Rebuilding a factory A/C unit - Done!

[sargentrs]

This is going to take awhile so bear with me guys. Taken tons of photos and going to try to document what I'm doing so I'll remember how to put it back together One of the things I wanted in my truck was A/C. Figured I would rebuild my stock heater and just add an under dash hang on unit. Investigated all the aftermarket stuff and it was either too expensive for my budget or just wasn't to look right. Anyway, after I was done with my heater http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... hp?t=73960 and had it bagged up until I was ready for it, saw a post by a fellow member wanting to trade a factory A/C unit for a stock heater only. We worked out a deal and a week or later I got my hands on it. Life has a habit of getting in the way so almost 2 years later, I'm finally getting to it. I'll try to get this disassembly part written up but it's probably going to take a while so bear with me, kick back, and enjoy the ride!

[sargentrs]

Gotta run to my granddaughter's soccer game so just have enough time to throw out a few pics. I'll be back as soon as "life" let's me.

[sargentrs]

Couple more....

[1972hiboy]

my crew cab has this unit and system so im this closely. Thanks for starting a thread!

[jimmy828]

Good luck with your AC venture. Hope all works out for ya!. I'll be watching.

[sargentrs]

Thanks for the encouragement guys! I started with taking off the outside stuff before cracking open the case. Removed the AC actuator switch, temperature sensor switch, blower motor resistor and the linkages for the dampers. You'll see where apparently the blower resistor had bent and come in contact with the case melting a hole in it that'll have to be fixed.

[sargentrs]

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Linkage is removed by popping off a couple of clamp washers.

[sargentrs]

After removing those few things it was time to crack the case open. After removing about a million screws I started prying it apart slowly and carefully. I wasn't sure whether to pull off the front or the back so I was real careful during this. As it turns out, the front comes off first exposing the evaporator core and blower motor. I thought I'd tackle the front cover first before messing with the evap assembly. Everything is held together with screws and clips so I won't bore y'all with those details. There's a cover inside the front that flattens out the cavity where the blower wheel spins. You can see it in the first photo. Removing it opens up to the end of the defrost damper. The second photo shows the inside of the case where the blower resistor melted it. Gotta pay my "honey dues" so I'll be back tomorrow.

[sargentrs]

Next I tackle the defrost damper. This is the door that switches air flow from the A/C vents to the defrost vents. You can see how it sits, and the push on washers that hold it in, 2 photos up. I thought I had one of just that but apparently not. This one blew my mind to start with. At first I thought it might have had screws holding the door to the rod but not at all. The door itself is a piece that has been bent back onto itself and flattened with an embossed groove in which the rod sits.

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There are two rolled tabs on one edge that folds over the other edge and crimps to sandwich the rod in the groove. The rod has 2 flat spots that are crimped in that embossed to keep it from turning inside the door. I carefully worked the rolled tabs open and from the front of the unit, through the vents using a pair of channel locks was able to open them enough to separate the seam at the rod and remove the door from the actuator. Then remove the push on washer from the end inside the blower cavity and slide the rod out of the end.

[sargentrs]

Since my face panel was shot, chrome gone, woodgrain ugly, I just decided to rip it off and toss it. I'll make something, maybe out of stainless, at work to replace it. It's just held on with push nuts on the inside but I just broke it loose and pulled it off. Sorry, no pics of that apparently. That's all there was to remove on the front case. Gotta head to work now so we'll tackle the back half over the weekend.

[sargentrs]

So let's take a look at the evap/heater case. To start with, let's get the evap core out of the way. It's held in with 6 screws in the flanges. The left side screws are plainly visible but the right side screws are down inside the loops on the coil tubes. Once the screws are out it just lifts right out.

[sargentrs]

There's a panel behind the evap core that separates the evap from the heater core and hold the door to direct air flow from one or the other. Let's remove the door first. It's held in by 2 clamp plates. Once the door is removed you can remove the panel.

[sargentrs]

With the door removed, we can remove the panel and expose the heater core and damper door/panel.

[sargentrs]

Before we remove the heater core, let's get the blower motor out of the way. We can just lift the whole mounting panel out now. On the back side is a single screw that keeps the motor housing from turning. The motor mounting flange itself has slotted holes that twist into the studs on the mounting panel. This configuration will allow you to remove the motor without removing the unit from the truck. That is, if it wasn't rusted together like mine is. I had to set the panel on the bench, hold it under my arm, and tap the studs around until it broke loose.

[sargentrs]

Once it's loose it just pulls out of the mounting panel. With the mounting panel removed, the heater damper panel and door can be removed. Just a couple of screws and and a push on washer for the rod.