Oddball ac

I was told by an old timer at the parts store that this ac is "dealer air" and that's why I can't find a replacement. I rerouted the belt but I'd like to get it working again.



I've never seen ac that was held with hose clamps before.

So what's the best replacement for this? Newer r134a compressor? And will my other stuff hold up? It was holding a charge and was cold. Then locked up and snapped a belt.

Next question, what's the newest truck I can grab parts off of. I also frequent reddit and they tell me I can get an r134a compressor from a newer truck and piece together my own set up. Wondering if anyone had tried this?

Well at some point they went from v-belts to serpentine belts on the 300, and I don't know if that coincided with the change from R12 to R134. I think the big problem you will run into is finding an R134 compressor and a compatible bracket that will work with v-belts. V-belt and serpentine belt brackets are incompatible as far as I know. It may not be as simple as using a v-belt bracket and then swapping a serpentine belt pulley for the v-belt pulley. Someone with more knowledge on the subject should be able to tell you for sure if there's a silver bullet out there.

The only thing I can say with certainty is that you will be able to use a modern R134 compressor without any aftermarket parts if you convert to a serpentine belt. You would need to find a later EFI 300 truck (aeronose would be a safe bet), pick all the brackets and pulleys, alternator (would need to do the 3G modification), belt tensioner, fan & clutch, and buy a new water pump for the year of the donor truck. You might also need longer power steering lines. There are several benefits to going this route, but it's a big job and you will start entering Johnny Cash - One Piece at a Time territory. Just something to think about.

I have the same setup on an engine in the shop pulled from an 83 that I'm doing a v8 swap and adding a factory air system to. I know nothing of the condition, but I may be able to get pics, part numbers or dimensions for you.