is it cheaper to go to napa and get the part and make it urself or order the kit ... i belive there was a topic about the items needed but i cant find it any more it had the item numbers and instruction on how to install...

 

I'm ordering mine tomorrow !

 

Here's a parts list done up by Neal (Nlemerise):

Parts you will need:

1 - Autozone #74809 heater valve

5' of 3/16" vacuumline

4 - 7/8 or 1" screw clamps

1 - vacuum T-fitting

From this thread: Wow...REAL Air Conditioning!!

 

I'm not sure. Mine still works very well after 8 years and 200,000 miles and I have never had it serviced or checked.

 

tamte,
The R134 fittings are designed so you can't get them backwards. The one right off the condenser (front) is the high-side, the one by the evaporator (back) is the low-side...

Joe

 

It completely shuts off the flow of hot coolant to the core, so in Max, it's fully cold no matter where you set the temp ****. It works perfect for me, but you're right -- if you have a wife that likes it a little warmer, then you have to use a setting other than Max.

Joe

 

First of all, you're supposed to use the large white vacuum line directly behind the kick panel that you have to take off under the glove box -- it's right next to the little grommet in the firewall. I didn't see any red ones or a bundle. The provided tee fit perfectly. After using a different setting, it didn't seem to take that long in Max to get really cold -- I didn't try it too much, so I'm not sure on the timing. I just set it to heat for a couple minutes to make sure my valve installation wasn't leaking. I'll get a pic of the vacuum line install shortly and put it up here...

And I agree that when you shut the engine off, it will eventually lose vacuum, but there surely isn't any coolant flowing through the core with the engine off!! Like I mentioned earlier, I'll get temps of the outlet air with & without the valve closed and see what the difference is. I can tell that it's much cooler, but that's about as useful as the SOTP meter...

Joe

 

Thanx, Joe. That's what I needed to know

 

If I only wanted it to work on the MAX AC setting, that's true, but I want it to work on any setting to the left of OFF. There is a red vacuum hose that will accomplish this according to previous posts.

I didn't buy the kit from DIESELSITE so I had to buy a pack of T-fittings from the parts store.


Has anyone else use the red vacuum line for this mod? I went that way because I make a TON of body heat and with leather seats, summer's gonna be sticky, and that will be annoying. So who else has used the red line?

 

Thank you, I was wondering if this is the case.
And the meter showed pressure OK from that evaporator point. I was just curious and didn't want to spend any extra $'s in the shop.
This meter was like $14, it has the R134 can connection, I can check my wife's car too.
If it ever shows low pressure then I can march to the Wally's and buy small can of the R134. ~$5.
I heard that like every 5 years you should check the pressure.

 

Found this on the net and thought I would post for anyone that might be interested in building their own kit:

AC MOD
It will stop the flow of hot water through the heater core when the AC controlls are in the MAX setting and the OFF position providing cooler temps and preventing the hot pocket of air down by you feet. I went to NAPA and asked for the 'hot water shut off valve' from a 1990 Ford Ranger with a 4.0 V-6, I also got 4 - 5/8 hose clamps, a couple feet of 1/8" vaccume line a a 1/8" plastic "T" for the vaccume line. To begin the install loosen the cap on the radiator overfill to remove pressure from the system (do this while the engine is cool). On the passenger side of the engine compartment there are 2 - 5/8" hoses that come from the firewall and continue to the engine, these are the heater hoses. Cut the hose closest to the drivers side (It does'nt really matter where, I did mine about 6 inches after the fire wall). Then holding the 'shut off valve' with the vaccume controller twards the pass side install the portion of the heater hose coming from the cab to the top left nipple on the 'shut off valve'. Tighten the clamp. Install the portion of the heater hose coming from the engine to the top right nipple and tighten the clamp. Next cut the heater hose closest to the pass side in the same location as the previous. Install the portion coming from the cab on the lower left nipple, tighten the clamp. Now install the portion going to the engine on the lower right and tighten the clamp. Measure out how much of the 1/8" vaccume line you need to reach from the bottom of the vaccume canister on the shut off valve to the white vaccume line on the pass side that goes to the vaccume operated door underneath the pass side cowl. Cut that white vaccume line and splice in the 1/8" plastic "T". Then run the 1/8" vaccume line you meassured out from that plastic "T" to the nipple on the bottom of the vaccume canister on the shut off valve. It sounds more complicated than it is. Once you do it it will seem real simple. Happy trucking!
Thanks Bryan Central Texan

 

I'm with you... There is some confusing info in the "Wow..." thread, so I wasn't sure if it only worked to the left of OFF, or on all settings that run the compressor. Actually, I kind of like the "red line" version myself, however, I do like to use the heat sometimes with just the vent, since the Bi-Level setting runs the compressor. As I said in the "Wow..." thread, I much preferred the controls in my 87 BroncoII with manual control of the compressor (a push-on/push-off switch with a light), manual control of recirc vs. fresh air, and a slide control for the Defrost, Floor, Bi-Level, or Dash outlets. It offered the most flexibility -- I guess they had to "dumb it down" for people.

Here's the pic of where I hooked up the vacuum line for the valve:


The clear coupler on the white line is unplugged from the silver part, a piece of vacuum line is plugged into it & the tee, then the coupler goes on the tee. The third side of the tee goes to the valve through the grommet, obviously. Super easy install...

Joe

 

Ok, my DieselSite A/C kit just arrived. I looked the kit over and went out and peeled the carpet back and found the canister that you remove the vacuum line from. Looks like this should be a piece of cake.

One dumb question though, when I go to cut the heater hose do I need to drain coolant from the system first? If I don't drain and cut the hose is there going to be a torrent of coolant pouring out of the hose ends until I get the valve in place? I know that I shouldn't do this when the truck is hot and the cooling system is under pressure (like right now) but I am wondering about the above questions.

Thanks!

 

Probably drain the system down to a point where the level in the radiator is below the level of the heater hose you're cutting. As long as you use a clean bucket, you should be able to pour it right back in the system.

 

Thanks, Pete!