Factory A/C, what to do

[Andy4639]

Originally Posted by dmjlambert

That's a beautiful and clean engine compartment you have there. Thanks for sharing info about the A/C and your setup and pictures. I have a quite different bracket for the compressor. I don't think I've seen any others with brackets like mine. It is huge and in the way and complicated.

Yours look like car brackets. They work the same as the trucks just used on the cars instead of the trucks.

[jjzepplin]

Are you guys having to use Idle solenoids?

[FirstOwner69]

Originally Posted by dmjlambert

I have a quite different bracket for the compressor. I don't think I've seen any others with brackets like mine. It is huge and in the way and complicated.

Originally Posted by leddzepp

Board member "FirstOwner69" has brackets the same as yours. They may be one year only? Not sure.

As stated, my truck came with the same brackets (see pic). In fact, the '69 service manual shows pictures of this bracket set on the 350 and the other, more common type, on the 307. It is an absolute PIA. The whole assembly needs to be removed and laid aside to just remove the valve cover. I switched my engine to a GM crate with Vortec heads and now run a modified set of the simpler bracket set due to the Vortec intake/head design. Even if I were running the original engine, I'd have switched brackets. I still have the original engine and original A/C setup in storage. If I recall correctly, the more common brackets also use a different set of pulleys.

Originally Posted by jjzepplin

Are you guys having to use Idle solenoids?

I don't, and have never had any stalling problems. It does reduce the idle RPMs about 50 to 75. I believe the tune up specs with A/C have a higher idle setting. I can confirm this in a couple days if interested.