Vintage a/c installation

[ken smith]

Working on 1961 Impala....installing Vintage Air sure-fit a/c ( in-dash). Any "tricks" in getting evaporator unit up behind the dash? With all brackets and lines installed per directions there doesn't seem to be enough room to manipulate the unit into place....Thanks!

 

[1961 Bubble Boy]

Working on 1961 Impala....installing Vintage Air sure-fit a/c ( in-dash). Any "tricks" in getting evaporator unit up behind the dash? With all brackets and lines installed per directions there doesn't seem to be enough room to manipulate the unit into place....Thanks!

What parts on the case are hitting and binding?

 

[ken smith]

Firewall cover plate off.Front mounting bracket off. Have unit a/c-heater lines about 10-11 o'clock position to start thru firewall. #6 a/c tube hits firewall then 3 "knobs" on top hit bottom edge of dash....can't rotate unit to get "tubes" thru firewall.....

 

[1961 Bubble Boy]

The instructions imply the unit should be able to be lifted straight up then pushed forward. I take it you gave that a try? The unit looks taller than deep, so tipping it would make it deeper to pass though the bottom of dash to firewall gap.
We usually put the unit in before the dash and need to remove the dash to remove the unit on new trucks and cars. With a welded in dash, that is not an option.
If nobody chimes in with personal experience with this unit, I would give Vintage Air a call. You must be missing something...

 

[ken smith]

Thanks for the help! I called Vintage....they said no one had any problems installing ,but try turning unit upside down and rotate fittings upoward into place...didn't work.Instructions said to assemble all fittings and brackets including the firewall cover plateand then install into dash. Finally , I removed all fittings firewall cover and front brackets , lifted inti place , then installed all fittings thru the opening in the firewall...a/c line req'd crowfoot wrench use inside car up between unit and firewall. Now to put j-nuts in firewall to mount firewall cover. Back on track again! Thanks!

 

[1961 Bubble Boy]

Glad to hear you made it work. Reminds me of the time I am at work at GM and the owner's manual engineer across from me is having a meeting at his desk with 3 others. Seems they are developing the instructions to change a tire to put in the manual. After listening to 3 guys and a gal talk for about an hour like politicians giving speeches to each other and me silently making faces at another engineer who restored trucks, they somehow all admitted not one ever changed a tire in their life!
Through some miracle they decided to go out to engineering mockup and get a vehicle builder to help them figure out how to change a tire on a prototype so they could write the instructions.
Wish the people at Vintage Air did the same...

 

[ken smith]

How true! Thanks for your input...

 

[Tri5man]

Vintage has been so diligent about trying to make their evaporator as unobtrusive as possible you have to fight the sucker into place.