Modern a/c??

[1956322]

I came across a bolt in kit for ac in my 56 special... Curious if anyone's used anything like these modern kits and if so how well it worked...

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Don't know what " bolt in kit " you found. I installed a '60s under dash hanging Mark IV in my '50.  Sanden compressor and vintage Air condenser out front. Will run me out on a HOT day

 

  Ben

[1956322]

This is the set up I saw

 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F142440768202

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

 I followed this guy on Team Buick when he was developing it. Looks like something I would use if I had a '56.  Pricey for me. I am cheap.

 

  Ben

  

[1956322]

Any chance you can link me to when he was developing it... I'm cheap a well but it might be worth it lol

[Bill Stoneberg]

You cant put it together for the price he is charging.  

 

[60FlatTop]

There used to be a story about getting a refrigeration license or certification, maybe it was from RSES. The old timers would tell the young guys they would be locked in a room with all the components of a refrigeration system and appropriate tools. The test required assembling the components and bringing the room to a specified set point. Some said the door was locked.

 

$1700 might be a price worth considering. Glass half full or half empty; Value of knowledge or the cost of not having knowledge. Either way, video the job.

Bernie

[KAD36]

The 56 has a better vent arrangement in the cabin than the 55 does and if stock is retained favors this set up.  I believe there is a center and 2 side vents in the 56 so air can get directly on the passengers quickly, and the seller appears to have replicated the evaporator being in the 56s firewall blister.  An Old Air Products unit was adapted to work in my 55.  It pushes alot of cold air (alot of air noise on high mind you) and overall am happy with it - does the job.  The OAP blowers cfm is significantly higher than a stock single 55 blower and keeps the car cool.  Some things to think about from my experience:

 

• Might want to check with another 56 owner of a stock non AC 56 blowers ability to pump enough cold air into the cabin.  FWIW, a single stock 55 defroster blowers cfm wouldn't cut it to cool my car, even if there were vents were up front blowing straight forward like a 56 - just my opinion.  The 55 AC used 2 blowers in the trunk - maybe because that was pushing air from back to front?  Or maybe the 56 with factory AC blower has higher CFMs?  Something to investigate so you're not disappointed in air flow - because when its installed and all charged up it is what it is.
• Make sure your floor insulation and door and window seals are sound!!  My door seals are ratty and that hurts the systems effectiveness, but it can keep up.  The evaporator will drop incoming air about 60-70 degrees, measured at intake and vent. Check what the capacity is of the sellers evaporator.
• Stock radiators in good shape seem to work fine on AC cars. If you have a recored radiator my recommendation would be check the spacing between the rows to see what you have.  Mine was 9/16 inches on center, and I had to move up to one that was on 3/8 inch centers to adequately handle the extra heat load from the condenser.  Similarly, from a fan perspective, an electric fan didn't appeal to me.  Folks with stock radiators have good results with the factory ACs 6 (or 5?)  blade vs the standard 4 blade. I used a 19 inch diameter 6 blade clutch setup with the denser radiator and its been working well.
• Consider how important a suppliers warrantys/parts return policy, customer feedback/referrals on effectiveness and installation, size of the installation base (how many units are in the field) and factor that information into your decision process.  I had some issues and parts were replaced at no cost.  There is a value to those intangibles. 

 

I would agree that the system shown likely bolts in easier than an aftermarket system - having been there and done that.  My unit with recharge was less than that, but I did alot of fabrication and putzing around trying to design a clean install, maybe if you consider that cost its a wash.

 

Good luck - keep us posted.

 

[1956322]

Just something I'm playing around with... The blower motor is the same between ac and non ac cars.. The air flow is plenty in high so I'm not worried about that.. I'm running a high efficiency new radiator from classic radiators so I should be good there.. Was curious about not using the supplied electric fan and just going with a factory ac fan

[KAD36]

Sounds like you are in good shape.

 

Factory AC non clutch fan works good - lots of posts.  I was experimenting and trying to save a few ponies.

 

Also - I never had issues w a 7lb radiator cap but put a 13 lb on due to paranoia.

 

[Beemon]

Ken, what clutch setup do you use? I have a 6 blade 18 inch hooked to a HD clutch out of a 68 Riviera.

 

I've been eyeing this kit, too. Looks really good for the price point. He also makes a firewall mount master cylinder but I don't like it, you lose your washer jar. Some people may not care, but I do. It completes the engine bay. At least his A.C. kit looks stock. And he supplies a compressor mount for the engine so that eliminates the hardest part. 

[1956322]

Thinking about his brake set up as well... Just playing with some ideas might sale some other toys and go all Buick and if I do I might wanna modernize some stuff... My Buick will never be a show car or 100 percent original so as much as I hate not being original it might be the right move

[JohnD1956]

That's a nice looking evaporator box.  And I know the factory 56 system puts the box in the same location, but does it allow for recirculation of interior air when needed?  My thought process says that hang under the dash units are in constant recirculation mode.  That is,  they are always taking air from inside the car and running it past the evaporator.  But this 56 set up does not seem to include that.  As such you have the hot engine compartment and the cold air in the blower duct in constant opposition.  I don't know if you will ever be able to run the fan on low speed, and the faster you run the fan the less time the air will have to interact in the evaporator.

 

I don't know how to make the system better, unless the evaporator box goes deeper and takes in the passengers side vent as a source for the negative side of the evaporator . Maybe it does that.  It's something I'd want to be sure of.

[JohnD1956]

Just took another look at the photos of the custom evaporator box and it does look like it goes deep enough to go over the vent  flap, and has a channel to allow the vent to be on the negative side of the evaporator. .

[KAD36]

Beemon- The fan is a Derale 19.25 inch 6 blade unit with a standard clutch. It cycles on and off around about 190 -just below the N on my gauge. If the car is put on the fast idle cam step when all warmed up you can hear it cycling on and off and see the speed change when you look at the bolt pattern spinning on the mounting flange.  It will hold paper to the grill when engaged at idle.

 

I had a 19 inch 5 blade steep pitch fan (>3 inch pitch) from a late 70s olds on there with an HD clutch. That was a little too noisy for my liking, really pulled some air, and the fan blades were aluminum on a steel frame.  That's an advantage as it's pretty light.  The derale fan is all steel.  I've been debating putting the derale fan on the HD clutch ; it'll be quieter than the 5 blade unit as its pitch is less.  I did a spreadsheet figuring CFM if interested. Also have like 11 extra derale fans to unload due to a supplier shipping error!

 

JD you make a good point on the evaporator in the firewall housing.  On my 55 there is undercoating (original) on the housing that serves as a sound deadener and a heat insulator, and even so a lot of engine heat still comes through that firewall housing and warms up the vent air coming through.  Be curious the size and how much tubing is in that evaporator - adding extra insulation to protect that housing from engine heat would be smart.  

[1956322]

What about the water pump think I'd have to replace my three impler one with the five??

[KAD36]

Hmmm. Think mine is 5.  I have a spare one and will check, but I didn't do anything special looking for a different pump - it's what was on the car originally, rebuilt a few times.  I had Dutchmans put a roller bearing in it to handle the weight and load of the clutch fan assembly

[NTX5467]

As for the heat intrusion from the "undercoated" housing, you might want to scrape some of that undercoating off and replace it with a layer of LizardSkim spray-on ceramic insulation/sound deadener.  Then after that dries, put a thin coat of undercoat on top of it to maintain the "stock appearance"?

 

IF you look at the insulation on those earlier cars and then compare it to a modern car, it's kind of like trying to cool a cardboard box in 100 degree weather.  Adding the LizardSkin to the floor panels, using some bubble-wrap-type plastic for the door watershields (rather than the factory craft paper!), and glue a better bunch of jute to the inside of the roof, possibly with a foil barrier, put something behind the rear seat, that'll probably compensate for any coolness loss via the door weatherstrips.   Modern vehicles are very well insulated so the a/c compressor can run less and cost less mpg while keeping things nice and comfortable on the inside.  Back then, one of the best strategies to keep the interior cooler was tinted glass and a white top (or car).

 

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467

[NTX5467]

In using a Sanden compressor, there are many different styles of "back castings" for them.  Something like 25?  ONE of them is a stock GM back, which will use a stock GM rear hose fitting for a particular GM car.  There are MANY of these and some include mufflers.  Find an a/c catalog which illustrates these fittings, even an ACDelco a/c book from the '80s can work.  This way, plus how the hoses are configured and run, you can have something that's more "factory look" than not.  Additionally, there is an aluminum "A-6" look-a-lilke compressor made by Denso (used on some Lexus applications?) that is a bolt-in replacement for a GM A-6 unit.  Has a funky front clutch/pulley cover, but looks like the A-6 in every other way.  About $300.00 range a few years ago, probably a little more now.

 

More thoughts,

NTX5467

[60FlatTop]

In the early cars you will usually find a flooded evaporator, until the mid-1960's, and R-12. R12 provides about 15% more cooling per pound than newer blends. And the flooded evaporator will have a higher capacity that one controlled with today's TXV. Some adaptation of modern standards may reduce capacity.

 

The packaged system shown appears to be a quality installation and pretty well sorted out. It is a good option without a lot of monkeying around. If I was doing one I would probably go for a trunk mounted evaporator with quarter panel scoops and recirculation. I like the original cant rail distribution entering through the rear package tray.

 

The Denso A6 look alike sounds great. I didn't know they were out there.

 

AC is not a big deal in my area. I used it two days ago, that must have used up 20% of the run time for this season. I turned on the heat in the garage this morning!

Bernie

[Beemon]

5 hours ago, JohnD1956 said:

That's a nice looking evaporator box.  And I know the factory 56 system puts the box in the same location, but does it allow for recirculation of interior air when needed?  My thought process says that hang under the dash units are in constant recirculation mode.  That is,  they are always taking air from inside the car and running it past the evaporator.  But this 56 set up does not seem to include that.  As such you have the hot engine compartment and the cold air in the blower duct in constant opposition.  I don't know if you will ever be able to run the fan on low speed, and the faster you run the fan the less time the air will have to interact in the evaporator.

 

I don't know how to make the system better, unless the evaporator box goes deeper and takes in the passengers side vent as a source for the negative side of the evaporator . Maybe it does that.  It's something I'd want to be sure of.

 

I know of the stock system, when you activate the AC not only does the bottom heater vent close and the top AC vent open, but it also pulls open the vent for recirculation as well. If I recall correctly, the large vent is not there or is but non-functional, and there's a smaller flapper vent in its place.

 

Also, the heat issue can easily be remedied if you use aluminum heat shielded ducting on the fan side (like stuff you would find at Home Depot in the dryer section) versus the stock black canvas ducting. Sticks out like a sore thumb but works pretty good.

 

4 hours ago, KAD36 said:

Beemon- The fan is a Derale 19.25 inch 6 blade unit with a standard clutch. It cycles on and off around about 190 -just below the N on my gauge. If the car is put on the fast idle cam step when all warmed up you can hear it cycling on and off and see the speed change when you look at the bolt pattern spinning on the mounting flange.  It will hold paper to the grill when engaged at idle.

 

I had a 19 inch 5 blade steep pitch fan (>3 inch pitch) from a late 70s olds on there with an HD clutch. That was a little too noisy for my liking, really pulled some air, and the fan blades were aluminum on a steel frame.  That's an advantage as it's pretty light.  The derale fan is all steel.  I've been debating putting the derale fan on the HD clutch ; it'll be quieter than the 5 blade unit as its pitch is less.  I did a spreadsheet figuring CFM if interested. Also have like 11 extra derale fans to unload due to a supplier shipping error!

 

JD you make a good point on the evaporator in the firewall housing.  On my 55 there is undercoating (original) on the housing that serves as a sound deadener and a heat insulator, and even so a lot of engine heat still comes through that firewall housing and warms up the vent air coming through.  Be curious the size and how much tubing is in that evaporator - adding extra insulation to protect that housing from engine heat would be smart.  

 

Ken, thanks for the info! I have the HD clutch but I never hear it cycle and its always spinning at 50% fan speed. Good to know with AC, that standard clutch and 6 blades are keeping your nail cool. If you're looking to get rid of some of those 19-inch blades, I'm willing to help.

 

4 hours ago, 1956322 said:

What about the water pump think I'd have to replace my three impler one with the five??

 

What you could do is find a used aluminum timing cover or get a new TA performance cover and buy an over the counter AC pump from NAPA. That's the easiest way to upgrade, other than hunting down an original AC car and swapping water pumps. There's a company out there that makes a high flow water pump for the later nailhead. The pump is specifically designed to reduce cavitation while increasing flow. Increasing the flow can greatly help your cooling efficiency as it allows the engine to evacuate hotter coolant faster and move cooler coolant in quicker, while also helping with circulation through the block when the T-stat is closed. 

 

In regards to his brake kit, be careful what you pay for. Looks like the type of setup that sells you the master cylinder with disproportioned outlets and a proportioning block, which is usually what the salesmen will try to sell you without knowing really what they're talking about. Most all modern systems that use ABS have a distribution block with the solenoid where the master cylinder controls the proportioning through specific valving and orifice size (the primary line is usually always a bigger line than the second line). When you order the master cylinder, take a look at how the primary and secondary ports are sized and then look at the proportioning block. Most cars even when these systems were new didn't use a proportioning block and relied on the size of the brake line as well as the caliper/wheel cylinder volume to determine brake proportioning. 

 

And, as I should add, the original power brake system is fantastic. It's easy to maintain and is no more dangerous than a modern system, having experience brake failure in a dual portioned master cylinder, where I had zero brakes and relied solely on the parking brake. These new systems are meant to be replaced while the original one can easily be rebuilt without requiring an expensive sleeve job - and still be cheaper than a new system.

[60FlatTop]

6 hours ago, Beemon said:

The pump is specifically designed to reduce cavitation while increasing flow. Increasing the flow can greatly help your cooling efficiency as it allows the engine to evacuate hotter coolant faster and move cooler coolant in quicker, while also helping with circulation through the block when the T-stat is closed. 

 

Really? I am having trouble doing the math on that one. https://www.scribd.com/document/240314299/Cameron-Hydraulic-Data-pdf

 

 

[NTX5467]

Seems that everybody perceives the need for "high flow coolant", BUT seem to forget that the "dwell time" of the coolant inside of the radiator can be more important.  If it moves too quickly, all of the heat that needs to be removed can't be optimally removed (going through too quickly).  PLUS, there is/can be turbulence inside of the block and heads, as the coolant runs through them.  Such turbulence is addressed when the engine is designed, to decrease "hot spots" caused by too much turbulence in certain areas around the cylinder bores or inside of the cylinder heads.  Obviously, there is an optimum rate of flow, or flow spec window that the original engineers have to deal with.  Pressurization might help decrease such flow issues, possibly?  BUT, there are lots of areas which the coolant must bet into and/or around in the water jackets!  Too much flow might make over-heating worse, with increased flow rates.  Perhaps the additives to decrease the surface tension of the coolant mixture might be a better option?

 

Of course, the value of a "clean" water jacket and an internally-clean radiator can't be forgotten about, either!

 

Getting more air through the radiator can be important, too.  Over the years, there have been multitudes of fans designed for a/c equipped cars that might work well with older systems where a fan clutch is being adapted, to replace the prior fixed-blade solid fan drive.  Some are quieter than others, by observation.  On some car body configuration, there just isn't very much room to alter the radiator from factory size specs, so getting a more modern radiator with higher efficiency is about the only real option in that area.

 

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467

[KAD36]

^--- x2

[Beemon]

Coolant dwell time inside the block and radiator is very important for the heat exchange coefficient and that's usually controlled by the thermostat, not the water pump. Water to air convection is usually pretty rapid and the thermostat acts as a mass flow rate restrictor on the outlet side so your mass flow rate into the radiator is more or less constant. Increasing the speed through the thermostat can lead to cavitation losses but with a 13 psi cap, I would presume it to be minimal.

 

There seems to be a lot of misconception about high flow water pumps, but the only thing it affects is the evacuation and fill time of the block, and internal circulation of the block before the thermostat opens. Cars came with different fans, different pumps because it was about application efficiency, maintaining bhp numbers and emissions. Modem cars use high flow pumps specifically, coupled with an electric fan and a stout alternator. Granted, all modern cars have A.C., as well,  but they are designed to be high flow with cavitation loss. 

 

The inherent problem I see with a high flow water pump is increased fluid temperature due to increased volumetric flow at the cast iron boundary layer, resulting in increased friction. Cavitation in the block would be minimal due to increased heat at the boundary layer and lack of any real venturi effect on the water passages. The heat exchange coefficient is not constant and from the minimal testing I've done at the school (minimal as in controlled environments on a small scale)  does indeed seem to be affected by volumetric flow rate. The cooling efficiency gets better the more turbulent the flow is, suggesting that the turbulent flow cycles the fluid at the boundary layer. And then, of course, the main benefit is that faster-moving fluid can remove hot water per rate of time faster. 

 

So thermostat and opening are the same, the radiator is the same, the block is the same. The only difference is a high flow versus low flow pump. Mass flow rate into the radiator is the same due to the restrictor. And as noted, water speed has a positive effect on the heat exchange coefficient. Water circulates faster, gets in and out faster, and due to the conservation of mass theorem, the mass flow rate in is the same as the mass flow rate out. You benefit from a hotter boundary layer that may or may not reduce cavitation risk while also using a pump that minimizes cavitation risk in the low-pressure region of the impeller. You can expect increased pump loss with faster-moving fluid but it can be minimized with the right impeller. 

 

Bernie, thanks for the read. It was a good refresher from my fluid dynamics course. I was a little bummed when they started comparing different pumps and their dynamics without displaying or recording impeller size and design. The impeller design is, of course, more critical than the size of the impeller. The Flowkooler pump (btw I don't own it, and I'm not endorsing the company just making an observation) seems to be designed well to limit cavitation at the impeller edge versus the stock 3 or 5 vanes simple impeller that was made with a hand mill or cast. With industry grade flow sim programs and a CNC machine, we can do much better than what was available back in the day. 

 

As an example, one could also compare ducted propellers with curved blades versus a standard propeller. Or, as I also like to build computers, cooling fans for computers that are vacuum formed plastic to contour the housing versus standard blade fans that put out more CFM at lower RPM. 

 

I have been wrong from time to time, especially when on paper doesn't match real life (such as drum brakes being more efficient than disc brakes when formulated on paper, but that is not the case in real life application), but I like to think I've got a pretty good grasp on fluid dynamics.

Edited May 20, 2018 by Beemon (see edit history)

[KAD36]

The only mass flow increase my pea brain can handle is beer. Thermo brings back nightmares.

 

With different aftermarket thermostats, radiator densities, impellers and fans out there on older vehicles makes me wonder how the "as observed" flow math of a vehicle with mix and match aftermarket parts compares to the "predicted" math of the original OEM baseline design.  Reminds me of the "systems engineering" tolerance stack problem on my engine rebuild.  All components in the system have to be considered.

 

This is starting to feel too much like work.  Time for 12 cold ounces.

 

 

Edited May 20, 2018 by KAD36 (see edit history)

[NTX5467]

Back in the '60s, I'd read of people traversing the western "arid areas" in the heat of summer, towing an overloaded trailer, across "ups and downs" in the terrain, in an older vehicle, that would overheat.  Lots of "fixes", including removing the thermostat all together, for "more flow" through the radiator.  What they heroically did got them through that rough spot, as if it was the automotive engineers that orchestrated their miseries.  Never did hear what happened a month later when the rest of the system also had issues.

 

There were also several coolant additives to help decrease overheating issues, back then.  Many multi-colored containers with their promises in big letters.

 

In the '50s, car designs were in transition from vehicles with inline engines (and styling/sheetmetal contours to match) into vehicles with V-type motors (with styling/sheetmetal to match).  The inline engines had narrower front frame widths, which affected other architectural aspects of the front of vehicle engineering.  Which also affected engine radiator widths and placements.  Wider and more powerful engines generally happened before the body changes got fully updated to match.  Factory and aftermarket a/c availability also tended to aggravate things related to cooling performance.

 

Finding the best later model components to use for upgrades of the performance of earlier vehicles' cooling performance can take some doing to get the most optimized combination of old and new engineering orientations.

 

Congrats when you find what works best for YOUR application!

 

NTX5467

[KAD36]

Back to the pump question - heres the impeller.  This is my spare unit - just back from Flying Dutchmans - same as whats on the car now.  Am assuming this is stock configuration. 

 

An observation - they did the "set the impeller close to the timing chain cover" trick on the first pump (on car now) and it made no noticeable difference in cooling with the std radiator.  The radiator density made the most consistent and significant improvement, fan next.

 

[NTX5467]

I suspect that a clean water jacket circuit and an efficient radiator are the two key things.  Water pump flow needs to be good, too.

 

Thanks for the picture.  

 

Take care,

Willis

[Beemon]

Those old impellers are not very efficient for obvious reason, but they do a good enough job that no one really seems to mind or care. If it worked back then, it should work now, right? What thermostat do you run Ken?

[NTX5467]

Over the years, I've seen water pump impellers that had nicely-curved fins on them.  Others just had a serrated surface around the edge, where the water moved.  Still others had impellers that were of the same style as an alternator/generator fan, with folded, flat metal sections.  As long as it can create a low pressure area that will move the coolant, by whatever shape, that's all that matters.  They all seemed to work equally well for what they had to do, by observation.

 

In the case where the factory a/c pump has fewer vanes, when compared to the non a/c pump, the fewer vanes works as the pulley drive ratio turns the fewer-vanes pump faster

 

In the world of Chevy hot rod factory parts, many of them might also be "truck" parts.  The a/c pulley on our '69 CST-10 350 pickup was the larger pulley, as the pickups usually had lower rear axle ratios, which turned the accessories faster.  So, larger pulleys to keep the accessory rpms down.  On the regular cars, they'd have the small a/c pulley as the rear axle ratios could be 2.73 or so, with the aim of a particular "target rpm" for best cooling at the lower engine rpms.  Then, here came the '77 Z/28 option w/factory a/c.  It had 3.42 gears with the automatic and 3.73s with the 4-speed . . . "pickup truck ratio territory", BUT as it was listed for the "performance oriented" Z/28, it automatically got the "high performance" tag put on it.  Although it was a normal item for pickup trucks.

 

Considering the generally lower gears which many cars tended to have in the '50s and earlier '60s (the era where 2-speed automatics were very prevalent, with smaller motors, needing "more gear" for good performance3), there were many "large pulleys" on engine accessory items, it seems.  Moreso than later in the '60s when larger engines, 3-speed automatics, and "highway gears" came to be "normal".

 

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467

[Beemon]

9 minutes ago, NTX5467 said:

As long as it can create a low pressure area that will move the coolant, by whatever shape, that's all that matters. 

 

Not entirely the case. A poorly designed pump at high RPM can cause the coolant to undergo cavitation at the impeller edge and cause the coolant to foam, which has an adverse effect on cooling and can lead to boiling over in some cases. This issue on modem cars is alleviated by overdrive transmissions on the highway and increased transmission efficiencies that create low RPM cruising, or electric fans that regulate the flow of the pump regardless of engine RPM. But for, say a nailhead engine, where you're spinning 3000 RPM going down the highway and your water pump is spinning faster with a load on the engine, and increase rpms on a long grade, it can lead to other issues including cavitation.

[KAD36]

4 hours ago, Beemon said:

Those old impellers are not very efficient for obvious reason, but they do a good enough job that no one really seems to mind or care. If it worked back then, it should work now, right? What thermostat do you run Ken?

 

Motorad #2006-180.  High flow, stainless, has the little valve to prevent air pockets.  Same as a duralast #15478 for autozone fans.

Edited May 22, 2018 by KAD36 (see edit history)

[old-tank]

The nailhead is going to run hotter than other engines because of the design of the cylinder heads.  The exhaust has to travel across the head.  Other v8 heads dump the exhaust next to the exhaust valve.  The Ford flathead v8 has the same problem --- exhaust travels from close to the center of the block to the side.

All of the fans and pumps will not prevent temperature rise if idling in gear with the A/C on.  Just live with it and put it in neutral and bring the rpm up to 2K; switch off the compressor power if needed.  With a 13# thermostat (standard on 55 A/C cars) the boiling point is raised to over 240*F.  Most of the original gauges are pegged on HOT at only 200* (it is also pegged at 300*)...install a direct reading gauge if you can't stand looking and wondering.

I installed one of those aluminum A-6 substitute compressors on my 76 Olds.  I first bought a rebuilt A-6 from Advance auto and it was defective.  They had no more rebuilt units (seems most of the cores are not rebuildable) available so they sent a new A-6 aluminum substitute.  Much lighter and works great along with a VIR eliminator unit.

Edited May 22, 2018 by old-tank (see edit history)

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Caught you, Willie!    Not proofreading, son.   

 

  Ben

[KAD36]

(New Radiator + New Fan) x (Get the biggest that fits) = (Fixed my 55 Buick AC Cooling Problem) Q.E.D.

 

A+ and a doggie treat. Class dismissed. ?

[NTX5467]

Beemon, my "theory" is that almost all water pump impellers will cause some turbulence/foaming of the coolant as they "beat up" the fluid rather than encouraging a smooth flow.  We also know that coolant with bubbles doesn't have the same heat absorption capacity as solid fluid.  By the same token, it's an observation that the generally rougher surfaces of the block's water jacket can also encourage a certain amount of foaming, too, especially if casting flash is involved.  Not quite like fluid running through a steel pipe.

 

Might the heat transferred to the cylinder heat ("heat sink") be decreased by coating the exhaust ports with a ceramic coating, similar to what can be applied to piston crowns to decrease heat transfer into the piston itself?

 

Additionally, just curious of the pump rpms at which the perceived cavitation take place?  It COULD well be that all of this is figured into the system's capacity for fluid flow and heat dissipation to start with?  Decreasing these factors might result in better cooling performance, but by what percentage?

 

NTX5467

[56 Buick]

1956322, did you end up making a decision on the a/c system?

[1956322]

No still playing with ideas if I do anything it'll be in about a year...

[56 Buick]

On the point of adding a/c to a non-a/c 56, can anyone provide comment on using or adapting a used 56 factory a/c system?

 

Thanks

 

Drew