For Your Information 1 - Rear AC Function 1997 Ford E-150 Econoline Starcraft Conversion Van

[@sparkythedetroitdoggo8281]

Woa ! Dude ! I have a 97 Ford StarCraft conversion van ! I've been trying to find this information for the last month ! Front blows nice and cold but the rear blows warm . This is the exact information I needed ! Been finding a lot of broken and rotted vacuum lines . That might be part of the problem . Also I might just disconnect the heater coolant hoses to the back temporarily and see if that works to get cold air to the back . Awesome video ! Just what I was looking for ! Yup . Just confirmed . Have no vacuum to the line in either hot or cold setting . Time to start tracking vacuum lines !

[@MazdaB3K]

So the key to getting the vacuum signal is not in the blend door (temperature knob) but in the mode knob. I think you are supposed to get signal on any of the ac settings and defrost. On my van the vacuum line runs down into a grommet near the driver's seat before it moves down the frame rail to the coolant bypass valve. Once you get the vacuum sorted out if the back is cool but not cold, you probably have a bad expansion valve. There's another gentleman I'm talking with that has the same style rear AC and he is waiting on results from the mechanic he found that is willing to work on it.

[@beto1809]

Thanks for the video. 2001 conversion van, and my vent was only blowing hot air, tried to open the top part and was looking the damper door like in other bigger Ford Van Models. Thanks to you i found out that l, the heat is regulated by the valve from the coolant.

[@MazdaB3K]

Yeah, the conversion vans all went to that setup for some reason instead of the dual blend door setup that Ford did. Glad the video helped.

[@chrisanderson7844]

Bro, what do I do with this vaccum hose. I seen the same hose on your pro air system but I don't see a spot to connect mine

[@blanejohnson6294]

Hello, Do you know where you put freon in the rear AC? Or do you just fill under the hood? Thanks

[@MazdaB3K]

There is a fill port for the low pressure side up in the engine bay, on the passenger side. If you so desired, there is another low pressure fill port under the van near the rear if I remember correctly, but you can fill the rear system from the engine bay. It's all one connected system.

[@danielcastellon1967]

great videos, where do you think you can find part for this rear ac unit such expansion valve, resistor etc?

[@MazdaB3K]

The expansion valve can be found most any car part store, amazon, ebay, etc. The rubber line is standard 3/4 inch heater core line, that's not hard to find either. The blower motor, fan and the combo evaporator/heater core unit are rare. Pro Air (I think that's the company) is still around and the have the unit for sale at their website. It was $600 plus last I checked for the combo unit. If you are wanting to rebuild a rear AC I think it would be easier and cheaper to try and install the default rear AC system that Ford supplied if possible.

[@naomitrue5614]

You're the first KZbinr I've seen with this system! I just bought a 2000 E150 and the rear blower motor is rubbing so it makes this loud whine whenever it's on. I got a replacement motor, but idk how to pull the unit out to change the fan motor without disconnecting refrigerant lines. Any suggestions?

[@MazdaB3K]

I've not ever tried to remove this blower fan, but this video I just did should get you most of the way there. Because of how the whole thing is designed without cutting open the blower part of the case I'm not sure how you would get the fan free without needed to disconnect the expansion valve and the heater core lines so that you can move the whole evaporator/heater core unit around. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHi3nIqvl7WjfsU

[@derfiemcgoo9673]

Thanks so much for making this video. I have a similar system and I'm deleting the rear unit. I cut the vacuum line to the vacuum controlled value expecting to see wires (had not saw this video yet). does that mean I have a vacuum leak now? Thanks

[@MazdaB3K]

Yup, that you do, but only when you move your AC control to Max AC essentially. It's a HVAC vacuum leak so it really shouldn't affect engine operation, but you may have some oddness when you are accelerating up a hill or under heavy throttle. Easiest thing you can do is put a nipple of some sort in the cut end, then cap the nipple. No more leak then.

[@Kingcustomz]

my 1998 van has the same set up. the front of the van has cold ac, the rear is hot. i cut my heater core lines and routed them into each other to bypass the core. now the ac is cool in the rear but not cold, what do you think could be the issue? my expansion valve gets cold and watery

[@MazdaB3K]

Could be a few things. If your rear air is from Pro Air, that means you need a total amount of 58oz of freon in the system. If you are a little low, that could do it. If the expansion valve in the rear is wearing out, that would do it. That being said I think the system wasn't designed to blow ice cold. What little reading I have found about others with this system shows that even when it's 100% working right, the rear should be blowing in the low to mid 50's F when the front AC would be blowing in the 30's F. After completing repairs on my AC just a few days ago and refilling with freon, that is what I'm getting.

[@Kingcustomz]

@@MazdaB3K thank you, im going to see my freon readings and ill pump 58 oz

[@bet050]

Do you know if all the power is coming from the relays or that single fuse

[@MazdaB3K]

I haven't studied the wiring closely, but from what I showed in the video most those relays are there for fan speed positioning as the fan doesn't use a blower resistor like the front blower fan does. I haven't tried pulling the fuse out to see if it cuts the blower or not. Doing a little Googling I see that there is a 50amp Maxi fuse in the engine bay PDB that is labelled for aux AC. If you are working electrical issues, I would check there as well. I would also check the modified vehicle fuses that are located on the cabin fuse panel as the ones one on the engine bay PDB.

[@orthopraxis235]

A condenser is location in front of the radiator in the engine bay. IT looks like a really thin radiator. In a Van with rear a/c, there are 2 EVAPORATORS. One in the front and one in the rear. The blower blows air over the evaporators. What you have in the rear of this van Ford ac or aftermarket, is an evaporator, not a condenser most likely.

[@MazdaB3K]

You are correct. Since the creation of this video I've learned it's an evaporator/heater core unit located in the back. I don't have it published yet but I actually replaced the thermal expansion valve in the back to improve the rear AC function. That was fun.

[@Cade215]

Do you know where I can find that “2 to 1” valve ? Not too sure what to shop for but my set up looks exactly like yours so I was gonna try and replace that valve as well- have the same issue

[@MazdaB3K]

So, what I installed is not what was there, but it works the same way: Ford F87Z-18495-AA www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000O0DRDS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I intend to install this again as a bypass for the heater core to make the AC blow colder. I'll probably make a video on that. Need to do that in my F-250 as well...

[@Cade215]

@@MazdaB3K thank you, is it just antifreeze going through this valve or is it Freon coolant? I was able to find the original valve from what you said.

[@MazdaB3K]

This valve is for coolant/antifreeze. If you have the same rear AC setup as my van they'll be two pretty standard coolant lines running under the driver's side near the frame rail and that's where the valve needs to go.

[@autosilver1]

At 5:58 in the video what are those two connections that the rear ac lines are connected to there's like two knob type of doo-hickies on there? I have metal lines going to mine on a 2001 ford conversion (no rubber) i accidently broke one of the line ends going into that thing this is a very hard thing to get imformation on Thanks

[@MazdaB3K]

Those two hard lines are for the AC part of the evaporator/heater core combo my van uses. The bigger of the two is the lower pressure line and you see it has a fill port (blue cap) on it. As to exactly what the knob things are I'm not 100% sure. It might be those are caps covering a port for a cutoff switch where the sensor was never installed. I do know in my setup an expansion valve is used to meter the amount of freon that goes to the evaporator to control how "cold" the rear AC can get. I intend to revisit the rear AC as I think my expansion valve is a bit flakey but I haven't had time to troubleshoot it thoroughly. Hope my answer helps.