<VV> Thank you all...Starter install, and A/C Update
Bill H.
gojoe283 at yahoo.com
Tue Aug 17 13:00:18 EDT 2010
B"H
I'd like to thank everyone for your excellent advice in replacing a starter. I
removed the rear wheel, disconnected the 4 inch heater hose, and had the new
unit in, within 30 minutes.
That doesn't count the fact that when I had the car back together, I forgot to
put the heater hose back on, or the fact that I couldn't start the car because
(I think) the condenser wire at the coil came out of the condenser body and
shorted on the ground.
I've got the bottom shrouds back on, I de-flashed the heads last week. The open
areas around the spark plugs were pretty much clogged closed, and I was
fortunate enough to be able to clear all 6 areas out completely. Before I put
the turkey roaster back on, I vacuumed the entire engine bay. I also took the
cover off the oil cooler and vacuumed the leaves and stuff out.
In close to 90 degree heat, in heavy city traffic with the A/C on full-blast,
the hottest the oil temp goes is around 220 degrees. That happened in about 1/2
hour of driving. If I remember correctly, it would approach 260 degrees before
I did the de-flashing job.
When installing an in-dash A/C in a Late Vair, you have to install the bottom
dash vents so that the surface of the vent is perfectly vertical. The dash
curves downward, and if you install the vents flush with the dash, they will
point down to the floor, thus wasting cool air that should be directed upward,
not downward. The vents are "cocked" so they are vertical, and you have to
ensure that the balls move easily in their housing. That way, you can direct
the air upward and cooling is maximized.
Also, Clark's instructions say that it's not uncommon for some leakage of
refrigerant in a new compressor, I assume until the seals are well-lubricated
and "break" in to their housing. I found I needed an extra squirt of
refrigerant to get the air nice and cold, but now it's really nice.
They're right in that you have to tint your windows. The sun can be a real pain
when it's hot outside and you're trying to keep the interior cool.
Unfortunately, today's tinting is "smoke" color which is modern, but doesn't
match the original green/blue tint that was used back when the cars were new.
But it does the job nevertheless.
I re-wired the Clark's kit with two additional switches, one switch moves power
between the evaporator and the heater system, the other sends 12V to the
compressor wire. There are a couple of advantages to these:
1. You aren't limited to the temperature set at the heater. You can set the
heater on any setting, and as long as the switch is in the Heater position, it
will be as if you didn't have an A/C system at all.
2. You can turn the evaporator blower system on, without the compressor. This
gives a VENT setting which blows a nice stream of non-refrigerated air through
the A/C vents. With the windows and crotch coolers open, it improves
ventilation dramatically. Flip the "A/C" switch on, and you get refrigerated
air. I added a green LED to indicate that the compressor is operating.
Clark's standard installation combines the heater and A/C in one control, which
limits flexibilty of the system.
Regards to all...Bill Hershkowitz Brooklyn, New York 69 Monza Coupe 110 PG
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