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

[JaxLax]

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.

Correct, but I am referring to dew/condensation on the exterior. During the general day here, I can't really imagine the glass temp will never get as low as the dew point. Perhaps if you've got a parking garage.

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.

You are a better man than I then. I can barely stand my 5 minute commute in chinos (in a toureag )

 

[surfer-b]

This is the biggest drawback on these AC systems, they do not use fresh air intake, its not always needed but here in the south it is, most of the time. Someone needs to get with VA and redesign the VA Gen IV system that incorporates fresh air, this would be the ultimate system. This system works good but would be much better with the fresh air.

 

[chuck]

I agree it would be better with fresh air going in at the start. And maybe a cover could be designed to direct the air from the kick panel to the fan could be worked out but that would be full time fresh air with no way to control it. My system has the cabin air passing through the heating coils and the cooling coils. So you can have both on at the same time but putting a cabin/outside diverter door would add too much size to the box, I made it as big as I could to fit all that is needed now and not take up too much foot space. The cost to redesign the box would eat all profit for a long time. The cost is the reason VA went to their gen IV unit. The gen4 is their base for all their units. To change the gen4 to do fresh air would be a major under taking to make it work with all the units they sale for every car/truck. The fresh air intake is on the pass. side kick panel on a EB but where is it on a dodge, GM, Toyota or whatever. I am sure it would be a nightmare to add fresh air to all their kits and still use the gen4 unit. And as far as EBs go they are a very small part of the VA sales. I am not trying to through cold water on any ones wet dream I wish we had it but I can't see a EB A/C with fresh air control happening.

 

[ObscureMachine]

I agree it would be better with fresh air going in at the start. And maybe a cover could be designed to direct the air from the kick panel to the fan could be worked out but that would be full time fresh air with no way to control it. My system has the cabin air passing through the heating coils and the cooling coils. So you can have both on at the same time but putting a cabin/outside diverter door would add too much size to the box, I made it as big as I could to fit all that is needed now and not take up too much foot space. The cost to redesign the box would eat all profit for a long time. The cost is the reason VA went to their gen IV unit. The gen4 is their base for all their units. To change the gen4 to do fresh air would be a major under taking to make it work with all the units they sale for every car/truck. The fresh air intake is on the pass. side kick panel on a EB but where is it on a dodge, GM, Toyota or whatever. I am sure it would be a nightmare to add fresh air to all their kits and still use the gen4 unit. And as far as EBs go they are a very small part of the VA sales. I am not trying to through cold water on any ones wet dream I wish we had it but I can't see a EB A/C with fresh air control happening.

Chuck - I'm planning to go with your soft top, which I assume isn't air tight, albeit quite awesome. Therefore no real need of a fresh air inlet. Am I right?

 

[Steve83]

...the glass temp will never get as low as the dew point.

I don't just mean when the truck is off. I mean ANY time. Like when driving in cold/rainy weather with the heater on. If the glass fogs up inside, fresh air would help.

You are a better man than I then.

I wasn't the one commuting in it - I just built it. The owner was a FedEx pilot who lives just across the MS border.

And maybe a cover could be designed to direct the air from the kick panel to the fan could be worked out but that would be full time fresh air with no way to control it.

The control is actually VERY simple. Putting it in easy reach on the dash would take (at most) one more knob & cable, but it could be done with a vacuum switch. But it could be a simple lever under the dash, since it wouldn't have to be changed very often, or while driving.

My system has the cabin air passing through the heating coils and the cooling coils. So you can have both on at the same time...

Most OE HVAC is set up that way, too. Some even intentionally run both to control humidity.

...a cabin/outside diverter door would add too much size to the box...

Not really. I can imagine at least 2 ways to do it that wouldn't even be in the box, AND would be adaptable to any vehicle layout.

I am sure it would be a nightmare to add fresh air to all their kits and still use the gen4 unit.

I was right on the verge of doing it to Frank's '75 when he had to sell it.

...I can't see a EB A/C with fresh air control happening.

Too bad - it would be popular, effective, and economical. It might not be profitable for the first year, but intuition & the response in this thread suggest it WOULD be. And after that...

 

[chuck]

Chuck - I'm planning to go with your soft top, which I assume isn't air tight, albeit quite awesome. Therefore no real need of a fresh air inlet. Am I right?

It is as close to air tight as a stock hard top as if uses the stock door, header and side rail seals but I have yet to see a "air tight" bronco. Things like holes in the firewall and floor. Through the doors, heater box and vents there is always leaks. If you need more there is the drivers side vent and you could crake a window and that should help but not as much as a ducted fresh air system.

 

[ObscureMachine]

So, the answer is, NO, it doesn't use the air vent that originally went to the heater. So I can raise the cowl, close that opening off and give myself more room under the passenger dash?

 

[chuck]

see imbedded
The control would be simple, we use servos so that part would be very easy. "Some even intentionally run both to control humidity." As does my system. "Not really. I can imagine at least 2 ways to do it that wouldn't even be in the box, AND would be adaptable to any vehicle layout." If there was room but most system have already used up every inch of room already. My system sticks about 1/2 inch into the kick panel on the right and is crowding the throttle peddle on the left It crowds the G-box on the top and reduces the foot room in the bottom. The fan is on the right side and sucks air in at top and bottom. you would need to duct the fan to get frash/cabin air before the fan. I am not saying it can't be done I am only saying it will require a major design change from what we have now. "Too bad - it would be popular, effective, and economical. It might not be profitable for the first year, but intuition & the response in this thread suggest it WOULD be. And after that..." In an ideal world that would be great but in this world if the price went up $50 dollars most would buy elsewhere and if they did buy it the comp. would steel the design and sell it for less. I am not trying to slight anyone, vender or buyer I am only saying it like it is.[/QUOTE]

 

[chuck]

So, the answer is, NO, it doesn't use the air vent that originally went to the heater. So I can raise the cowl, close that opening off and give myself more room under the passenger dash?

Yes, we use that space for our cold air box.

 

[FordFarmer]

I installed the VA GEN IV in 2014. The "Easy Fit Kit" has you route the hoses through that vent. They sell bulkheads for the firewall but the hoses and fittings that come with the kit are measured for routing through the vent.

 

[pbwcr]

My Ac install keeps the stock heater and defroster. The kit was supplied by BC Broncos
The only change to the firewall was to make the penetrations for the two Bulkhead connections.
No changes to stock hood / fender /kick panel duct
http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=272806&highlight=install

 

[blubuckaroo]

My Ac install keeps the stock heater and defroster. The kit was supplied by BC Broncos
The only change to the firewall was to make the penetrations for the two Bulkhead connections.
No changes to stock hood / fender /kick panel duct
http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=272806&highlight=install

Yes, that's the style I was referring to. Like my old dealer installed unit, it retains the factory heater/defrost.
This type can be better in some climates than the Vintage Air units that have their own heater.
It doesn't blow as much air, but it defrosts way better.

 

[chuck]

I don't just mean when the truck is off. I mean ANY time. Like when driving in cold/rainy weather with the heater on. If the glass fogs up inside, fresh air would help.I wasn't the one commuting in it - I just built it. The owner was a FedEx pilot who lives just across the MS border.The control is actually VERY simple. Putting in easy reach on the dash would take (at most) one more knob & cable, but could be done with a vacuum switch. But it could be a simple lever under the dash, since it wouldn't have to be changed very often, or while driving.Most OE HVAC is set up that way, too. Some even intentionally run both to control humidity.Not really. I can imagine at least 2 ways to do it that wouldn't even be in the box, AND would be adaptable to any vehicle layout.I was right on the verge of doing it to Frank's '75 when he had to sell it.Too bad - it would be popular, effective, and economical. It might not be profitable for the first year, but intuition & the response in this thread suggest it WOULD be. And after that...

You have made some good points and got me thinking and maybe I can work something out for fresh/cabin air, thinks.

 

[ObscureMachine]

You have made some good points and got me thinking and maybe I can work something out for fresh/cabin air, thinks.

Aaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnndddd......................now I'm waiting for the next version to come out. ;D

Chuck, if you're considering a fresh air mod, then I guess I should wait to mod my cowl to close off that vent? (said jokingly. I have 1,237 other things to work on.)

 

[surfer-b]

You have made some good points and got me thinking and maybe I can work something out for fresh/cabin air, thinks.

On the Gen IV it would take some reconfig of the system but I believe it could be done. I don't see why it couldn't be used on other vehicles also, most had the fresh air for the heater coming through the pass side anyway. They could call it the Gen V fresh air system

 

[DirtDonk]

I've always wanted to flatten out the cowl area, do away with the stock intake ducting and create a vertical airway straight down into the cabin from the hood opening and into the main heater plenum.
The main stumbling block would be designing it in such a way that any water just dumps out the bottom. Same issue all car designers run into though, so shouldn't be super hard to overcome.

Paul

 

[chuck]

Aaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnndddd......................now I'm waiting for the next version to come out. ;D

Chuck, if you're considering a fresh air mod, then I guess I should wait to mod my cowl to close off that vent? (said jokingly. I have 1,237 other things to work on.)

I have a bunch of things going too so it will be a while. Good thing I am retired