I recently bought a 77 k5 with a 454 swap in it. When the owner swapped over from the 400 to the 454 they took out all of the heat/AC. I have looked for posts on how to reinstall the entire air system but everything I find is how to install AC on non AC blazers. Anybody know a good direction/source to go with this? I am mainly looking for all of the parts that I am going to need to buy because I can just follow the install instructions people have posted. Thanks
CK5
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Reinstall Air system
- Thread starter koliri
- Start date
RubberFloorMat
1/2 ton status
If you don't have any of the parts, I would honestly suggest just buying the vintage air AC kit. Itl be cheaper and work 100 % better than factory stuff.
Vintage air being the re-circulate only setup that sells for like $900?
Factory setups can and do work well when set up right. They can also be really cheap if you can find a donor in a junkyard. Or poke around CK5 classifieds as people are taking AC setups off sometimes. There are lots of threads here to search. Pretty much just need compressor/brackets, the evap, condensor, dryer, switch, hoses, hardlines and belt. But you probably want a parallel flow condensor if you want to run R134 and a new AC Delco compressor is a good idea.
Factory setups can and do work well when set up right. They can also be really cheap if you can find a donor in a junkyard. Or poke around CK5 classifieds as people are taking AC setups off sometimes. There are lots of threads here to search. Pretty much just need compressor/brackets, the evap, condensor, dryer, switch, hoses, hardlines and belt. But you probably want a parallel flow condensor if you want to run R134 and a new AC Delco compressor is a good idea.
RubberFloorMat
1/2 ton status
Ok yeah you can possibly peice one together for 6-700 bucks after it's all said and done.
But ask yourself, would you rather spend that money on a marginal at best system, that would barely keep you cool when these trucks were new? Or would you rather spend a little more for a complete system that blows as cold as a new truck, unclutters the firewall and under dash area.
Best case scenario is everything is perfect when you install it and all is in good working order. Cause that's liable to happen on a 25 year old truck right?
Look into the vintage air.
But ask yourself, would you rather spend that money on a marginal at best system, that would barely keep you cool when these trucks were new? Or would you rather spend a little more for a complete system that blows as cold as a new truck, unclutters the firewall and under dash area.
Best case scenario is everything is perfect when you install it and all is in good working order. Cause that's liable to happen on a 25 year old truck right?
Look into the vintage air.
RubberFloorMat
1/2 ton status
Do you have vintage air in your truck? I hear people praise it for being a straightforward solution to not having A/C, but I've never heard the performance praised. All I remember is all the gripes about defrost not working because it has no air intake. I have no experience with it. I use the stock system:
RubberFloorMat
1/2 ton status
I don't . It but I plan on having it before June.
I have a buddy in southwest texas who put it in a 77 stepside and absolutely loves it. The biggest difference he said from his fully functional factory setup was the small compressor and way higher volume from the blower motor. He sent me a short video where it was on high and blowing his facial hair around. I have nothing against the factory stuff at all, if it's all there or you have it and it's in good shape. But if you don't have it or a previous owner has hacked it up, its worth the money to me to upgrade. I've researched it pretty extensively and while the factory air is adequate in a regular cab truck, it's really not in a K5 in the summer, in the south.
I have a buddy in southwest texas who put it in a 77 stepside and absolutely loves it. The biggest difference he said from his fully functional factory setup was the small compressor and way higher volume from the blower motor. He sent me a short video where it was on high and blowing his facial hair around. I have nothing against the factory stuff at all, if it's all there or you have it and it's in good shape. But if you don't have it or a previous owner has hacked it up, its worth the money to me to upgrade. I've researched it pretty extensively and while the factory air is adequate in a regular cab truck, it's really not in a K5 in the summer, in the south.
Well I had Vintage air in my '70, I took it out after putting up with no heat or defrost for way too long. And my truck has rarely spent a night outside.
The blower doesn't move any more air in my opinion that factory, but maybe I was more offended by all of the noise that it made. The temp from the A/C was good, but I had to run it on a higher blower speed to maintain my comfort.
I had a VERY difficult time keeping the windows clear in summer rain storms, and more so in the winter. I had ice on the inside of the windows after a shirt drive, and this was after backing it out of the heated garage. The condensor was small compared to factory stuff too.
I believe that price and simplicity gives too many people are good feeling and they overlook the rest.
I had other things that I didn't like about the compressor mounting and the wiring, plus all 4 hose connections were a pain to get to.
My '90 Jimmy works well enough to go wheeling in Moab with the A/C on.
I don't understand how Vintage air could be better than a good factory system in hot humid stuff.
The blower doesn't move any more air in my opinion that factory, but maybe I was more offended by all of the noise that it made. The temp from the A/C was good, but I had to run it on a higher blower speed to maintain my comfort.
I had a VERY difficult time keeping the windows clear in summer rain storms, and more so in the winter. I had ice on the inside of the windows after a shirt drive, and this was after backing it out of the heated garage. The condensor was small compared to factory stuff too.
I believe that price and simplicity gives too many people are good feeling and they overlook the rest.
I had other things that I didn't like about the compressor mounting and the wiring, plus all 4 hose connections were a pain to get to.
My '90 Jimmy works well enough to go wheeling in Moab with the A/C on.
I don't understand how Vintage air could be better than a good factory system in hot humid stuff.
RubberFloorMat
1/2 ton status
what model did you have? the gen IV kit for 73-87 has heat and defrost, was it one of the base models with just AC?
RubberFloorMat
1/2 ton status
also, my 91 k5 had air that would freeze you out even on r12. the earlier trucks ive had couldnt compare.
I had the complete system, now it was purchased back in 1998. But the brackets for the compressor where not to my liking (Alan Grove) it had bolts rubbing the back of the power steering reservoir. I fixed that. And also did some other things, but regardless of how I had the thermostat for the evaporator set, I never was pleased with the defrost, and the heat was never great. I was used to the factory systems that can roast you!
I know that maybe things have changed some, and the '67-72 stuff maybe different, but after the drastic difference going to the stock stuff, I wouldn't go that route again, unless there wasn't a choice.
I know that maybe things have changed some, and the '67-72 stuff maybe different, but after the drastic difference going to the stock stuff, I wouldn't go that route again, unless there wasn't a choice.
If you mean earlier as in still '73 and up, change the few parts to make it like a '91..
Then make sure all is working correctly.
My '90 was on R134 when I got it.
.
RubberFloorMat
1/2 ton status
yeah the older models ive been around and they really were basically add on AC kits, not like the complete replacement HVAC they do now. My dad actually installed a vintage air in a tractor and it sucked. but, that was 20 years ago like yours.
RubberFloorMat
1/2 ton status
RubberFloorMat
1/2 ton status
i meant the large compressor earlier models, pre 80 or whenever they switched to the pancake and smaller compressors.
Ahh, I don't know the cfm on the earlier compressor. But I drove a '75 C10 for a while that had an R12 substitute in it. It would put out air with temperatures in the lower 30s, it was difficult to believe the thermometer!
RubberFloorMat
1/2 ton status
Man I've never seen one put out anything below 50 on a gauge. But then again, I never used the AC on my 91 in Colorado either lol
I don't understand how humidity affects the performance completely, I know that it can delay icing of the evaporator is all.
I will say that I laugh when a driver at work comes to the shop for a 'fuel leak'...
It happens every year when we get humidity over 25%.... the case drain runs onto the fuel tank.... normally they don't see it hit the ground.
RubberFloorMat
1/2 ton status
I'll tell you this, hot and humid all my vehicles drop like somebody left a faucet on
check out David's ( @AgDieseler ) build thread. He has a Vintage Air system in his 'burb & seems to love it. It starts at post 514.
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