again at '73.

Your plan is what I had in mind, fit it up and see what it takes. I was kind of hoping somebody had already tried it so I didn't have to try if it had been proven that it wasn't possible. Oh well, time will tell.

So the '74 and later box is better? Did they start running the defrost through the A/C core at that time? Wonder if the '74 and up box would fit where the '73 box is, in case I find one later. Either way, the '73 is what I have so it's what I will work with.

I will keep you posted.
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Thu Jul 05, 2007 2:30 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
So the '74 and later box is better? Did they start running the defrost through the A/C core at that time?
Yep.
Quote:
Wonder if the '74 and up box would fit where the '73 box is
Yep.
Author:  DionR [ Thu Jul 05, 2007 11:18 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
Quote:
So the '74 and later box is better? Did they start running the defrost through the A/C core at that time?
Yep.
Quote:
Wonder if the '74 and up box would fit where the '73 box is
Yep.
Sweet.
Author:  DionR [ Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:39 pm ]
Post subject: 
So, where is the wiper motor on the '64-66 A-Bodies? From the pictures I went back and looked at, it seems they are still behind the firewall. I thought they were in the engine compartment. How do they mount?
Author:  65 dartman [ Wed Aug 01, 2007 3:17 am ]
Post subject: 
Wiper motors on 66-earlier are mounted on a bracket under the dash.
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Wed Aug 01, 2007 7:21 am ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
Wiper motors on 66-earlier are mounted on a bracket under the dash.
Yup. But the location, bracket, firewall and motor are all different in '63 than in '64-'66. The arrangement was changed for '64 to make room for the 273 engine.
Author:  DionR [ Wed Aug 01, 2007 9:32 am ]
Post subject: 
So is the 64-66 orintation similar to the '63 setup? Just spaced away from the firewall to get rid of the large bump on the '63 cars?
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Wed Aug 01, 2007 10:40 am ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
So is the 64-66 orintation similar to the '63 setup? Just spaced away from the firewall to get rid of the large bump on the '63 cars?
It's more than just spaced away from the firewall. The mounting angle is different, the linkage angles are different, etc.
Author:  DionR [ Wed Aug 01, 2007 11:20 am ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
Quote:
So is the 64-66 orintation similar to the '63 setup? Just spaced away from the firewall to get rid of the large bump on the '63 cars?
It's more than just spaced away from the firewall. The mounting angle is different, the linkage angles are different, etc.
How different is the angle? Is it 180 degrees different, or is it vertical?

I'm trying to figure out a direction to make this work. The AC box wont fit with the '63 wiper motor, so I've been working on fitting a '73 wiper motor setup. Then I noticed that the '64-'66 setup wasn't external like I thought, so now I'm wondering if I could retrofit the '64-'66 setup easier than what I've started.

If the '64 and up wiper motor is in the same general relationship with the heater box as the '63, it wouldn't work.

A picture sure would be neat.
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Wed Aug 01, 2007 11:31 am ]
Post subject: 
H'mmm...how to describe this: The '63 wiper motor is more or less a horizontal mount, to the firewall. The '64-'66 wiper motor is more of a vertical mount, not quite to the underside of the dash panel, but almost. The '64-'66 wiper motor setup does clear the '65-up factory air setup (which was essentially the same and shares many parts with the '67-'72 factory air setup, unitised heat/AC).

Retrofitting a '67-up setup would be a ton of work, but you could probably put in a '64-'66 setup with a quarter-ton of work. The wiper pivots are the same between '63 and '64, so if you get everything (motor, linkage rods/pivots/etc.) from a '64-'66, you can probably figure out a way to fabricate a mount.
Author:  sick6 [ Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:10 pm ]
Post subject: 
surgeon generals warning:

reading this post in its entirety will make you cross eyed.
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