On this page I will describe some of the modifications for the evaporator coil and associated hardware.
This is the radiator as it was after removal from the truck. The pusher fan has been removed in this picture. Notice there is no petcock. It is just a basic tri-core aluminum radiator.
In this picture you can see the petcock has been added. The radiator is being prepped to except a “puller” fan and the evaporator coil for the air conditioning which has been added.
As you can see in the photos above the evaporator coil is made for a standard radiator from a 1951 Chevy pickup. The after market radiator is not quite as wide as the original.
There will be other alterations required.
In the photos above you can see the evaporator brackets have been modified to fit the width of the radiator.
Tabs will be welded onto the radiator so the evaporator can be mounted securely.
Now that the tabs have been welded in place the coil can be mounted.
Dry fit and set in place to check for fit.
Yet still more modifications are needed. The radiator was mounted originally by two bolts through the bottom flange of the radiator itself into a rather thing piece of sheet metal running from the drivers side to the passenger across the frame rails. A more substantial way was needed to support the radiator and related components . Below you can see the heavy duty mounts for support has been added. The support between frame rails has also been reinforced.
These mounts have been beveled and capped in the pictures below.
Reinforced tabs are added to the aluminum radiator to complete the new mounting system.
These tabs the way that they were fabricated are a lot stronger than probably needed due to the weld area covered by there shape. Better safe than sorry and this set up should last for years and that is what I am after.
A new two speed fan has also been added to take care of any additional engine cooling due to the new air conditioning unit.
notches in the grill to accommodate the plumbing for the evaporator coil.
- Lower hose connection on radiator modified
- Top Radiator hose connected; passenger side
- Top Radiator hose connected; driver side
- Radiator hose relocation parts
- Top Radiator hose connected; Top view