A/C into non A/C truck

[214martin]

Hey guys i was wondering if anyone has ever put an AC unit oem or aftermarket into their trucks? I have a 1990 gmc c1500 4.3 RCSB and im really tired of not having AC, the cali heat finally got to me lol

 

[skylark]

Hey guys i was wondering if anyone has ever put an AC unit oem or aftermarket into their trucks? I have a 1990 gmc c1500 4.3 RCSB and im really tired of not having AC, the cali heat finally got to me lol

Talk to Richard (someotherguy) I know that he did one.

 

[poncho62]

An aftermarket AC is probably easier than piecing together a factory one........Even with a complete parts truck it would still be a big job. I would just sell your truck and get one with AC

 

[RyanMerrick]

It can and has been done, but is not a job I would want to trudge through unless I was doing a ground up restoration

 

[badazzbulldog]

look into vintage air they make some nice setups I have a few friends that have done them in classic cars and older trucks.

 

[214martin]

I was wondering how hard it would be to go oem my ladies dad just put ac in his crx all oem parts but then again it was a honda what isnt easy on those cars lol. Ill look into the vintage air because it does seem like a lot of trouble.

 

[someotherguy]

Doing this on a 1988-1994 WAY easier than 1995-up, simply due to the difference in complexity of wiring harnesses (although 1995 is fairly simple engine harness, dash harness starts getting stupid plus both are one-year-only) and that dropping the dash on the earlier interior is easier.

You'll need a donor truck from a very similar year/engine, for all the parts plus wiring harness. Haven't looked at the dash harness on the older trucks when non-A/C (have never seen a single one of these in person) to know whether the wiring for the controls and actuators will be in place.

You may need to use a hole saw to cut the firewall holes for the evaporator core fittings. You'll need the HVAC box for behind the dash. Engine harness (and as mentioned maybe the dash harness), controls, A/C compressor, hoses, condenser, accumulator, and *maybe* the accessory drive brackets which you would do well to get from a 1990-1995 so you get the better 2-piece aluminum setup vs. the crack-prone 1988-1989 steel bracket. Don't overlook all the support brackets that keep the thing stable. Take pics before removing.

Oh, that's about it.

I haven't actually done one of these, but I did look extensively at doing one for a customer's later model fleet truck. Hard to imagine AT&T sent their field reps out in TX heat in non-A/C trucks; almost have to think it came from an auction somewhere else instead of local. I came up with a parts list and a price that I thought was pretty fair but in the end he bailed on the idea. It's not a small job.

Richard