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| 01-Sep-03 |
Mounting the A/C Drier |
Mounting the A/C Drier
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 When I started hooking up lines I noticed that the heater lines rested on top of one of the aluminum evaporator mounts so I sliced a small leftover piece of A/C line to wrap around the mount. |
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 Now I won't have to worry about the aluminum rubbing thought the hose. If you've never had a heater hose break inside the car - you're lucky. Antifreeze and carpet are not a good combination.
Even though I previously ran the lines and crimped ends on them, I never actually hooked them up or installed the A/C drier.
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 The drier mounts into the number 6 high-pressure line between the condenser and the evaporator. Containing a dessicant, the drier removes moisture to prevent damage to other components in the system as well as filters out any loose particles that may be present in the system.
This drier has a trinary switch built right into it. The trinary switch is a safety switch to shut down the compressor if pressures get too high (or too low) and to turn on the cooling fan (at the radiator) to help bring pressures down if they get to high. These switches can also be installed in the line. This is a clean way to do it if you have the room (or don't have the room). Anyway, it's an available option to keep in mind when you build your next car. Switches that only control the compressor (binary) are also available if you don't have an electric cooling fan. A safety switch is a VERY important part of the system and should not be overlooked!
The sticker is just for fun - don't ask :)
The Elite Kit from Hot Rod Air comes with brackets to mount the drier. I'm going to add a steel plate (shown above) to the roll bar and bolt the drier to it.
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 The steel bracket was tack welded to the cage and painted. |
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The drier was then bolted to mount. In hindsight I should have welded nuts to the backside of the bracket. It would have made installation much easier!
I made sure that the lines could be easily connected to the drier and then un-hooked them and capped the drier until final assembly (after paint) when we charge the system. The evaporator hoses however, (heat and A/C) have been permanently connected. Each fitting requires an O-ring seal before assembly. A drop of lightweight oil on the threads is also a good idea so the fittings can be tightened down without binding.
The vacuum lines were hooked up and hose clamps were added to the heater lines. This is about as far as we can go on the A/C right now. This will be an on-going process as the car progresses. I won't get into vacuum line routing since every manufacturer's system is different. Just follow the instructions that come with your system.
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