• Welcome to ClassicBroncos! - You are currently viewing the forums as a GUEST. To take advantage of all the site features, please take a moment to register. It's fast, simple and absolutely free. So please join our community today!
    If you have problems registering or can't log into your account, please contact Admin.

ARA A/C Rebuild

JaxLax

Bronco Guru
Joined
Apr 22, 2002
Messages
3,309
Loc.
Jacksonville, FL
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO it's now upper 70s in FL and it won't get much colder until December, so it's high time to get into the A/C in Ginger and get it ready for summer/wife driving.

First, huge shout-out/thanks to Jaxgtc! We recently met, looked over our near twins (ok, his is def the prettier one), and he left me with an extra unit he'd gotten from another member for parts (if I need them)! ;D It was also great to see his working unit and it's routing/setup/belts/etc as this will become important later.

This will be a photo heavy thread, so prepare yourselves.

First: What we are starting with:
I've got an ARA labelled unit that does not run/power up. I have the vents/limbs, but they are not complete. I have the lines and compressor, but no v-belt to turn it. I also have a Coldmaster labelled unit (from Jaxgtc) that looks to be the same main unit design and parts in case I need them or just a reference.

So I feel like I have 75% of the parts in the system already installed. I'm missing "power", refrigerant, belt, and a vent trim piece.
In the immediate things that ought to be simple to fix/replace: refrigerant, power, and new vents/limbs. I want to think that the belt issue will be the most difficult to solve.

I have not yet removed MY unit as I don't want to cut the lines and such. I will remove it at some point, but that might be after I get it at least functioning/powering and possibly obtain new vents so that I can make sure I won't have to modify them after restoring the unit internals [if].

Second: the issues
1. Mine does not power up. I traced and checked the wires that I could and they mostly line up with those on the extra unit, but not fully. I connected the black ground (with fuse) to a body ground and got nothing, I will start tracing the wires to see if perhaps it's disconnected elsewhere (but the dash is a rats nest) and the fuse panel is tapped and cut and tapped again. The wire number and colors are the difference I immediately found (kind of). The extra unit has 3 wires: Blue, Red, and Black (obvs cut so I don't know their final locations, but I can take educated guess). My unit has Blue, Black, and a three way gang connector with Red, Yellow, and Orange going into the unit. For mine the BLUE wire goes from the unit and grounds to the compressor, the BLACK has a fuse and I presume to be the ground wire. The RED then is assumed to be the positive power. The extra unit RED wire terminates in what looked to be a fusable connector link; I am yet to fully trace the 3 colored gang wires on my unit.

2. Refinishing/Refurb/etc: I don't know the internal condition of mine. Luckily the extra unit has great looking coils and most parts just need to be cleaned and aren't showing any sign of failure through wear. And I will need at the very least the trim piece that holds the vent vanes in place. Perhaps go with a new set?

3. The compressor/belts: I think this is where the most of my physical work will be done. Compressor turns freely and the lines don't have a visible issue/leak (which is why I'm hesitant to remove the unit by just cutting them). There is some discoloration on the blue wire that is then spliced onto the compressor for a ground and it's connection is showing some discoloration too, this will be checked with a multimeter later to make sure it's fully grounded and not shorting. THE BELT. The belt is the thing that I have to figure out. There is a double pulley on the compressor and a triple on the engine, BUT the fan is in the way. I need an idler or intermediate pulley somewhere to clear it. There's enough room behind the blades, but it's going to contact the base. I do have an unused hole on the compressor mount bracket (see my hand photo). It could support a single bolt idler, but it'd have to extend out farther than I'd think it should to hold tension over time. Jaxgtc has an idler, but his stuff is routed completely different (as these were dealer installed, the shop guy could do some things how ever he saw fit).

If you've got thoughts or photos of yours, POST THEM UP or send them to me and I'll do it. I've searched around the internet and there doesn't seem to be a repository of any real amount of information on these units for EBs. Jaxgtc turned me on to place here locally that did some work on his and, of course, it's full of 70+ year old techs who are full of information that's gonna leave this world when they do.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0629.jpg
    IMG_0629.jpg
    128.3 KB · Views: 190
  • IMG_0630.jpg
    IMG_0630.jpg
    164.5 KB · Views: 160
  • IMG_0631.jpg
    IMG_0631.jpg
    69 KB · Views: 150
  • IMG_0632.jpg
    IMG_0632.jpg
    85.7 KB · Views: 135
  • IMG_0634.jpg
    IMG_0634.jpg
    52.6 KB · Views: 121
OP
OP
JaxLax

JaxLax

Bronco Guru
Joined
Apr 22, 2002
Messages
3,309
Loc.
Jacksonville, FL
And here are the engine and my unit pics!
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0641.jpg
    IMG_0641.jpg
    99.4 KB · Views: 111
  • IMG_0640.jpg
    IMG_0640.jpg
    54 KB · Views: 109
  • IMG_0639.jpg
    IMG_0639.jpg
    102.4 KB · Views: 120
  • IMG_0638.jpg
    IMG_0638.jpg
    82.6 KB · Views: 133
  • IMG_0637.jpg
    IMG_0637.jpg
    93 KB · Views: 141
  • IMG_0636.jpg
    IMG_0636.jpg
    127.1 KB · Views: 155
  • IMG_0635.jpg
    IMG_0635.jpg
    98.8 KB · Views: 143

Justafordguy

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Sep 26, 2009
Messages
6,253
And here are the engine and my unit pics!

You can buy an under dash A/C unit on ebay really cheap if you don't feel like restoring that one.


Not to get off subject but why is there no vacuum advance hose on your distributor?
 
OP
OP
JaxLax

JaxLax

Bronco Guru
Joined
Apr 22, 2002
Messages
3,309
Loc.
Jacksonville, FL
You can buy an under dash A/C unit on ebay really cheap if you don't feel like restoring that one.


Not to get off subject but why is there no vacuum advance hose on your distributor?

I'm trying to build it as close to stock as possible, so a GenIV unit wouldn't translate the same way. Maybe I will, but I'm going to make a run at this first.

No vacuum? I'm lazy. I'll get around to it, but I don't have hills or go WOT. Need to get a new hose probably.
 

Slowleak

Bronco Guru
Joined
Sep 12, 2013
Messages
3,732
Loc.
Georgia
Here are a couple of pics of the idler pulley for the ARA system. It’s a tight fit between the radiator hose and the fan. I kept mine stock but switched to a Sanden compressor. It’s much quieter and efficient than the old York. I had a lot of vibration with the York and can hardly tell when the Sanden kicks in.
754ba9cac41ee33a25cd2e18e97dd909.jpg

2d7c5b2d96deb49e5ffec61251087f5f.jpg
 
OP
OP
JaxLax

JaxLax

Bronco Guru
Joined
Apr 22, 2002
Messages
3,309
Loc.
Jacksonville, FL
Not to get off subject but why is there no vacuum advance hose on your distributor?

No one else in the office.
FINE
ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?

I've got a weird setup (don't we all) since I've also got a currently non-functioning vacuum cruise control setup. :-*

And rather than the std 3 way, I've got a 5 way split.
1. Brake booster
2. Tranny
3. Cruise control
4. Dizzy
5. Screw in it. I guess carb. Maybe I'll hook that one up tomorrow. ;)
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0642.jpg
    IMG_0642.jpg
    131.1 KB · Views: 97
  • IMG_0643.jpg
    IMG_0643.jpg
    91.4 KB · Views: 85
  • IMG_0644.jpg
    IMG_0644.jpg
    123.1 KB · Views: 85
  • IMG_0645.jpg
    IMG_0645.jpg
    129.4 KB · Views: 87
OP
OP
JaxLax

JaxLax

Bronco Guru
Joined
Apr 22, 2002
Messages
3,309
Loc.
Jacksonville, FL
Here are a couple of pics of the idler pulley for the ARA system. It’s a tight fit between the radiator hose and the fan. I kept mine stock but switched to a Sanden compressor. It’s much quieter and efficient than the old York. I had a lot of vibration with the York and can hardly tell when the Sanden kicks in.
]

YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Now the more difficult issue: Where do I get that pulley? Or is it just a standard idler that I'll then have to measure for belt length depending on the diameter?

I'll look into the Sanden unit, but does it fit into the stock brackets?
 
OP
OP
JaxLax

JaxLax

Bronco Guru
Joined
Apr 22, 2002
Messages
3,309
Loc.
Jacksonville, FL
Not sure where to go for the idler. The pulley is about 3.75 outside diameter. It’s offset about 1.25 inches from the mounting bolt so you can rotate it to tension the belt.

Gotcha. 3.70" is a 94mm pulley, 3.74" is a 95mm, and 3.78" is a 96mm.

I'll look around for something as close to the specs you listed and see what I can find. Thanks for the info and pictures!
 

Slowleak

Bronco Guru
Joined
Sep 12, 2013
Messages
3,732
Loc.
Georgia
Gotcha. 3.70" is a 94mm pulley, 3.74" is a 95mm, and 3.78" is a 96mm.



I'll look around for something as close to the specs you listed and see what I can find. Thanks for the info and pictures!


Sure. You can fab something up. It looks like this one. Just changed the bearing in mine last week.

968caa9f1adf3b2e959ab453edb4dbb1.jpg
 
OP
OP
JaxLax

JaxLax

Bronco Guru
Joined
Apr 22, 2002
Messages
3,309
Loc.
Jacksonville, FL
Sure. You can fab something up. It looks like this one. Just changed the bearing in mine last week.

968caa9f1adf3b2e959ab453edb4dbb1.jpg

And now I'm off on a new search.
But in the mean time I found (2) that all look the same and might work...
1. 94mm Duralast but no mention of bolt offset
2. AC Delco for a '86 Bronco with a 302
Could i use one of those with a spacer to get it into position? Not sure how well it'll hold tension over time since it'll have 3 points to move (bolt at the end of the pulley bracket to spacer, spacer to engine mount bracket, bolt head on the engine bracket).

Ugh.
 

Justafordguy

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Sep 26, 2009
Messages
6,253
No one else in the office.
FINE
ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?

I've got a weird setup (don't we all) since I've also got a currently non-functioning vacuum cruise control setup. :-*

And rather than the std 3 way, I've got a 5 way split.
1. Brake booster
2. Tranny
3. Cruise control
4. Dizzy
5. Screw in it. I guess carb. Maybe I'll hook that one up tomorrow. ;)

You need to run the hose from the vacuum advance diaphragm to the port on the passenger side of the carb just in front of the choke. It needs ported vacuum.
 

Slowleak

Bronco Guru
Joined
Sep 12, 2013
Messages
3,732
Loc.
Georgia
And now I'm off on a new search.

But in the mean time I found (2) that all look the same and might work...

1. 94mm Duralast but no mention of bolt offset

2. AC Delco for a '86 Bronco with a 302

Could i use one of those with a spacer to get it into position? Not sure how well it'll hold tension over time since it'll have 3 points to move (bolt at the end of the pulley bracket to spacer, spacer to engine mount bracket, bolt head on the engine bracket).



Ugh.


I like that Duralast one. If you find a wide spacer to offset it forward, and some wide washers for the bolt, I bet it will stay tight.

Post something in the parts wanted section. I bet somebody has one laying around.....
 

cannunz546

Contributor
Bronco Owner and Admirer
Joined
Sep 2, 2017
Messages
539
Loc.
Northwest Suburbs, Chicago
I had the guys at Classic Auto Air in Tampa rebuild the under dash unit. It looks and operates like new. I also bought a Sanden compressor from them and found a fellow in TX who makes the brackets (he sells to WH, JBG, etc) to retrofit the dealer installed compressors to the Sanden types. The system is better than new.
 

LUBr LuvR

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Dec 31, 2015
Messages
1,956
Subscribed and following this thread as I have a ‘74 that has what appears to be all the original components installed back then by the dealer.

Haven’t had the time to find out what exactly isn’t working but with summer around the corner it will move higher on the list. Was thinking to rebuild the York compressor to keep it original, but seems like the Sanden is recommended as a replacement. Would also be interested in the brackets, etc if going that route.
 

Slowleak

Bronco Guru
Joined
Sep 12, 2013
Messages
3,732
Loc.
Georgia
The adapter plates are cheap and easy to find. I think I paid about $30 for mine. Just do a search for “York to Sanden adapter”. They are all over eBay.

Sanden compressors can also be found at decent prices. I found mine on eBay, new and in the box, for $75. You have to be careful to make sure you are not getting a Chinese clone. I called Sanden to verify that mine was authentic and under warranty. Then I bought the angled hose fitting that I needed and just replaced them so I am still using the old hoses.

Advance Auto has vacuum pumps and a/c manifolds that they loan out. I got those and charged it up. My total cost, including Freon, was about $150 to switch the compressor and charge it up.......
 
Top