• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Installing AC in my 1960 Healey

Share this page

F

Factoryman2000

Freshman Member
Offline
Hi, Recently visited a local restoration shop and saw AC install on an MG. What surprised me was that the single crank pulley was left in place and the new compressor had a dual pulley, so that the v belt that used to drive the generator( alternator in this case) drove the compressor. The second pulley on the compressor now powered the slightly relocated alternator. I watched this system run and it all seemed reliable. The shop told me that new rotary compressors require little effort and it eliminates the need to create/fabricate a dual pulley on the crank shaft. Any opinions? Advice? Experiences you can offer me. Not having to go the traditional dual pulley route would make the install of AC a simple process for me.
Anton
 
Thanks for the reply. He info does list all required elements and that is a big help. I see your comments often on BAT, you must really keep busy attending to all these chores, amazing!
 
Since this is a specific Healey technical question, I'm moving this thread to the Austin Healey form but leaving a "pointer" to it in the "New Member Introduction" forum for 1 week. If you are reading this you w ain the Austin Healey forum. Please another in the "New Member Introductions forum also doc re yourself to the other forum members.
 
I installed a vintage air unit in my Austin Healey. It will cool from your legs down. There are no air vents blowing at your upper body. Not really space to put them. The unit works but I would say is not successful. When it turns on, the idle drops to almost a stall. If we come to a stop sign, my wife turns it off, and back on after moving again. we don't have a computer to up the idle as in a modern car. The heater unit is actually better than the original though!
Jerry
 
Jerry, Thanks so much. The unit you installed is below the dash where the heater box was located? IE the aftermarket style under dash unit.
Your compressor is the rotary type? Did you add a crank pulley or has the compressor two sheaves? Thanks Tony
 
I have AC in mine, I installed it in 2018. If you buy the compressor from Vintage Air, it will have two sheaves.
 
Jerry said:
I installed a vintage air unit in my Austin Healey. It will cool from your legs down. There are no air vents blowing at your upper body. Not really space to put them. The unit works but I would say is not successful. When it turns on, the idle drops to almost a stall. If we come to a stop sign, my wife turns it off, and back on after moving again. we don't have a computer to up the idle as in a modern car. The heater unit is actually better than the original though!
Jerry
Click to expand...
You need an idle adjustment solenoid that cracks the throttles open when the compressor kicks in. It's what they used before computers.
 
Two pulleys on the compressor and the unit replaces the original Healey heater. Solenoid for the idle adjustment? give me some more hints or a link on that. I can learn new things!

Jerry
 
Good to know, Patrick. I attached a Holley 46-74 Throttle Solenoid to a self-made bracket acting on a lever attached to the right-hand side of the throttle cross-rod.
 
Jerry said:
Two pulleys on the compressor and the unit replaces the original Healey heater. Solenoid for the idle adjustment? give me some more hints or a link on that. I can learn new things!

Jerry
Click to expand...
I've been trying to prepare a description and parts list to upload, but Basil has some strict limits that I haven't been able to overcome. If you PM me with an email address, I can send to you, or, if you're a member of AHCA, there are some back issues of Healey Marque with some articles:

  • July 2009
  • November 2009
  • February 2010
  • January 2014
  • September 2015
 
Last edited:
John Turney said:
Good to know, Patrick. I attached a Holley 46-74 Throttle Solenoid to a self-made bracket acting on a lever attached to the right-hand side of the throttle cross-rod.
Click to expand...
This is a drawing of what I have. It does use a Holley solenoid.
 

Attachments

  • E9E3B3FE-7388-45FA-86C5-773DAA616CEB.jpg
    E9E3B3FE-7388-45FA-86C5-773DAA616CEB.jpg
    38.9 KB · Views: 137
Anton, The configuration of running one belt driven component from another belt driven component is not that unusual in the aftermarket custom and hot rod circles. It is something that always makes me take a step back and a second look when I see it but it is not that uncommon. Since it has become an acceptable practice I have to believe it is reliable. Some of the street rod configurations don't give much room for multi-groove crank pulleys.
 
Back
Top