Joined: Wed Oct 12 2005, 01:10AM
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 2690
So here are my other options for mounting the condensor...
I would like to have the ports on the pass. side of the car so I can run both the lines off the compressor on the same side....I don't like the look of having them split..
So this is how I would have to mount it for the lines to run on the pass. side....
As you can see by my marking that the condenser would be off center...which really bother me.. And it will sit too high so I can't use the brace the runs from the rad support to the hood support.
Or if I flip the condenser and have the ports on the driver side....
You can see the condenser is now centered...and if I trim the bottom mounting flange off the lower edge of the condenser on the pas. side it should mount low enough to get the hood to rad support bracket back on.
I really don't want to go this route due to having to run the A/C lines in two different directions...I think it makes the engine bay messy....
Joined: Wed Oct 12 2005, 01:10AM
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 2690
There is one other issue that has me bothered...my condensor has 37 rows in it but I checked out Butch's condensor in the pics on the bouchillon site and he only has 32..both are 16x26 condensors..???
Joined: Wed Oct 12 2005, 01:10AM
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 2690
Well I spent today working on the condenser...I figured since I had mounted the brackets on the condenser then I probably wouldn't be able to return it SOOOOO...I decided to make what I had work regardless of the outcome.
Well things went very well today...I'm in much better spirits and should have the condenser and system hooked up in a couple days...will be a few more after that until my friend can get over to check for leaks and charge the system.
Here's what I've done the last couple days....
Pulled the original condenser and removed the original brackets...this required cutting off the rivet heads and then prying everything loose....
Before I removed the brackets I took some measurements of the original brackets so I could hopefully get hem back in the same place on the new condenser.
I needed a small adapter bracket to run from the new condenser to the original brackets. I made these out of the universal mounting kit that that came with everything.
Joined: Wed Oct 12 2005, 01:10AM
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 2690
I mounted the brackets once then discovered that I needed the brackets to face the other direction...so I had to cut and bend a new set. No big deal.
The holes in the brackets in the universal mounting kit surprisingly lined up perfectly with the original brackets, just required a few nuts and screws to hold everything secure. But he holes in the mounting brackets don't line up with the side mounting flanges on the new condenser, only the top and bottom holes line up???
So I had to mount with one hole then mark and drill a small hole so I could use a screw to help hold things secure.
This pic shows the brackets in the wrong orientation...they needed to be turned 180.
Joined: Wed Oct 12 2005, 01:10AM
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 2690
So after this bracket fun it was then I discovered the problem with mounting the condenser, so with this problem I was unable to mount he condenser...see previous posts.
So this morning I decided to just get it done.
I suspected I would need to cut the plastic splash shield on the pass. side to give the condenser and #6 hose 90 deg fitting enough room to drop down.
So I took the plunge and started cutting. I used a sharp exacto knife and first removed the plastic ridge in this area. Then I reinstalled the condenser and used a sharpie felt pen to mark around were the fitting and bottom of condenser would sit. Removed the condenser and then started to cut...had to put the condenser in and out several times and cut a little more off each time, but eventually I had the hole cut perfectly and the condenser was sitting almost perfect in the car!!
Joined: Wed Oct 12 2005, 01:10AM
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 2690
Now that the condenser was sitting almost perfectly in the car I was able to get the brackets sorted out.
I measured of the original condenser and mounted the flanges in almost exactly the same positions and first tried this...close but needed to move the brackets down about and inch.
So I moved the brackets and moved one hole down and reinstalled...had to do this one more time then everything line up and bolted in just like the original.... !banana
Joined: Wed Oct 12 2005, 01:10AM
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 2690
Once the condenser was in place I could then try and figure out how I was going to run my A/C lines on this side....it's gonna be tight but I think I got it figured out.
The lower line #6 that runs up to the drier, I a going to reuse the hard lines so i loosened the line off the drier and turned it so it was pointing down toward the 90 deg fitting coming off the bottom of the condenser...perfect.
With turning the hard line down I was able to free up enough room to run a straight #8 fitting off the top of the condenser and then have it do a couple fairly tight turns to run through a factory hole just below the horns.
Joined: Wed Oct 12 2005, 01:10AM
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 2690
Now I had to see if I could mount the brace from the rad support to the hood support. With the condenser being in almost the right spot...just a shade too high...the bracket almost mounts. All I will need to do is cut a notch in the upper mounting flanges and the bracket will mount no problem.
I then had to figure out how to mount my tranny cooler...I took some inspiration from Butch's Hemi trans cooler and first held the cooler in place then figured out how much room I had and how much of an air gap I could have without hitting anything.
This is what I came up with....
Just needed to remove and paint all the brackets now.... <span class='smallblacktext'>[ Edited Wed Apr 13 2011, 10:35PM ]</span>
Joined: Wed Oct 12 2005, 01:10AM
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 2690
So tomorrow I am going to call a few A/C shops and find out how much to bubble crimp some hoses..since I can't install the condensor until I have the #6 line installed.
Joined: Wed Oct 12 2005, 01:10AM
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 2690
Well it been a while since I updated this...been busy with kids out of school and stuff.
So since I had to install this line before I could put the condenser in place I notched the top mounting flange to clear the bracket from the rad to hood support.
So I got my lower hose off the condenser measured up and crimped locally...cost $0...sweet!! !thumb Painted every thing and got it all installed.