Redneck Ac!!!!

[imdawrlus]

alright well i dont think theres any appropriate catagory for this topic so i'll just post it here since all the regulars look at everything anyways...

i got this idea last summer and i've been thinking about it lately...it might be the "redneck" way to install air conditioning but anythings possible i guess...

ok well i have access to as many window air conditioners as i want so i was wondering if there was any way to cut the lines to the condensor, mount it infront of the radiator, cut the lines of the evaporator and mount it in the cab with a fan behind it, take the compressor and expansion valve and mount it under the hood, hook up the compressor to a swich connected to the battery and tie everything together with rubber hoses??

i'm sure its *possible* if you wouldent lose all the freon gas when you cut the lines and if the compressor would run of the battery...

maby i've just destroyed what little credibility i have left but at the very least maby i'll give someone a good laugh....so lets hear what u think...

[Sparky2263]

Why not just cut a hole in the back, mount the window unit and stick a generator in the back of the truck?

Or, you could..........

;)

[imdawrlus]

HAHA thats too involved...just kidding, but seriously, i dont see why it wouldent work...

[Maximus]

Well im a firm believer in anything is possible but that is just a slight odd.Why not just go to a junk yard and buy everything you need and rip it all out and install it in yours.It really isn't as hard as you would think.If you find one same as yours and get everything you need for the job.

[imdawrlus]

Why not just go to a junk yard and buy everything you need and rip it all out and install it in yours.

because it costs money....i've also heard people say that installing ac is the most "labor intensive thing they have ever done"
this is free...the price is right haha

[imdawrlus]

is the freon a gas or a liquid?? if its a liquid and it wont evaporate extreemly quickly then i dont see why you cant open the system and splice in new rubber hoses...

[Sparky2263]

The A/C compressor is belt driven and operates when the magnetic clutch is engaged. The compressor builds pressure on the vapor refrigerant. Compressing the refrigerant also adds heat. The refrigerant is discharged from the compressor through the discharge hose, and forced through the condenser and then through the balance of the A/C system.

Compressed refrigerant enters the condenser at a high-temperature, high-pressure vapor state. As the refrigerant flows through the condenser, the heat is transferred to the ambient air passing through the condenser. Cooling causes the refrigerant to condense and change from a vapor to a liquid state.

The condenser is located in front of the radiator for maximum heat transfer. The condenser is made of aluminum tubing and aluminum cooling fins, which allows rapid heat transfer for the refrigerant. The semi-cooled liquid refrigerant exits the condenser and flows through the liquid line to the orifice tube.

The orifice tube is located in the liquid line between the condenser and the evaporator. The orifice tube is the dividing point for the high and the low pressure sides of the A/C system. As the refrigerant passes through the orifice tube, the pressure on the refrigerant is lowered, causing the refrigerant to vaporize at the orifice tube. The orifice tube also measures the amount of liquid refrigerant that can flow into the evaporator.

Refrigerant exiting the orifice tube flows into the evaporator core in a low-pressure, liquid state. Ambient air is drawn through the HVAC module and passes through the evaporator core. Warm and moist air will cause the liquid refrigerant to boil inside the evaporator core. The boiling refrigerant absorbs the moisture and heat from the ambient air. The refrigerant exits the evaporator through the suction line and flows back to the compressor in a vapor state, completing the A/C cycle of heat removal. At the compressor, the refrigerant is compressed again and the cycle of heat removal is repeated.

The conditioned air is distributed through the HVAC module for passenger comfort. The heat and moisture removed from the passenger compartment condenses, and discharges from the HVAC module as water.






(Courtesy Alldata) ;)

[Sparky2263]

You have no hope of saving the refridgerant without a recovery machine.

If you had the hoses you could freeze a refrigerant jug overnight and get probably 80%. But, most likely, you'd be recovering R-22 which is for stationary applications and doesn't like mobile applications.

[imdawrlus]

well maximus i'm thinking about taking you up on that idea...i know someone with a parts truck, same year make and model as mine, and he has ac....i'm sure he would sell me everything i need for a hundred bucks...instead of getting into the headache of wiring swiches and wiring harnesses i was thinking, would it be possible just to put the ac compressor on a toggle swich to make everything more simple?? also, on the fullsize trucks, is it hard to swap out everything in the dash for ac??

[Maximus]

It would be a task no doubt but nothing extremely hard by any means.Replace all the seals would be a good idea and do a 134a conversion would be good too.

[imdawrlus]

whats a 134a conversion?? i'm just worried about taking the whole dash apart....is it possible to just put the compressor on a toggle swich so that i dont have to completly swap out the complete temp control??

[Maximus]

Well you can't just have the compressor running all the time if that's what your asking.The system has a range of high/low pressure that it needs to be.The pressure is monitored and a cycling switch will disengage the clutch when the pressure reaches a certain point and reengages the clutch when it lowers.Just running it off a toggle is just asking for problems.And 134a is a newer "not better" form of freon used to replace r12 that is supposed to be EPA friendly.Though studies were never proved with out a doubt r12 actually harmed the ozone.Hell 134a keeps going up in price and it will cost about the same to just buy r12.But of course if you don't know what 134a is you really might not be up to the task of the install.

[imdawrlus]

yea i dont know it seems more involved than i thought....idk if i'm up to it haha...ofcorse i'll be thinging about it on the next hott day...that will be tomorow haha...

[imdawrlus]

Why not just cut a hole in the back, mount the window unit and stick a generator in the back of the truck?

hmmm.....hmmmm.....HMMM.....i think we might be on to something.....i have access to as many free ac's as i want....hmmmm......would it be possible to run the complete ac off of the battery??? i could run a couple of heavy duty cables to the bed, bolt/tie down an ac...then since i have a slider, i could take a flexible plastic drier hose and run it in through the slider and some how cover up the extra opening....i think we may be onto something.....WILL IT BE POSSIBLE TO RUN IT OFF THE BATTERY???

[Maximus]

You might wanna look at this place.My uncle used them to install AC in to his 55 Belair and it gets colder than my S10 does.http://www.vintageair.com/index.asp