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A/C Mod time

16K views 54 replies 22 participants last post by  cmichalik 
#1 ·
It's getting hot here & it's time for me to break down and do the A/C mod. I searched, but had no luck in finding the part number for the little heater valve thing. Can anyone help a brother out? I also tried searching for it on e-bay since I remembered seeing one on there last fall for cheap, but didn't find any. As soon as I get the number I guess I'll go to the local parts house.

Thanks
Cmichalik
 
#2 ·
Chris,
I wasn't able to use the search either. When I did mine, I went to Steve Baz's website and got all of my information there. I went to NAPA to get the parts, and they had everything with just the instructions I got from Steve.

From Baz's website:
It will stop the flow of hot water through the heater core when the AC controlls are in the MAX setting and the OFF position providing cooler temps and preventing the hot pocket of air down by you feet. I went to NAPA and asked for the 'hot water shut off valve' from a 1990 Ford Ranger with a 4.0 V-6, I also got 4 - 5/8 hose clamps, a couple feet of 1/8" vaccume line a a 1/8" plastic "T" for the vaccume line. To begin the install loosen the cap on the radiator overfill to remove pressure from the system (do this while the engine is cool). On the passenger side of the engine compartment there are 2 - 5/8" hoses that come from the firewall and continue to the engine, these are the heater hoses. Cut the hose closest to the drivers side (It does'nt really matter where, I did mine about 6 inches after the fire wall). Then holding the 'shut off valve' with the vaccume controller twards the pass side install the portion of the heater hose coming from the cab to the top left nipple on the 'shut off valve'. Tighten the clamp. Install the portion of the heater hose coming from the engine to the top right nipple and tighten the clamp. Next cut the heater hose closest to the pass side in the same location as the previous. Install the portion coming from the cab on the lower left nipple, tighten the clamp. Now install the portion going to the engine on the lower right and tighten the clamp. Measure out how much of the 1/8" vaccume line you need to reach from the bottom of the vaccume canister on the shut off valve to the white vaccume line on the pass side that goes to the vaccume operated door underneath the pass side cowl. Cut that white vaccume line and splice in the 1/8" plastic "T". Then run the 1/8" vaccume line you meassured out from that plastic "T" to the nipple on the bottom of the vaccume canister on the shut off valve. It sounds more complicated than it is. Once you do it it will seem real simple. Happy trucking!
Thanks Bryan (Central Texan) and Steve Baz.
 
#3 ·
dieselsite.com
has a kit with the ranger 4.0 valve, and they sell the 203 tstat as well.
someday I'll put both in and my coolant filter too.....
 
#6 ·
I did the Ranger valve but found a vacuum source under the dash that applies vacuum in vent, normal A/C, and Max A/C. I teed into this line and ran it to the valve. The vacuum hose is near the OBDII connector and I think it was a green hose connected to a round vacuum actuator. This works well for me because I now get almost ambient air on vent and as a result don't have to use the A/C as much and it blows colder on normal A/C. The drawback is no heat in vent mode during the winter but so far not a problem.
 
#7 ·
Actually it is the blue line under the dash that works like that. I just pull the line off the water control vavle for winter use. You can also tee into that line without cutting by putting the end of the clear connector one one leg of the tee. The ebay seller has nicer valves that the local autoparts store does as they are not all plastic.

Tom
 
#9 ·
Perfect. You guys are the best. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Thanks for the e-bay link. That's the one I was looking for. I remember reading on here a long time ago that the blue line will give desired results in more than just MAX setting. So that's what I'm planning on. I thought about just installing a manual valve, but sometimes sometimes during our winters here I've been known to run the heater and the A/C in the same day. That would be too much opening and closing the hood for me. I don't mind spending a few bucks for the "shift on the fly" feature. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Thanks
Chris
 
#10 ·
got mine from e-bay thanks to the Bluemule and it works fine i went with the blue line under dash to eliminate hot air in the vent its grrrrreat!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif when winter comes maybe disconnect and plug both ends so one could have a heated vent took about 3-4 days to get from e-bay hape this helps kirk /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/warmsmile.gif
 
#11 ·
Well, I just bought one of the e-bay units. Hopfully it won't take too long to get here. I can't wait until I can get some colder air out of my vents.

Now if I only knew how to get my fan speed to blow a little harder when it's on high.

Thanks again.
Chris
 
#12 ·
Just throwing this out there...

Have you cleaned the cage wheel lately?

I did mine last year and while I didn't notice much of a difference in fan speed, the blads were caked up a bit.

JB
 
#13 ·
Actually, I've never thought about that. I remember something else that everyone was cleaning last summer. What was it? I think it was under the dash.
 
#14 ·
Renegade started it, I think. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

You can get to the cage by removing the motor from the engine comparment side. I don't remember the number of screws, but there are something like 5 around the motor.

Unplug the wire harnes, take those screws off and you can pull the motor and wheel out together.

If I remember correctly, I soaked the wheel in some simple green, then washed it off and while wet, used a screw driver or something to scrap off what did not come off.

Just put the assembly back on with the screws and reconnect the harnes and that's it.

JB
 
#15 ·
[ QUOTE ]
I did the Ranger valve but found a vacuum source under the dash that applies vacuum in vent, normal A/C, and Max A/C. I teed into this line and ran it to the valve. The vacuum hose is near the OBDII connector and I think it was a green hose connected to a round vacuum actuator. This works well for me because I now get almost ambient air on vent and as a result don't have to use the A/C as much and it blows colder on normal A/C. The drawback is no heat in vent mode during the winter but so far not a problem.

[/ QUOTE ]

I did the same. To over come the no heat, gotta have a way to bleed the vacuum off that you applied to shut added valve. Have not taken the time to add an electric valve yet, but thats what it is going to take. Kinda of a pain when not hot and not cold can not blend heat with AC.
Rick H...

Here is a link to my article...
AC Mod with a twist
 
#16 ·
Does this really make a difference?I havent noticed hot air at my feet but havent really been checking.Does it really get that much colder in the cab?Its usually 100 plus in the summer where i live,thanks
 
#17 ·
It is bound to help the AC some as it makes a noticable difference in the temp in the vent setting. I got my AC recharged today too. Was still cooling but not as good as it did when the truck was new. Ended up being a little over a pound low. The temps out of the registers on the way to the shop was 38 but on the way home it was 32. That was with it around 90 outside today. I am a happy camper with that.

Tom
 
#18 ·
I'm looking at the valves on ebay now, and I'm a bit cornfused....
there are 4 ports on the valve, not two, so it must have the bypass built in so you don't have to add a pair of T's in front of it to allow the coolant to circulate back instead of "dead heading"

???

One of you that bought the ebay valve and have it already, are there any markings on it / self explanatory after looking at it which ports are "switched" and which are "bypass"???
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
#20 ·
The one I got off Ebay has arrows to indicate flow. Others have just put in a shut off vavle and I have not heard of anyone creating a problem. But with this set up you still have heat on demand and you do not create a stagnant coolant collection spot in the core. I live in Colo and heat can be needed at any time in the mountains.

Tom
 
#21 ·
I was just reading this post and got to thinking, if you could hook the vaccum line up so that the bypass only worked when you turned on the MAX A/C. I don't know what lines are what or how they operate. But that way it seems like you could have heat anytime except at max,(or recirculate). That way you could mix heat and cold(as in defrost). Just a thought. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif Been thinking of doing it myself. Crew cab takes a while to cool down.
 
#23 ·
Wynot,
THe way of hooking up the by-pass you are thinking about is the exact way the original a/c mod was done. Eventually someone got eh bright idea to expand the mod a little. As stated before, the vent blows some pretty warm air that I'd like to avoid. Setting up up to where the heater won't work on "vent" isn't a problem for me. I don't like warm air blowing on my face. So just the floor is fine.
 
#24 ·
[ QUOTE ]
I'm looking at the valves on ebay now, and I'm a bit cornfused....
there are 4 ports on the valve, not two, so it must have the bypass built in so you don't have to add a pair of T's in front of it to allow the coolant to circulate back instead of "dead heading"

???

One of you that bought the ebay valve and have it already, are there any markings on it / self explanatory after looking at it which ports are "switched" and which are "bypass"???
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[/ QUOTE ]


Take a look HERE , that is the ebay valve that I posted the link to and it is marked for direction of flow. When its in the bypass mode (closed) the water enters from the bottom right and exits from the bottom left. When its open it enters bottom right and exits top right , thru the heater core, enters again at the top left and out the bottom left and back to the water pump. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/warmsmile.gif
 
#25 ·
[ QUOTE ]
I was just reading this post and got to thinking, if you could hook the vaccum line up so that the bypass only worked when you turned on the MAX A/C. I don't know what lines are what or how they operate. But that way it seems like you could have heat anytime except at max,(or recirculate). That way you could mix heat and cold(as in defrost). Just a thought. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif Been thinking of doing it myself. Crew cab takes a while to cool down.

[/ QUOTE ]


[ QUOTE ]
Wynot,
THe way of hooking up the by-pass you are thinking about is the exact way the original a/c mod was done. Eventually someone got eh bright idea to expand the mod a little. As stated before, the vent blows some pretty warm air that I'd like to avoid. Setting up up to where the heater won't work on "vent" isn't a problem for me. I don't like warm air blowing on my face. So just the floor is fine.

[/ QUOTE ]



Wynot
If you tee into the white line under the hood that controls the vacuum motor for the vent door you will get exactly what you want. The water is shut off only when the switch is in Maxx A/C. All the other positions work as normal. HERE'S a picture. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/warmsmile.gif
 
#26 ·
Thats great. I guess with all the switching lines I got confused. Thanks for clearing it up. Now time to do it.
 
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