Good Morning,
I recently picked up a restored 72 coupe. The car was originally factory A/C but many of the key parts were removed when the engine was restored and not reinstalled. I'm trying to get a sense of the level of difficulty to reinstall A/C to assess if I can do this myself or if I need a professional. The compressor and compressor bracket is gone, as is the condenser, dryer and all related piping. The heater box engine side appears to have the entry and exit points for the evaporator capped off. I have not yet established if the evaporator itself is installed or not, however the A/C-version controls, plenum and interior ducting seem to be present. How deep in to the dash do you need to go to install an evaporator? Is this a job a "weekend mechanic" can do or is it best left to a pro?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

I redid the A/C on my 69 by myself. Not a fun job, but it can be done. I had to have the hoses replaced because at the time no one made replacement hoses for a big block. On of the hardest area for me was connecting to the evaporator as to reach it I had to reach through the gills in the side of the fender. Yours has the egg-crate grill that you can remove to get into that area. I had to take a couple of 1" crow's foot wrenches and then grind the openings to fit the aluminum nuts on the evaporator because I could not get a normal wrench into the area. I removed my condenser because the system had been open to the air for several years and I wanted to ensure that there wasn't any contamination. New compressor was installed. It basically takes time and extreme cleanliness when you are putting everything together. I had the complete system evacuated and then refilled as I did not have the vacuum pump to evacuate the system. If you do this you do not want to use much muscle when tightening the fittings as many of them are aluminum and easily damaged. I replaced the evaporator from the engine compartment and had to undo the right motor mount and jack up my engine a little to get the evap. box out. The evaporator was the original and if you held it up to the light you could barely see light coming through it from all the dust and dirt. The new one passed light quite easily and when the system was completed the amount of air out of the vents was noticeably increased. On out thing I did after I was finish and tested everything was to add a piece of ceramic insulation on the outside of the evaporator near where the exhaust manifold was very close to the box. I mounted it with foil A/C tape from Home Depot (so I could easily remove it) and the air temp from the center vent dropped several degrees. Big difference in a car that tend to radiate heat through the firewall.

 

Really helpful insights. Thank you!

 

I would start with an AIM to identify exactly what parts and brackets are missing. You can purchase most parts new from the various vendors or scout out parts at the bigger Corvette shows. On my 68 I went with a Sanden compressor and still have it filled with R-12. Works very well. You also have the option of installing a Vintage Air system. As far as doing it yourself, it can be done with patience and time. If the ductwork is all there, you will be way ahead of the game. Jerry

 

Thanks Jerry, I have order the AIM, hopefully it shows up soon. I've been looking at the Vintage Air systems. They offer computer controlled AC that is equivalent to the what you'd find on a modern car but you also have to touch pretty much everything to install them. I think I'll keep it simpler and more original given that its really just a weekend joy ride car. I'm hoping that the work will be limited to having to install an evaporator, condenser, compressor, accumulator and piping - and maybe rebuild the heater controls in the lower console.

 

While you are behind the dash, consider changing out the vacuum lines if they are in any way suspect. I used the factory diagram and colored each line with a marker to keep things easy to read. Dr. Rebuild may have the correct color coded lines available. Good luck. Jerry

 

Here are a couple of documents that I updated into color that might be helpful. They are made for a 69, but I don't think there any major differences between 69 and 72 in this area.

 

Those diagrams are really helpful - thank you!

 

UNLESS you are a NCRS-type purist I would be going Vintage Air.
You already have a bunch of stuff missing and Vintage Air will be better all around and give you more room in the engine compartment.

I installed aftermarket a/c (Hot Rod Air) in my 68 and there isn't anything terribly difficult about any of it..... but I would not try to squeeze it into a weekend. It ain't rocket surgery and you can buy a vacuum pump at Harbor Freight relatively cheap. You'll need some a/c gauges for charging and you can use the same hoses for evacuating...... but give yourself time.

 

I went through the process myself on my 69.
what I learned was you need to change all hoses, all seals, rebuild your compressor, and clean everything internally.
if you take a short cut it will bite you every time, I had to learn the hard way.
once you are done it works pretty well.
and you you can gas it yourself and you get to learn a new skill

 

Here is a pdf of the C60 (air conditioning) from the 69 AIM to help you get started until your official AIM shows up. Most of the AC circuitry will be the same. It should help give you an idea of the parts that you will need to attempt this task. Good luck!

 

Thanks Robert, much appreciated.