ac experts

[kglowacky]

Well I am in the ac connection business this week on my truck. Doing a ls swap using all org. ac parts but compressor and condenser. Compressor will be a Sandon 508 and the condenser is out of a 2001 firebird same as my engine. Here is the question. The firebird had the condenser with the large hose on the bottom .My ac man who I really respect says the large hose should always be on the top . I checked three different Firebirds with factory ac and they all have the large hose on bottom. My ac guy says if I put the large hose on bottom I will get a air hammer type noise from the compressor. Anyone want to way in on this. Very troubled on who to listen to.

[prodjay10]

so this is what I understand. The hose that’s coming from the compressor has to be on top because it’s easier for liquid to travel down with gravity than trying to push it up.

I haven’t installed one yet, but I read this as being a mistake people make.
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[kglowacky]

I agree with that. The challenge is is it the larger of the two hoses or the smaller one.

[prodjay10]

Did you buy a hose, fitting, drier kit?

I laid my whole ac system out and there was only one way it could work because of the fittings and amount of hose they sent. That is as far as I've gotten. No crimper yet.

Medium hose - from compressor to condenser.
Small hose - from condenser to drier to expansion valve/evaporator.
Large hose - from evaporator to compressor

So the medium size hose goes to top of condenser, and smaller hose comes out of condenser to drier.

You can look up install instruction for the known brands. This seems to be how they also set it up.

[paul mora]

Not sure what type of air conditioning system your running. Be sure you match the compressor with the unit. I have had trouble in the past with Vintage Air they designed the the system to accept one type of compressor. Something about office and the amount at hat get pumped through the air system. I called them to get the model number for the Sanderson and ordered it for installation

[kglowacky]

I am running a sandon 508 with all oem evap and dryer(acum) and at this point a 2001 firebird condenser. With a red orfice tube. My ac guy says It will work he just insist the big hose goes on top. I am agreeing just trying to figure out why GM did it with the little one on top an it worked. Only thing I can figure they did some sort of engineering to in the system to allow this. Anyways I am going with the big hose on top. I have not made my hoses yet was waiting for some responses on here in case I am missing something.

One other thing I am trying to figure out. My oem wiring harness to my pressure switch has a dark green wire running to it and the the second wiring running to it is light green with a black stripe. the dark green goes into my harness but the light green with the stripe is about 6 inches long and has a terminal end on it and the PO that took it apart tied this end to another terminal end with the same type connector with a green wire and a green wire with a black strip . It appears there is some sort of switch or something that goes between these two to plug into. Then the two wire connector goes back into the same harness as the dark green, I traced the double wires through the harness but they do not go inside the cab they stay in the engine side and appear in the same harness as a red wire only and have a flat double end on it. My guess is this somehow connects to the compressor to shut it of when the pressure gets to high. Any ideas???

[ls1nova71]

Originally Posted by kglowacky

I am running a sandon 508 with all oem evap and dryer(acum) and at this point a 2001 firebird condenser. With a red orfice tube. My ac guy says It will work he just insist the big hose goes on top. I am agreeing just trying to figure out why GM did it with the little one on top an it worked. Only thing I can figure they did some sort of engineering to in the system to allow this. Anyways I am going with the big hose on top. I have not made my hoses yet was waiting for some responses on here in case I am missing something.

One other thing I am trying to figure out. My oem wiring harness to my pressure switch has a dark green wire running to it and the the second wiring running to it is light green with a black stripe. the dark green goes into my harness but the light green with the stripe is about 6 inches long and has a terminal end on it and the PO that took it apart tied this end to another terminal end with the same type connector with a green wire and a green wire with a black strip . It appears there is some sort of switch or something that goes between these two to plug into. Then the two wire connector goes back into the same harness as the dark green, I traced the double wires through the harness but they do not go inside the cab they stay in the engine side and appear in the same harness as a red wire only and have a flat double end on it. My guess is this somehow connects to the compressor to shut it of when the pressure gets to high. Any ideas???

When you say OEM harness, are you talking about the original truck harness or reworked factory LS harness?

[kglowacky]

projay 10 My diagram I got out of a chiltons book shows a different routing on the small hose.

heres what it shows

medium hose goes compressor to Top of condenser

Small hose goes bottom of condenser to bottom of evaporator (where orfice tube is installed in bottom tube of evaporator.)

top of dryer connected to top of evaporator connection

Big hose goes dryer to compressor

[kglowacky]

My chiltons picture

[kglowacky]

truck harness for the ac /heater area My LS 1 reworked harness does not have any AC wires in it.

[kglowacky]

well after finding a GM hose diagram it left my ac expert speechless. It shows the small tube(hose) on the top of the condenser going to the bottom of the evaporator and the larger one (that goes to the compressor) on the bottom. We agree on where they are going we disagree on which one should be on top the condenser. We decided to set it up like GM did and see what happens. It is also easier to change it the other way as the hoses will just need to be shortened if it doesn't work. We think maybe GM got something diff in their design inside the condessor. I will keep you posted.

[Richard]

Gravity has nothing to do with the flow of high pressure refrigerant. No disrespect but your "expert" does not understand ac systems at all if he does not know the basic flow of refrigerant though the components.

[First c10]

FWIW... the compressor does not turn the gas Freon to liquid Freon. The compressed gas from the compressor goes to the condenser coil. In the condenser coil is where it changes states. The the condensed Freon (liquid) travels to the evaporator coil which is metered by a TXV or metering valve which the liquid Freon when changes to a gas it gets cold. The cold Freon returns back to the compressor and cools it before starting the process over again. Quick explanation but hope this helps