What does factory air mean?

Factory Air means that your vehicle originally came with air conditioning option.

What does heater only mean?

Heater Only means that your vehicle was originally equipped with a heater option and no air conditioning.

Are the refrigerant hoses pre-crimped?

Depends on the kit you ordered. Pre-crimped Refrigeration Hoses are given in the model-specific kit purchases when the original engine is being used.  If an engine swap has been performed on your vehicle we do not know the length and “clocking” of the fittings therefore the hoses will be uncrimped to allow you to custom route the hoses to your preference. You can send the hoses back to us to be crimped after your routing has been configured.

How much refrigerant does my Classic Auto Air system use?

All of Classic Auto Air “Model Specific” and “Daily Driver” A/C systems use exactly 24oz. of R134a. When can charging most common can sizes are 12oz. each, be certain to check the can sizes before charging.

What refrigerant does my Classic Auto Air system use?

All of Classic Auto Air “Smart Series” and “Daily Driver” A/C systems use exactly 24oz. of R134a.

Does my A/C compressor have oil already?

If you purchased the compressor from Classic Auto Air it already has 7 oz. of PAG oil. If you suspect that your compressor may not have oil that you purchased elsewhere, we recommend draining the compressor and refill as needed per your compressor’s requirements.

Can I mount my A/C compressor on the side so the A/C hose connections are not straight up?

Yes, you can rotate the A/C compressor so that the compressor is on it side, but NOT upside down. With the compressor fittings straight up (12 o’clock) you can rotate in either direction 90 degrees as long as the fill plug (looks like a bolt head on the compressor body) is not rotated more than 90 degrees. (3 o’clock or 9 o’clock position).

How many O'rings do I put on each fitting connection?

Each connection on the A/C system will need to have (1) green o’ring to make a positive seal. Make certain to put two drops of o’ring oil (white tube supplied in kit) on each o’ring before tightening fittings, this will allow the o’ring to not tear during tightening of fitting.

Can I put a belt on the A/C compressor even though I have not charged the system?

Yes, you can put a belt on the system as long as you have not connected the clutch wire found on the compressor. Without 12V to this wire on the compressor the magnetic clutch is not engaged therefore the compressor acts simply as an idler pulley.

Does it matter which heater hose fittings (found on the firewall) I connect the water valve to?

No, it does not matter which heater hose connection that you attach the water valve to the firewall, but it DOES matter which heater hose the water valve is connected to on the engine side. ALL Classic Auto Air systems must have the water valve in the heater hose to the WATER PUMP.

Does it matter how the condenser is mounted in front of the radiator?

Yes, the condenser MUST be mounted with the LARGER (#8) connection on TOP. Failure to do so will prevent the A/C System from functioning correctly. Refrigerant flows from the compressor to the top connection of the condenser down to the bottom connection. This allows the refrigerant to change from gas from to a liquid from needed for the system to operate. We also recommend that the condenser is about an inch away from the radiator.

My car A/C cools great at idle but warms up when driving or raising the engine off idle.

There can be two reasons for this happening and both have to do with the water valve on the heater lines. BOTH need to be addressed.

  1. The water valve must be installed on the heater hose that is connected to the WATER PUMP. (firewall connection does not matter)
  2. The water valve must be installed with the engine coolant flowing correctly through the valve. The water valve has an arrow on the side of the body, the arrow needs to point towards the WATER PUMP. (this is the flow of coolant returning to the engine)

Keep in mind that all Classic Auto Air systems are designed to stop the flow of coolant returning to the engine, NOT the flow entering the heater core from the intake manifold.

Shipping Zones and Cost

To view shipping zones and cost, click here.