Do Aftermarket AC use the hood / fender /kick panel duct?

[ObscureMachine]

When I do AC am I going to need the original ductwork or does vintage air or BCB use something else?

 

[DirtDonk]

Most of them to my knowledge use their own plenum under the dash. So all the stock stuff goes away.
One of them (I forget which) did at one time at least, use the stock cowl duct as an ingress for their hoses, but since the billet firewall pass-through manifolds have been around, many have gone that route.

The one in my '68 is a combination of BCB and Vintage Air, and does not use the old ducting. It's not even installed on mine anymore either. Just like in your pic.
The downside is no fresh-air intake. It has not been trouble for anyone that I remember hearing about yet, but it's possible. Depending on the moisture content of the air around "World Headquarters" some fresh air could be good for the defrost cycle. But it's not been an issue for me around here yet.

Paul

 

[Steve83]

There is no eB-specific A/C system; they're generic, so since NOT all vehicles have a fresh-air supply in the location & shape of the eB's, the retrofit A/C systems don't use it.

For defrost, fresh air is always drier than inside air (by relative humidity; not necessarily by absolute humidity).

 

[chuck]

There is no eB-specific A/C system; they're generic, so since NOT all vehicles have a fresh-air supply in the location & shape of the eB's, the retrofit A/C systems don't use it.

For defrost, fresh air is always drier than inside air (by relative humidity; not necessarily by absolute humidity).

Sorry to disagree with you but the BCB air is designed to fit a early bronco only. We use some off the shelf parts like dryer, bulk head connectors some control knobs and compressor but most is designed for the EB like condenser made just for the EB, evaporator made for the firewall, mounting brackets to fit the compressor to the small block and condenser shield.

 

[broncodriver99]

When I do AC am I going to need the original ductwork or does vintage air or BCB use something else?

Most that I have seen come with a round blank off plate that is attached to the kick panel. Some route hoses through that plate others have you drill holes in the firewall. But none of them offer a fresh air option.

 

[ObscureMachine]

Sorry to disagree with you but the BCB air is designed to fit a early bronco only. We use some off the shelf parts like dryer, bulk head connectors some control knobs and compressor but most is designed for the EB like condenser made just for the EB, evaporator made for the firewall, mounting brackets to fit the compressor to the small block and condenser shield.

Chuck, my question is, can I alter the firewall to do away with the air intake on the passenger side that comes out at the kick panel?

 

[broncodriver99]

Chuck, my question is, can I alter the firewall to do away with the air intake on the passenger side that comes out at the kick panel?

Yes. I have seen several threads here where that was done specifically to make room for the AC unit. I think they were running the Vintage Air Gen 4 units.

 

[ObscureMachine]

Yes. I have seen several threads here where that was done specifically to make room for the AC unit. I think they were running the Vintage Air Gen 4 units.

BD99 - you mean "yes", you've seen people flatten out the cowl?

 

[jim3326]

I plan on using the old intake box as a cold air intake.

 

[broncodriver99]

BD99 - you mean "yes", you've seen people flatten out the cowl?

Yes. Lemme see if I can find one of the threads. I remember one that was a pretty detailed write up.

 

[broncodriver99]

Here are a couple of threads with pics. There used to be a really good write up but I think it was hit by the photobucket fiasco. All of the pics are gone.

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=238931&highlight=cowl+vintage+air

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145590&highlight=cowl+vintage+air

 

[bronconut73]

I removed it. Not needed for a/c unless you use an early generation or a TBP or JBG unit. Those units run the lines through the plastic box section of the passenger side ducting.
If you are using the bulk head then no matter what system you use you will not need the passenger vent ducting at all.

 

[Steve83]

...the BCB air is designed to fit a early bronco only. ...evaporator made for the firewall...

Good to know. ;D So did you design the inside box specifically to draw fresh air from the original RH hood vent? Are there pics of these parts on your site? Can you post links to them, or the photos here?

 

[suckerpunched]

I too would be interested to see if any after market system uses the cowl vent. I reshaped my cowl to flat assuming I would never use the kick panel duct.

 

[bronconut73]

Good to know. ;D So did you design the inside box specifically to draw fresh air from the original RH hood vent? Are there pics of these parts on your site? Can you post links to them, or the photos here?

Steve....I'm pretty sure you are familiar with Chucks A/C unit.....

Mine fit beautifully. I purchased it because Chuck designed it to fit an eb.
VA has a good rep in the hot rod community so how could I go wrong.

My only issue was fan clearance, everything else was easy peasy.

None of the aftermarket units that I'm aware of have fresh air ducting. I hear about this from time to time. I probably couldn't afford the unit if it did as it would likely add a lot of cost to the unit...

This non fresh air ducting unit has never been a problem for me.....9+ years....no problem.
Defroster works great, so do the vent windows in the eb, so even in the Tropical environment I live in, no issues.

 

[Steve83]

I'm pretty sure you are familiar with Chucks A/C unit.....

I don't understand the wink. %) Why would you think I'm familiar with it? ?:?

...fresh air ducting...would likely add a lot of cost to the unit.

Why would you think that? It's only 1 more mode door. If the evaporator housing is already designed to fit the eB firewall, the amount of additional plastic to make it reach the fresh-air hole would be negligible. I was on the verge of adding that to the VA system in Frank's truck when he had me sell it for him.

 

[chuck]

No, my system does not use the fresh air duct. The duct is blocked off. There is a fresh air duct on the drivers side that will get fresh air inside. Not quit the same but close. My thought from the start was that it would be better to have air recirculate, hot or cold, than to have outside air come in and be conditioned from the start but I am from so cal where it may be very hot or very cold but almost never moist. It did not cross my mind that places like fl. could have 100% humidity and 100 degrees. But I am not sure that fresh air vents will help there anyway.

 

[JaxLax]

It did not cross my mind that places like fl. could have 100% humidity and 100 degrees. But I am not sure that fresh air vents will help there anyway.

as a professional mechanical engineer who does HVAC design in FL:

Recirculate and close off the OA vent. Unless your cabin is perfectly sealed and you're going to be in there for over an hour, do not worry about fresh/outside air.

Since I don't garage my daily and we see 80% humidity seemingly everyday, it's covered in dew 10 months out of the year.

 

[Steve83]

There is a fresh air duct on the drivers side that will get fresh air inside. Not quit the same but close.

Not really. Letting fresh, warm, damp air in during A/C will cause the cabin to be warm & damp. It will take a long time for that heat to circulate through the cab back to the A/C to be dehumidified & cooled. Letting cold air in during heating isn't quite as bad, but it still makes the cabin feel cold. But if it comes in through the HVAC to be processed FIRST, the cab will be a more-comfortable temperature, and feel drier (whether A/C or heat).

It's why you don't drive with the windows down while trying to change the temp inside, AND it's why all OE HVAC systems are built to let the fresh air come in to be processed first. So building it to mimic OE is certainly better than the non-fresh-air retrofit systems that are on the market right now.

as a professional mechanical engineer who does HVAC design in FL:
Recirculate and close off the OA vent. Unless your cabin is perfectly sealed and you're going to be in there for over an hour, do not worry about fresh/outside air.

As someone who has studied mechanical engineering & physics: if there's condensation INSIDE the glass, fresh air is absolutely drier than recirculate, and will defog the glass MUCH faster than recirculate. Always, in any climate, at any temperature, even if it's raining.

As someone who has built a really-sealed & -insulated eB as a daily driver for someone who wears a suit to work during a 30min-1hr commute, strictly recirculating the A/C isn't effective or comfortable.

 

[jim3326]

I wish it let outside air in. After being closed up during the heat of the day, outside air would allow you to push out the super heated air with the cooled air.