Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

The last step in this area is to install the grommet on the core support so the lines don't rub and get cut up.

It only fits one way and opens up on both sides.

Put it on the lines first, and then push it into the core support. You can use a screwdriver to gently push it in, it actually went on fairly easy.

*Looking down, the #6 lines needs to be on the bottom and the #8 line needs to be on the top!*

Now that you've got the lines on the drier and condenser, you can tighten up the bracket lines from the step before, making sure everything is nice and snug.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

You can now reinstall your radiator, radiator hoses, fan, and fan shroud.

I recommend installing the radiator, then setting the shroud in place, pushing it towards the motor, install the fan, and then push the shroud into the radiator and tighten everything down :D

My truck had a slight cooling problem. I have a 3 core radiator (4 core is recommended) and a flex fan, so I got a 7 blade clutch fan from Raul.Duke (THANKS MAN!), a new radiator cap, and added a radiator overflow bottle and it seems to be holding 195-200 in traffic, so I'm OK with that for now. I think next year, when I have money again :lol: I'll be going to an electric set-up.

Now would be a good time to install and tighten your alternator belt.

The size belt I used that worked well was 15540.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

On to the compressor!

I screwed this part up, so bear with me :lol:

Remove the outermost bolt and the 3rd bolt away on the exhaust manifold, closest to the radiator. On my truck, I went ahead and replaced all of the gaskets on my exhaust on both sides. You also need to remove the top left bolt on the water pump.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

I painted all of my brackets for the A/C compressor. If you get paint on the main A/C bracket where the A/C compressor fits in the slot, scrape it off or sand it down, it's a snug fit.


The skinny end of the bracket bolts to the exhaust manifold.

Note: all bolts to install everything in the kit is included with the kit :D

Install two 3/8x3/4" bolts with lock washers where the exhaust manifold bolts need to go. Install a 1 1/4" spacer on the one closest to the front of the motor and a 1/2" spacer on the one farthest from the engine.

Like the pic below shows.

Then install the mount onto the manifold.

*Don't tighten the bolts until the whole bracket assembly in installed*

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

Next, using the flat bracket, and put the bolt in like I have shown, use a 3/8x2" bolt with lock washer with a 1/8" spacer on the backside and bolt it to the water pump as shown. The hole on the left will be for the compressor mount, so leave it empty for the moment.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

This is where I screwed up. The directions say to install the compressor so that the oil fill plug is within +/- 90 degrees from 12 O'Clock so it will be properly lubed. I rotated the compressor 90 degrees clockwise so that it would be almost at 12 O'Clock when the A/C belt was installed. This was a bad idea, :lol:, follow directions! I later found out that when I went to install my A/C hoses the hose from the Compressor to the unit in the cab is TOO SHORT if installed as shown in the pics below!!!

The A/C compressor mounts using tabs "C" and "G" (C being the front mounting tab).

SO, you want to mount the A/C compressor using the last bracket as shown with the bracket behind the front set of tabs leaving the "open hole" where Tab C is.

For the other two bolts, use two 3/8x1 1/4" bolts with lock nuts (the plastic center) to bolt the bracket to the compressor.

*Ignore the actual positioning in the pictures, it's WRONG. Rotate everything in the pic (except the compressor) 90 degrees counterclockwise, and it will be correct, the following pics are for reference only*

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

The last thing to do is install the 3/8x5" bolt that goes thought all 3 bracket pieces and is the pivot point for the Compressor.

You have to install the nut at the end of the bracket (have it ready) before you push the bolt all the way though. You can not get the nut in place if you push the bolt all the way through first.

Snug the 3/8" lock nut down, but not too tight that you can't rotate the A/C compressor.

You also need to install the adjuster nut for the Compressor. Using a 3/8x1" bolt, flat washer and lock washer, put it through the slotted bracket and bolt it into the bracket behind it. There is a nut welded onto the bracket behind it. Snug it up for now so that the compressor doesn't flop around.

You can now tighten down all of your bolts, don't forget to do this :D

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

Here's a quick jump to the end to show what I'm talking about with the bracket and A/C compressor, you can see that I have rotated it 90 degrees on the bracket.

THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE FIRST PLACE! My bad :lol:

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

If you have a non-air cab like I did, you need to cut some holes!

Vintage Air provides you with templates for the holes.

You simply tape them in place and cut away!

I did find out that using their templates, that they should be adjusted some. They need to move down and away from the dash a little bit because they are put on the curve of the dash, lesson's learned! I think that if you move it down about 1/4" and away from the dash about 1/8" that should get you into the flatter area of the cab!

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

I drilled a pilot hole in the center of the template to get things started easier, then used a 2 1/2" hole saw to make the hole. Pretty simple.

You can see in the pics in the previous post that I had already drilled the pilot holes.

And here's what you end up with.

Repeat for the other side :D

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

The vent unscrews into two pieces. Take it apart, put the face on the front side of the dash and the back of the vent goes behind the dash. Screw it on snug and you're done.

Repeat for the other side :D

*Because my vents weren't sitting flush, I used my dremel to trim the backside of the vent face a little bit where it was hitting the dash so it would sit flush. Hopefully my goof will prevent other's from having to do so :metal:

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

Next up is the center vent.

Again, vintage air gives you the template.

*NOTE: The vent template is NOT centered in the center of the paper!

I noticed that before I started cutting! I used the paper to center it and not the vent (my radio hole was so wallered out that the tab that says "insert into radio hole" meant nothing to me :lol: )

I used a dremel to cut out my vent, but first, I drilled 4 pilot holes in the corners to make neater cuts.

Cut out the vent :D

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

Test fit the vent. I had to clean up a few spots for it to fit nicely (dremels aren't the best tool for this, but all I had, a cut off wheel would make a nice straighter cut.)

Also, if the previous owner of your truck hacked the living crap out of your dash using what looked like tin snips, nows a good time to clean that up :lol:

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

If your like me, after all this cutting and drilling, you may have been thinking to yourself, hmmm, my dash looks like crap. Well, nows a good time for a makeover :lol:

I removed everything from my dash and taped off the rest. I sanded down the dash, wiped it down, and sprayed some primer on it. When that was dry, I sprayed it with color. It came out pretty nice for a spray can job.

*I guess I didn't take any pics of it painted :but: I thought I did!

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

Next up is wiring... BOOOOOOOOOOO, everyone hates wiring, right? Well, this was actually REALLY simple!

The directions are pretty simple to follow, but I'll post up the following pics to help with any confusion!

The yellow from the blower motor switch, the black from the A/C micro switch, and the green/red wire with the diode in it (the green side) connect together.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

The orange wire from the blower motor and the red wire from the red/green wire with the diode connect together.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

Now to connect the wires to the A/C controller.

When looking at the backside of the A/C fan switch it forms a column of 3 prongs on the right side and one prong on the left side.

Starting in the upper right corner, connect the blue wire from the power relay/high blower relay.

Then in the middle right side, connect the red and orange wire assembly from the previous step.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

Next, connect the yellow/green/black assembly of wires you connected together in the first step to the lower right tab.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

Last, (Wohooo, huh?) is to connect the final wire from the blower motor. It's the red wire. Connect it to the prong on the left and you're all done with the wiring for the A/C controller unit.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

Next is to install the compressor binary safety switch. It goes on the #6 size line with the threaded T on it.

Remove the plastic over and install the switch on the line. More on wiring it later...

Snug it down and put it off to the side for now...

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

The next set of directions is up for debate. Vintage Air says to install the firewall covers early in the install, but I found it difficult to tighten the fittings with it in place, so it MAY be easier to install these later, but I'll show y'all how I installed everything.

So, back under the hood!

I cleaned up my firewall a little bit and painted the rusty, chipped areas.

To install the small round cover, you need to put sealant on the backside (I used 3M caulking you can get from Wally World)

I found the easiest way to install this is to put some tape on the metal backing bracket to hold it in place so you can tighten the bolt.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

Next is the firewall cover, same idea, caulk the outer edge and put it in place. It has holes that should match up with existing holes in the firewall and you can use the old heater unit screws to hold the new cover in place.

You then have to drill out several small holes and install the supplied nuts with screws.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

I forgot to take a picture of it, but you need to drill out the hole for the drain vent in the cab. You can see the 5/8" hole near the bottom center of the firewall cover, that's where it goes and where it needs to be drilled out.

It's difficult to drill from the inside of the engine bay with the inner fender in the way, so I used my dremel to drill out at pilot hole in the center, then from inside the cab, I was able to drill out the 5/8" hole. Make sure you center your first hole well, or you'll be drilling through the plastic cover....

*Note: You could put the cover on, mark the 5/8" vent hole, remove the cover, THEN drill it out so you don't mess up the plastic. Then you can install the cover with all the sealant as shown above.

Sorry, no pics on this one.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

I also got carried away inside the cab. I decided to cut out the triangle piece in the cab that you can see through the vintage air firewall cover using my dremel. THIS WAS NOT in the Vintage Air directions, but I thought it was necessary. I also put caulking around the inside edge of the cover as well.

I also insulated the rest of my firewall.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

Next up it to mock up the A/C under-dash unit. This is so you can drill the hole for the rear mount bracket.

There are a couple mounting points in the cab. The one on the far left uses an existing heater unit hole near the center of the firewall.

The first thing to do is install the bracket provided with the kit to the back of the A/C unit using a 10/32x1" bolt. Keep it straight up and down and snug the bolt down.

Next is to set the A/C unit in place in the cab. The tab on the blow motor sits INSIDE the dash as shown. It uses a 1/4-20x1" bolt with a washer, lock washer, and 1/4" nut.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

Using a 1/4-20x2" bolt and nut with a 13/32x1" steel spacer on the backside of the A/C unit, you can bolt the left side of the unit down. The bolt uses an existing hole near the middle of the firewall from the heater unit. Once the underdash bolt is in, it's obvious where the left side bolt needs to go.

This is where a helper comes in handy. It's hard to be inside the cab and under the hood to tighten a bolt.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

Now, hold the unit up level, and mark where the hole for the bracket needs to go.

Remove the assembly.

Drill the hole for the bolt, I used a 1/4" bit.

Then, reinstall everything with the hardware shown above and snug it all down.

I hated the next part. You need to install the cables on the A/C controler unit and A/C underdash unit before you reinstall the A/C unit in the cab.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

Starting with the A/C controller....

There are 3 lengths to the cables provided with the kit. For simplistic purposes, I'm going to call them them short, medium, and long length cables.

More later...

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

Let's get back into this!

The short cable is 14 1/2 inches long and is for the A/C/heat controls.

The medium cable is 27 inches long and is for the heat/defrost controls.

The long cable is 41 1/8 inches long and is for the temperature controls (goes to the heater control valve.)

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

Here was my least favorite part of the whole install. I dislike cable installs, but it needs to be done.

When you look at the A/C control unit normally (right side up inside the cab) the heat/defrost lever is at the top with the A/C/heat lever in the middle, and the temperature lever on the bottom.

When looking at my pictures everything is upside down (the unit needs to be upside down when you install the cables, it's just easier that way :D )

So, starting at the bottom (the heat/defrost controls), install the medium length cable to the control unit leaving approximately 7/8" from the end of the black sheath the the center of the clip. You need to form the clamp around the cable, I did it with a flathead screwdriver and pair of pliers. Screw the clamp down tight and check to see that the unit can move freely in both directions. Also, I installed my cable's "eyes" so that the flat cable part was against the lever the the "coil" was away from the lever. Install the push on holder over the cable eye and move on to the next one :D

Next, install the middle lever (A/C/heat controls) using the short cable. It needs to be mounted with approximately 1 1/4" from the end of the black sheath to the center of the mounting clip. Follow same procedures as above. Check to make sure cable moves freely.


Lastly, install the top (bottom when right side up) temperature control cable (the longest cable) keeping approximately 3/4" from the end of the black sheath to the center of the clip. Follow same procedures as above. Check to make sure cable moves freely.

See page 7 of the VA directions for a better/more detailed description :D

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

I guess I got a little sparse with the pics for the next step??? If I can remember, I'll snap some and post 'em later.

Anywho...

You now need to reinstall your A/C controller unit (wohoo, huh?) It installs through the backside of the dash and you use the two bolts you removed earlier from your heater unit to bolt the new A/C controller in place. All the wiring and cables should be installed and everything nice and tight.

More cable crap. This part was a little difficult too. Definitely not my favorite part of the install.

The short cable (A/C/Heat) goes to the lever sticking out near the middle of the underdash unit. There is a bracket that the cable bracket screws to. There should be approximately 13/16" from the black sheath to the center of the screw down bracket. You may need to adjust it before you tighten the screw down real good. Move the lever back and forth, if it moves freely and completely left to right all is good, screw the screw down tight.

The medium cable (heat/defrost) goes from the top lever and loops around under the dash and screws to the bracket on the far left side of the underdash unit. It should be approximately 1 1-16" from the end of the black sheath to the center of the screw down bracket. Again, check movement of the cable and lever before you tighten the screw and adjust as necessary.

The final long cable (temperature) goes through the provided firewall cap to under the hood. More on that later.

Here's a crappy pic for now of the bracket on the far left for the heat/defrost and I circled the bracket that the short cable for A/C/heat screws to.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

Now we're getting somewhere, huh?

How about we mess with the wiring some more?

This part is hard, connect the two connectors together that look like they go together :haha:

These are for the blower motor.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

There are three ground wires, and they're all WHITE. Why you ask, I don't frickin' know :lol: Woulda made more sense for them to be black, but whatever. Anyway, they are supposed to be connected to a chassis ground. Well, I connected all mine together and grounded them to the backside of my dash through an existing hole. I figure my cab is ground to the chassis, so I'm all good.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

The purple wire from the power relay needs to be connected to a "key on" power source (meaning it doesn't have power when the key is off, but does have power in the ACC or ON positions.) I have an addition fuse block connected in my truck which is connected to an IGN ON source. It has the full voltage from the battery. I plugged my wire into this fuse block and used a 10Amp fuse.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

We need to install a couple more pieces before we can finish up the wiring!

Back under the hood!!!


The kit comes with two rubber hoses with fittings on the ends. The smaller one that uses #8 fittings is the suction hose (it has the suction port on it for filling the system) and the bigger one that uses the #10 fittings is the discharge hose (it has the discharge port on it for purging the system.)

Using a #8 rubber O ring gasket on each end with a good amount of the lubricating oil, install the suction hose to the compressor and condenser fittings. All the hoses/lines either fit together or they don't so no chance of hooking up the lines wrong :D The curved end goes on the Compressor and the straight end connects to the steel line from the condenser.

Be sure to use wrenches on both fittings so the hoses/lines and gaskets don't get damaged.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

The next part is up for debate on how to do this. I wish I would have installed the hoses/lines with the unit loose in the cab so I could tighten everything easier with the firewall cover OFF, but lessons learned. It wasn't that hard to do, just a bit of a pain with the firewall cover on and the unit bolted snugly into the cab. In hindsight I would have left the firewall cover OFF until last.

Remove all grommets from the firewall cover so it's easier to push the hoses and lines though. I started with the #6 hardline that goes from the underdash unit to the evaporator. I put the grommet on it and put it through the firewall cover.

Don't snug up any of the grommets until all the lines are installed, it's much easier that way, but also, DON'T FORGET TO PUT THE GROMMETS ON, you don't want to have to unhook lines and buy new rubber O ring gaskets.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

I should probably finish this huh?

Hmmm, what the heck was next? :lol:


Here's what your firewall will look like with the underdash unit installed in the cab and the firewall cover on.

Again, I'd like to stress that this may be easier to install with the cover off BUT don't forget to at least run the lines through the firewall cover and the cover that covers the firewall cover! If you don't you'll be cutting the cover or unhooking lines and putting them on again!

In this pic you can clearly see the drain hole that needs to be drilled near the bottom center of the cab. This is where the water will drain out of the cab.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

Take the number six hardline with the firewall cover on it and install it on the truck. It will only "fit" one way. The higher/shorter end needs to go to the firewall. Make sure you put #6 O ring fittings on BOTH ends with the supplied lubricant. Be sure to use wrenches on BOTH nuts. Tighten it down!

It's a little tricky to tighten it down in the cab, but it can be done!

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

The next step is to run the 3/8" heater hoses through the cab. I cut mine long so that I had enough room to move around stuff.

There are no grommets on the firewall cover for these. To make them easier to slide through the firewall cover easier I put some petrolium jelly on the ends of the hoses. Leave the firewall cover off still, you still need access through it, just slide the hoses through for now.

A trick to get the hoses to go onto the underdash unit easier is to use a wrench end that is a little larger than the 3/8" heater hose line to stretch it a little. I could not get my lines to slide on without doing this.

Re: Keep Your Cool! Vintage Air Sure Fit Install in a 67 C-10
 

Be sure to use hose clamps and put the hoses on the underdash unit. Top to top, bottom to bottom. Also, make sure the hose clamps are on BEFORE you put the hoses over the fittings, it's a very tight fit and they're not easy to get on after the hoses are on. Tighten down the hose clamps. Leave 'em loose on the other ends for now.

You may have to slightly bend the tubing so that it will line up with the hole in the cab (I had to) just do it very slowly and carefully! I only had to move it about 1/4" up (you can see how close the hoses are to the bottom of the opening.)