RV2 a/c brackets on BB - what to buy?

[vick79]

Hi Everyone, I want to start acquiring parts to reinstall the missing engine AC components to eventually get that working. All I've got is the drier, couple thick hoses with the muffler attached. Missing everything else.

What is the correct bracket I'm looking for? Where can I find rebuilt/restored AC condensors? lines?

I've seen so many variations of brackets I'm confused.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

vick, assuming you are working on a '70 440 engine.....

The compressor brackets can become very confusing.  I went through this on my '69 440 a few years ago.   Here goes....

The FRONT large stamped steep bracket will interchange between 69-70 383-440 engines.

The REAR small bracket that bolts to the head will interchange 69-70 but ONLY 440 engines.

The 2 TUBE style brackets will work 69-70 BUT 440 engines only.

The reason for the difference in the rear bracketry between the 383 & 440 is the deck height.

I have attached reference pics for the difference between the rear brackets 383 & 440

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

As far as hoses go.....

The suction/discharge hoses are big block only (383-440) but are also '70 only.

68, 69 & 70 all used different suction/discharge hose configurations.

The only 2 hoses that are the same on all three years is the metal liquid tube that runs along the pass fender to the drier from the condenser and the liquid hose to the expansion valve from the drier.

Attached first is a pic of my '69 440 A/C set up.....

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

........then a '70 440 A/C set up courtesy of the '70 Charger Registry (I think this is member bill440rt engine in his '70)



As you can see the suction/discharge lines all run onto the pass side of engine compartment where on the '69 they run on both pass side & drivers side...

[vick79]

Thank you so much for all that info!!  I'm going to study these posts and find what I nneed.

I kept finding reference pictures of poorly restored chargers so that didn't help, or they weren't 70 specific.

One more thing, I've got the two big AC hoses, but the rubber is failing, can those be swapped out somehow with correct rubber?

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Yes Classic Auto Air or Vintage Air can rebuild your hoses for you to the tune of about $200 each   They will also not have the correct circular crimp found on original hoses like the suction hose off my '69 pic has. They will have the newer Hex style crimp like the suction line has in the '70 pic

[Dino]

Most a/c shops can redo the rubber hoses but none are cheap and not all are willing to do so unless you have the whole system done by them.  You can get lucky and buy the actual crimper tool in which case you can make any hose that you want since you can buy them by the foot.  I say lucky because it's a pricey tool and I only saw one go for $60 or so once.

Are you going to stick with R12 or upgrade to R134a?

[vick79]

I found a guy 70 miles from me who has RV2 compressors with all brackets pretty cheap ('69 & '70 440, one from a '70 383). He said they all had regrigerant when removed and worked. Going to head out there tomorrow and pick up at least one. These measurements will come in handy!

Im hoping the date coding on these things are pretty straight forward.

Dino I planned to stick with R12 but its not set in stone. I havent done much research on the topic yet, but I was told r134a tends to leak more on these older cars. I definitely want to keeping things looking factory. Any advice?

[Dino]

I found a guy 70 miles from me who has RV2 compressors with all brackets pretty cheap ('69 & '70 440, one from a '70 383). He said they all had regrigerant when removed and worked. Going to head out there tomorrow and pick up at least one. These measurements will come in handy!

Im hoping the date coding on these things are pretty straight forward.

Dino I planned to stick with R12 but its not set in stone. I havent done much research on the topic yet, but I was told r134a tends to leak more on these older cars. I definitely want to keeping things looking factory. Any advice?

First of all, if the priceis right buy ALL the brackets.  Seriously, these things are real hard to find.

If you put R134a in an R12 system it will leak.  Some may say it's just a tad but it's still going to leak.  Many people run R134a in their old R12 system without issues but some will tell you that you have to top it off once in a while.  If you have a source for R12 then you can use all the old stuff.  Just clean out the RV2, put new oil and seals in and you're good to go.  If however you want to go to R134a, then change the type of oil and seals in the RV2 and get barrier hoses to replace the rubber hoses.  Both work fine, cost may be higher for the R134 due to the need of new hoses but the refrigerant is a lot cheaper.  That said, plenty cans on CL so both work.

[vick79]

Spoke to him on the phone, yes cheap! Pictures show relatively clean looking compressors, very little rust. He says he will only sell 2 of the 3, but i get to pick which one i want, sounds like a straight up guy, he's a firefighter. This place is far from my house, so ill pickup an extra unit to make it worth my time.

[Dino]

Spoke to him on the phone, yes cheap! Pictures show relatively clean looking compressors, very little rust. He says he will only sell 2 of the 3, but i get to pick which one i want, sounds like a straight up guy, he's a firefighter. This place is far from my house, so ill pickup an extra unit to make it worth my time.

Road trip!   

[vick79]

So went to this guys place about 100miles away and picked up two 440 big block compressors with brackets for $100/each and a dash harness, two prestolite horns, vinyl top trim pieces, AC drier and hoses for another $100. I think I did good.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

t-riffic!!

[vick79]

Thanks for the measurements, helped confirm they were both 440 brackets. Already got one bolted on, was perfect! 

[vick79]

Could anyone give me some guidance with routing the accessory belts? I don't know what new belts I would need, service manual doesn't have much detail.

So I've got the Alt, WP, Crank, AC and PS.

[vick79]

Answered my question :

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php?topic=55043.0

[oldcarnut]

"So went to this guys place about 100miles away and picked up two 440 big block compressors with brackets for $100/each and a dash harness, two prestolite horns, vinyl top trim pieces, AC drier and hoses for another $100. I think I did good."

Dang and to think I tried to get rid of mine earlier and nobody wanted them so to the scrap steel yard they went