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just a general question on a Chevy 350... I am trying to add AC and I’m starting to wonder if the heads on my car do not have the correct screw points. Any idea? / anyone have a photo of there car and how the bracket is bolted to the head?
The 1976 heads should have holes. You might want to get the casting number off that head. Meanwhile I'll go down and take a pic of both my new heads (with holes) and my old 68 passenger side head (without holes).
Originally Posted by Kdeman1
76... I’m not willing to pay the 150 bucks for new brackets, so I’m gonna go to a junk yard... no corvettes but plenty of GM cars
Last edited by carriljc; Oct 28, 2020 at 03:09 PM.
FYI- my aftermarket a/c system does not use the head holes for mounting the a/c brackets. On the Driver side the alternator DOES use the head holes to hold the alternator bracket--- and that works wonderfully on that side.
I’m a bit torn on aftermarket... or OEM, I’ll be getting a fresh compressor and Heater Core / evap but I’m having trouble wanting to spend the 1500 dollars on a brand new system.
I went and looked at my 68 AIM and the brackets for mounting a/c really are a rube-goldberg contraption..... here are some pics from the AIM. You'd be better off with aftermarket brackets.... note that my aftermarket a/c (Sanden compressor) does not use the head holes. Anyway...here you are:
If you want pics of my aftermarket brackets just say so. They're a lot simpler than the OEM stuff. When I had headers it all bolted together, but I had to tweak to make them fit the RamHorns when I went to those (a little grinding, a different spacer, different longer bolts, nothing a big deal).
The mounting bracket as shown is a major PITA and it was really hard to remove from my 76. If I were you I'd go with a newer system with everything set up for R-134, it could cost a small fortune to fill an old system with R-12. There are aftermarket brackets made to mount a Sanden compressor, I have one in my garage, look on ebay. Your car, your money.
thank you for the photo. It shows almost exactly what I was questioning
Originally Posted by carriljc
I went and looked at my 68 AIM and the brackets for mounting a/c really are a rube-goldberg contraption..... here are some pics from the AIM. You'd be better off with aftermarket brackets.... note that my aftermarket a/c (Sanden compressor) does not use the head holes. Anyway...here you are:
Chevy heads did not have accessory mounting holes in the ends until 1969 and, I think, they only had one hole on one end. Later heads got the three holes on both ends and aftermarket heads come this way. Having said that, I have Vintage Air AC in my 76 and it does not use the holes in the head to mount the Sanden compressor, it uses a set of brackets (3 pieces, I think) that mount on the exhaust manifolds or headers.
Good luck,
Peter
General Chevy 350 question
