The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop engine swap/ac

If an engine swap is done to a truck, is the Air conditioner set up still used from the old engine or do you buy an after market ac system like vintage air? If you use the donor engine, what do you do about the ac controls and outlets in the cab?

If it is in good working order and will fit the new engine why would you replace it?

If your donor engine (?) was set up with brackets for A/C and the recipient cab (?) already had a/c you could possibly use the donor condensor, compressor and get away with just adding new lines and new dryer. Note: Possibly!

If your cab was not set up with a/c you could just purchase the individual components from Vintage or whoever you choose to use. However, you're adding new stuff to a used system, the inside components aren't cheap individually, and when you get your old/new stuff all plumbed in there's no guarantee it's going to work properly. Conditions in the old system such as "black death" can ruin your new components.

The kits are set up for specific vehicles and my kit from Old Aire came with the proper brackets, compressor, the correct sized condensor, evaporator, controls and a set of installation instructions with a toll-free number if I got into trouble. I've used salvage components before and found that you'd better know what you're doing, and have a friend who is an a/c tech to bail you out when things don't function properly.

I think you would be money ahead and assured of a reliable system, if you planned to go with the package kit. Hope this helps.

Dave

Was considering using a c4 corvette engine. I had always assumed that I would have to buy an aftermarket ac system and just did not think of using the system from the used engine. The truck it would go into would be a 1950 gmc. So what I am reading is that I should probably take off the compresser and associated components and place the new aftermarket stuff on.

The only component that would be on the engine would be the compressor...which COULD be okay if it was sealed up when the engine was removed from the donor car. However, you don't have any idea of how many hours of operation are on it. The evaporator would more than likely be too wide for your GMC radiator and none of your lines would be close to fitting.

Check out the various vendor's systems, how the lines are run with the full kits, and I think you'll be better served to spend the extra dollars up front to get a system that is designed for your truck. That way you know that your system is going to provide you with years of "cool". Hope this helps.

Dave

I used the factory comp. & brackets on my 70. I got a condenser at the salvage yard that matched the dimentions. I got an evaporator kit from Vintage air that included all the controls. I used a new universal drier. I got fittings & hoses from a Carquest catalog & had the hoses crimped at the parts store. It,s a good system but if you don,t want to go into all that you can buy the complete kit.

Thanks again for the information