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Old Feb 11, 2004 | 08:46 PM
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From: Pensacola, FL
A/C questions

i have a couple questions about the a/c systems in our trucks.

1. how is the system turned on...the blower has 4 settings, from high to low, but how is the compressor actually cycled on and off.

2. how hard would it be to get it running again. there is no belt on it, and i can only assume that it is because it didnt work at some time, and being in washington, it really isnt needed here most of the year, so it was never fixed. with the move to california, i would like it there, even if i dont use it often, which i probably wont just because of the increased fuel consumption, but it is nice to know it is there if i want it.
 
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Old Feb 11, 2004 | 08:52 PM
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1. When you move the function switch to A/C it engages the compressor. The compressor cycles according to a temperature sensor in the evaporator coil to prevent freezeup. I don't think the compressor engages in the defrost mode.

2. Put a belt on it and check it for a charge. Are all the components installed? If it has no charge I would pull a vacuum on the system and see if it held it overnight. If not put a can of freon in it and check for leaks. Fix them then evacuate and charge the system. If the system is empty you may have to replace the drier assembly.
 
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Old Feb 12, 2004 | 10:21 AM
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From: The Shenandoah Valley
The compressor doesn't cycle in the defrost mode on these trucks as set up by Ford ...

... but it is very easy to wire a seperate switch into the cycling circuit so that when the defrost is used, a flip of the switch will cycle the compressor at will ... and it's still controled by the factory cycling switch in the evaporator housing when wired correctly. There is another switch in the controls that I ran my extra one parallel with.

I scavenegd two trucks (a '79 and a '73) for all the parts and cut the big hole in the firewall per a template I made of fibreboard from a donor truck, and used a new evaporator, condensor, and reciever dryer and installed mine in my '77 back in the late '80s, It still has no bubbles in sight glass, gets cold on very hot days, and the use of the switch works wonders in defrost mode. (I also still have the '73 heater core which didn't leak under pressure and junked the '79 one as it leaked in two places at 5psi.)

I used the '73 control panel and switches as I liked the way "Air Condition" was scripted across the face of it.
 
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