Vintage Ferrari AC

Working on vintage Ferrari Air Conditioning systems. #tomyangnet

[@vizsla54]

Thanks for another great video Running a 77 GT/4 in Florida I have to say no matter how efficient your a/c is (mine blows low forties) it can never keep up with the solar soak through the large windshield. Even running the darkest tint allowed by law (and perhaps a little bit more).

[@tomyangnet]

I know most of these vintage cars fight a loosing battle with extremely hot climates, but I needed to at least try and get the system working as best as it can before trying more modifications. At the very least, it buys the owner a couple more weeks of driving before the weather makes it too hot to use in the dog days of summer! Thanks for watching!

[@robertbcope]

They make films that are clear but block the heat. I have it on almost every car I own because it makes a difference here in Houston!

[@wypilotifr]

Hi Tom- Great video! Just a thought on the intermittent nature of the GTC Thermo switch- If it's anything like the system on an air-cooled 911, I believe the thermostat probe coming off the bottom of that rotary switch might need to be placed back into the evaporator to allow for proper cycling. I did replace my thermostat switch when I rebuilt my system (including full barrier lines) and it's remarkably similar in design to the Dino (albeit with the evaporator in the smuggler's box) Regardless, awesome video as always!

[@tomyangnet]

I had the capillary tube in the evaporator, and it was still a little dodgy. I don't know what I did, but it seemed to be working. I suspect there will only be one setting on this system, FULL ON! Thanks for watching!

[@rdeiriar]

A very interesting topic, not only for Ferraris. By the way, if necessary, 3M makes a very inconspicuous IR film, the CR 90 series; it would also help preserve the interior better if exposed to sunlight regularly

[@tomyangnet]

Window film may have to be considered as another tool to cool the interiors off, but it would be interesting to see how it degrades over time. Thanks for watching.

[@jato62]

Thanks!

[@tomyangnet]

You're welcome!

[@clubdinousa8700]

Sounds like Voodoo to me. Rumors are that Tom also knows how to put "The Smoke" back into Lucas Electrical devices .

[@tomyangnet]

With Vintage Ferrari Electrics, we all have to be versed in Lucas!

[@jimurrata6785]

Looks to be a lovely weekend here in Greenwich Haggerty has been doing a great job with their set-up in the tiny Rodger Sherman Baldwin park on the harbor by exit 3 off I-95. If you want a curated loop of twisties around town LMK. I'll be there both days.

[@jimurrata6785]

Are you at the Delamar? I'll not be doing breakfast with the crowd, but I should be leading sightseeing tours before the show gets busy. Is there an estate or castle you have any interest in? A visit to Malcolm Pray's collection was always in order, back in his day. There is a nice collection off Lake Avenue on the right, just above the Merritt Parkway, but I don't know anyone in town with Ferraris exclusively Coco would have been good for that. He had a few with bespoke coachwork.

As a quick test of the overall integrity of the system... before you recharge the system, place a vacuum pump on the system and then close off the AC control valve manifold and review the vacuum level the next day. If the system can maintain vacuum then you can be quite confident that you have no leaks, etc.

[@tomyangnet]

Yes, I drew a vacuum for several hours not only to test the system, but also to evaporate any moisture in the newly installed lines. I left the system for at least 18 hours and it held vacuum, so I was reasonably sure everything sealed. I guess the true test will be to see how well it holds over the summer! Thanks for the advice and for watching.

[@beatglauser9444]

I think the problem with classics with big engines in front is not the temperature outside but the heat coming from the engine, the transmission and the exhaust system. My Bonneville convertible has a huge solid compressor, but over time the hoses lost the coolant. Before I never understood why a convertible would use aircon, but the legs can get cooked when driving long distance in summer. A guy I trusted refilled the system and told me he had fixed everything. The aircon worked for a few hours. So one day I may have to go the route you took and replace the entire system.

[@tomyangnet]

I cut one of the old aeroquip hoses to see what it looked like inside, and found just rubber and a woven wire sheathing. The rubber was pretty stiff and probably dry rotted. I have to imagine this is a potential area for leaking refrigerant. I also feel the older cars were not insulated as well, so the heat from all the mechanicals goes straight into the passenger compartment. Today's engines generate a lot more HP so that would create more heat, and yet the A/C systems work fine. Insulation is also another key to the puzzle of keeping the heat away. Good luck with the Bonneville!

[@beatglauser9444]

@@tomyangnetThank you for this information and for your interesting and detailed answer. By the way those Pontiac engines in 1965 had a compression of 10.5 to 1. I think that was higher than in most street Ferraris of the Midsixties.

[@btcmoonguy]

Thanks Tom!

[@tomyangnet]

You're welcome!

[@sayrerowan734]

AC work is relatively easy, other than getting at the evaporator in the dash.

[@tomyangnet]

The hard part is getting to the inaccessible components! Thanks for watching.

[@TheJaredsalinsky]

Nice job. Just about to button up the new front Spal radiator fans, but the AC is next. So this is very helpful. Thank you! So did you end up running all new hoses including from the front-of-the-car components to the evaporator? And did you flush out the evaporator with AC flush? Lastly, would you mind putting a link to where you got the new compressor and the new condenser and the new dryer? Thank you very much again.

[@tomyangnet]

On the Dino, I replaced all the hoses and components with new, so a flush wasn't necessary, but the GTC/4 I flushed the evaporator since it was the only thing left of the original system. I ordered the components from an old school A/C guy based in Texas recommended from a friend of mine in the business, and I don't think he has a website. I called him directly, and ordered the parts just like the old days! Thanks for watching.

[@robertbcope]

Some day I'll put the AC back in the 308. I took it off to do a timing belt and just decided it wasn't a car I'd ever drive if I couldn't have the top off, windows down, etc, so what is the point of messing with the AC? I have other cars to drive when it's hotter out!

[@tomyangnet]

It's not as bad in a 308 because the exhaust of the radiators vent behind the headlights, but when I first drove a 328GTS I couldn't why it was so hot with the roof panel off. I soon realized at a certain slow speed, all the heat from the radiators would exhaust out of the front panel, wash over the windshield and drop right into the passenger compartment! Nice design! Thanks for watching!

[@robertbcope]

@@tomyangnet Interesting! My 308, and I feel like a lot of owners complain about this, leaks a lot of hot air into the passenger compartment. I assume it is radiator heat since that's the only place heat could come from. I've replaced all the seals up front but haven't made a scientific effort on fixing it, mostly because folks seem to consider it normal.

[@m3chris9]

Hi Tom - can you share more info about that "all in one" switch? I have converted my '79 308 GTB to R134 (new compressor, hoses, and of course Dryer...condenser and evaporator are fine), but my car still has the original low and high pressure switches. I'm interested in what you did to streamline that system into 1 device/switch?

[@tomyangnet]

The switch is called a binary switch. It replaces the low and high pressure switches in your 308. Those two original switches are wired in series before the compressor and can be eliminated and run through the one binary switch which can mount to one of the ports at the dryer. Good luck!

[@Douglas3.2Carrera]

Curious as to how concours judges view “updated” AC componentry? Or are these updates done exclusively to non-show cars?

[@tomyangnet]

Both of these customers may never show at a concours level, but the system Scott McClure helped me put together for the Dino could pass Concours Judging. I used a thinner reduced barrier hose for the GTC/4 to make installation easier, and it does not have the same weave as the original aeroquip hose. Thanks for watching.

[@TheJaredsalinsky]

Hey Tom- one additional thing. When you got the new compressor I’m guessing (like mine) it came pre-filled with oil. Did you change the oil? Or add/subtract oil? Also on your snowflake dial that you thought might be problematic it looked like the temp sensor was cut… did you fix that? Thanks

[@tomyangnet]

@@TheJaredsalinsky I drained the compressor, measured and refilled with oil. I replaced the temp switch with a new one. I had trouble finding one that turned the same way as the original one for cold, but the new one at least works.

[@TheJaredsalinsky]

@@tomyangnet and how did you know was the correct amount of oil? I’m having problems with my AC retrofit and at least one issue is that I did not drain and refill my New York 210…. Might be starting over…😟

[@tomyangnet]

@@TheJaredsalinsky the amount of oil was specified on the compressor.

[@sayrerowan734]

I've always heard that R12 systems that have been converted to 134a are never as cool as when it's designed for 134a as new.

[@tomyangnet]

I wouldn’t agree, but R12 is not always available, bad for the environment, and I want my customers to be able to have their cars serviced by any a/c shop they go to!

@@tomyangnet Sadly, all refrigerants are bad for the environment... but some are much less so. R134a is about 7x less harmful than R12. That said, if the system is maintained and there are no leaks, then the environmental impact is greatly minimized. Consequently, using a less harmful refrigerants is great... but only if the system integrity is maintained, as if you have to recharge the system periodically then going with the less harmful refrigerant is somewhat moot. I will also add that cooling systems can operate for very long times (10-20 years) without issues and without the need to be recharged. Take your home refrigerator for example... I bet most people never had the need to have their fridge recharged. My shop fridge is 30 years old and works and cools like new... and has never needed a recharge and operates 24/7.

[@sayrerowan734]

@@tomyangnet buddy of mine that does AC work saved a big bottle or R12 thinking he was sitting on a gold mine. But everyone converted to 134a, so there ended up being no demand for his r12. My father did AC work as well. He used this R12 substitute called FreeZone or something like that. Seemed to work pretty well.

[@tomyangnet]

@@sayrerowan734 a lot of my customers are not local to me, so I'm always thinking of making it easy for them to have other shops do regular maintenance without anything special. Switching everything to 134a with lines insured two things, one, they can get the system recharged by any shop not having to search for R12, and two, new lines and o-ring seals should keep the new refrigerant sealed in the system for a long time. I guess as a third benefit, as you mentioned, we're preserving the environment by not have a leaking system. Thanks for watching.

[@sayrerowan734]

I understand completely where you're coming from. Love watching you work on these old systems and getting them working correctly. Very cool.