LS Swap AC Question
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 483
Likes: 109
From: Fairfax, Virginia
LS Swap AC Question
It's starting to get warm here in Northern VA and I'm starting to see that no AC on my LS swap may be a good way of turning this swap sour. I'm curious to see what worked for the other swappers out there, I've got just over a week to figure out what direction to go in.
My stock system converted to 134a blew cooler air, but nothing good enough to keep comfortable in the summer.
My stock system converted to 134a blew cooler air, but nothing good enough to keep comfortable in the summer.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,876
Likes: 764
From: Sligo PA
It's starting to get warm here in Northern VA and I'm starting to see that no AC on my LS swap may be a good way of turning this swap sour. I'm curious to see what worked for the other swappers out there, I've got just over a week to figure out what direction to go in.
My stock system converted to 134a blew cooler air, but nothing good enough to keep comfortable in the summer.
My stock system converted to 134a blew cooler air, but nothing good enough to keep comfortable in the summer.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 483
Likes: 109
From: Fairfax, Virginia
It looks like the best solution is a custom one designed for the C4 which means $$$.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,876
Likes: 764
From: Sligo PA
What accessories are you using? Truck, F-body or Corvette? I remember when I did mine that Street & Performance had brackets for the F-body stuff that allowed you to use a Camaro compressor. I know they are out of business now but there has to be someone out there who makes a bracket that would let you use a factory pump of some kind.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 483
Likes: 109
From: Fairfax, Virginia
Truck, they do make a bracket to use the Denso compressor, but it's 3 times the cost of the R4 bracket. I guess the real questions are:
Can the R4 perform as well as the fixed displacement Denso compressors?
Is it worth it to go one way vs another?
Can the R4 perform as well as the fixed displacement Denso compressors?
Is it worth it to go one way vs another?
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 1,362
Likes: 400
From: DFW TX
My swap was done like the one in the Corvette Central article. The k-member was cut/hacked so the compressor could fit in the low stock c5/truck location on the side of the block.
I took it all out though. Never had it going and I stripped the car for weight savings.
I took it all out though. Never had it going and I stripped the car for weight savings.
Last edited by Krusty84; May 4, 2021 at 09:05 PM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 483
Likes: 109
From: Fairfax, Virginia
Do you feel that removing that much metal affected the rigidity of the frame? That's my biggest concern with going about doing it that way.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,876
Likes: 764
From: Sligo PA
Too bad there isn't an aftermarket electric option. Something that wasn't belt driven. I may have put AC in my car if it meant I just needed a bigger alternator and battery.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 483
Likes: 109
From: Fairfax, Virginia
Lots of people have done LS swaps that way. I think you would be fine. Street & Performance recommended the same to me with one of there belt accessory kits. Then I told them I live in PA and have only used AC in a car a handful of times in my life.
Too bad there isn't an aftermarket electric option. Something that wasn't belt driven. I may have put AC in my car if it meant I just needed a bigger alternator and battery.
Too bad there isn't an aftermarket electric option. Something that wasn't belt driven. I may have put AC in my car if it meant I just needed a bigger alternator and battery.
Electric AC is a scary thought, lots of curroft at play on 12V, it's possible, but would probably be even more inefficient.
Last edited by ThatOneKid; May 5, 2021 at 10:38 AM.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 1,362
Likes: 400
From: DFW TX
Might not work with swap plates though. You might have some stuff in the way. I don't know what it would entail with stock mounts and plates. Mine was done pretty damn clean and fit really well though.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 483
Likes: 109
From: Fairfax, Virginia
It seems my mount plates do interfere with the compressor mount, I think it also pokes out into where the compressor would be. Looks like the high mount is still the easiest option, you can only have 2, easy, fast, or cheap.
Last edited by ThatOneKid; May 5, 2021 at 02:48 PM.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 403
Likes: 87
From: Cincinnati OH
I should add that the brackets I am using are for a Sanden compressor. I think there is a bracket that holley makes that allows the use of the R4 radial compressor but I wanted a more modern compressor design.