Hi Peter

This may well be your problem with the valve cover clearance issue.

In order to clear the compressor your passenger side valve cove must be sloped in the front like the rear is on the driver side to accommodate power brake master cylinders. Many of the valve covers at the front of the passenger side are not sloped and consequently will interfere with the compressor mounting.

I noticed this yesterday when I was having to put in a new battery but my server was down for internet access so I could not post this until today.

I sure hope that helps you.

Doug

 

Peter: The 1st two are your pictures. In looking at them I think you have your front bracket installed upside down (it's difficult to see in your picture). The flat edge should be on the bottom and the curved edge on the top. If you reverse the bracket I believe it will allow the compressor to rotate more and provide the clearance you need. As you can see in my pictures you will be OK with stock valve covers.

I included a few more pictures of mine for your reference. I hope this helps.
Roy

This is Alan Groves bracket layout.

 

Nice post Roy, very informative.

I was looking at your valve covers and wondering why if that was my car that they would never clear my compressor........ then I remembered my 680 inch lift cam along with the needed valve cover spacers.

Doug

 

The lines running out of the rear on 67-421ci's compressor look like an advantage over the vertical exit on CabSav's compressor for valve cover removal. Perhaps Classic Air would exchange compressors to that type?

Hopefully the bracket was on upside down and that solves the clearance problem. If not, I think the Bubba in me would be taking a cut-off wheel to that unused lug.

 

Peter: These are the recent pictures you sent me. I looks like you have the brackets assembled correctly. Did you rotate the compressor 90* in the main bracket? I see you now have the A & B mounting ears on top (like I do). In your first pictures they were rotated to the side. Maybe that will make a difference in how it fits.
Roy

 

Roy, Thank you for posting those photos for me, I'm pretty sure the rotation makes no difference, but I'll be sure to install it with the A & B ears to the top.

Classic did send me a back plate with rear fittings once I pointed out the problem to them.

I think sofar the suggestions that will make the difference are the engine mount shims & a valve cover with a slope on the front end or maybe one with the "factory air" depression in it. Plus I'll probably offer Bubba a few beers to come over & grind those spare lugs off, under supervision of course! I think he knows my car anyway, I think he must have been the one that installed my windshield with urathane and left massive water leaks across the top & which made removing the trim & glass a nightmare!

Doug, are you saying there are some cams that wont allow a slopping valve cover?

I can't imagine how long it would have taken me to figure these things out without this amazing forum & it's great members!!

A big thank you to everybody,
Peter

 

Ladies & Gentlemen, I have finally finished my AC install!!! That was quick wasn't it?
And I believe I may have done it in such a way that I don't need to remove the compressor OR heater hoses to change the battery, enven though the battery remains on the passenger side. It was easy really, a 45 degree fitting off the back of the compressor for the hose that goes to the firewall and that 45 sends the hose down under the battery & up to the firewall fitting which now needs to be a 90 degree instead of straight.
Then the heater hose get the same treatment, 90 on the supply hose and it goes down between the battery & the firewall then along the frame rail to its normal position. The return hose starts at the firewall witha Z shaped hose to take it to the outer part of the fender cavity, then it shoots back along the inner fender towards the compressor.

Now if the dam heater cantrol on the heater hose would stop the hot water, I'd be happy.

 

Glad to see you finally got A/C installed Now let summer begin

George

 

Peter: Good job getting the A/C installed and working. I like the way you routed the heater hoses. Where did you get the offset hoses? I am interested in the part numbers and where you purchased them.

Regarding the heater control valve, if it is installed backwards or in the wrong heater hose where the flow is against the wrong side of the valve, it will not shut off the water flow. It must be installed in the return line from the heater core to the engine (the one that goes to the water pump). I initially made that error myself.
Roy

 

The heater control valve comes two ways, normally open and normally closed. You want the one that is normally closed. They look identical.

You will neeed the vacume control gizmo on top of the heater box to operate things correctly.

 

Thanks for the tip on the water control Roy, I know I've got the lever in the off position because it's labelled "off", but I wouldn't have guessed it had to be on the return line.

I don't think you are going to find these hoses with the part numbers that are on them in the US, they refer to Australia only cars. The long one with a 90 at the end is for a 81-88 Holden (GM) Commodore, & the Z shaped hose is made in Australia, don't know what for, both in 5/8", but if you can't find anything like them over there I'd be happy to send them to you. The long one with the 90 is a Gates 02-0055, the Z is a Mackay ZH915 or ZH815, can't be sure which one, but I can't find it on the Mackay website.
Basically, I asked at a local auto parts store if I could take a look at their rack of hoses.

The water supply hose that I put the control valve in has to pass very near the exhaust mainfold for some distance and the AC suction hose (with the blue cap) gets very hot as well, so today I purchased some "fire sleeve" from my local hydraulic shop, it's extremely heat/flame resistant on the outside & fibreglass, like heat wrap, on the inside. The slip over one for the heater hose & a velcro one for the AC hose.



Thanks again for your help,
Pete

 

Pete: One other thing I did was wire the auxiliary fans to power on when the A/C is engaged instead of with the compressor. I did not like the fans cycling on/off all the time. This way they are on continuously when you have the control set for A/C.
Roy

 

Roy, I was going to intall a temp sensor in the cooling system & wire the aux fans to come on automatically for over temp (probably set at 210) or AC, like Dave @ Magicv8 did, what do you think of that idea? The kit with sensor, adjustable thermo switch & relay is $70.
Pete

 

Pete: I think that is a good solution. Either way it is much better than having the fans cycle on/off with the compressor.
Roy