Water pump blocked by AC compressor

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72dart

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I am about to remove and replace the water pump and am thinking of placing the AC compressor on top of the air cleaner after I unbolt it. Is that a viable way of doing this? Thanks for any suggestions.
 

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I have removed the air cleaner and covered the carb then sat the compressor on the intake on rags. I take coat hangers and wire it to the hood hinges so it don't fall on me.
 
Be prepared with a friend preferably these compressors are 45 pounds without refrigerant. I installed mine mostly by myself and it was not a good idea I cut my arms and hands an crushed my thumb in the process and it took nearly 45 minutes. With a friend I am sure 15 minutes.
 
Does the a/c work? If not now would be a good time to remove it. It will not be in your any longer and you will shave some weight. You will have to buy different belts but that's not a biggie.
 
The AC does not work but have mixed thoughts on having it fixed. Would like to be cool on those hot cruise nights but is it worth the expense.
 
72dart yes very worth fixing the AC. I too am in Georgia and I gotta tell ya it is SOOO much nicer having the cool air. Shouldn't be that bad to fix either.
 
Lay a couple towels across your engine and inner fender wells so when the compressor slides around as you try to set it down gently it won't scratch your paint.Those hoses are flexible but they will fight you moving it around.
 
I assume the expense would be according what it wrong with it. Keep it on there until you
find out a price.
 
Do you have access to a "FSM" ( Factory Service Manual ) for an 'A' Body ?
It's been a number of years --decades , truly-- since I've replaced a water pump (or have performed other invasive work) on an A/C-equipped LA Engine
( and never on a B/RB engine ), other than my personal 1972 Coronet ; I removed the compressor and its related equipment from the Coronet's 318 .

I'd *imagine* that so long as you don't crack any a/c gas lines loose , you'll be okay (even discharged , these old RV-2 York 2-piston compressors hold a lot of oil ! Very messy ! ) .
In the "good ol' days" , it was a much easier deal ; with R-12 refill cans being readily-available , losing said gas was no biggie , as cans were dirt cheap !

As far as removing the compressor (and the Receiver-Dryer and Condenser ) is concerned :
- The drive pulleys are vastly different between A/C and non-A/C engines ;
- Water pump housing may be different (especially on the '69 & earlier cast iron housings of the 273 / 318 / 340 ) ;
- Car's ride-height will increase once the compressor is banished .

If the A/C works other than just needing a conversion (readily available) and a recharge , then by all means , get it working !
These old RV-2's are among the best out there . Even on a 125 degree day , in Death Valley , with the windows up while basking in the Sun , a Chrysler equipped with factory A/C will cool down in very short order ! I know this for certain , as I've tested just that !
 
I installed an RV2 in my 65 Barracuda and under dash unit it cools VERY quickly I get hard nipples almost instantly.
 
Last time I hung the compressor from the latch on the hood with a coat hanger and used a piece of conduit to prop the hood open so it wouldn't fall on my head. Worked out pretty good.
 
You might want to go to a R-134 conversion and DIY. The kits are inexpensive. I bought a air operated vacuum pump from harbor freight that works like a charm for about 15 bucks.All you need is a air compressor and a R-134 charging hose. While its already discharged you can replace all the o rings and schrader valves for mere pennies. Remember to only use 80% of the original coolant charge when switching to R-134. If you have more questions I'll be happy to help.
 
The last one I did I wraped a chain around it and used my engine hoist to hold it,overkill but the hoist was doing nothing anyway

I have laid a 2X4 across the inner fenders in front of the carb and laid it down on it ,worked real well
 
GEO said:
I have laid a 2X4 across the inner fenders in front of the carb and laid it down on it ,worked real well
Click to expand...

Yep 2x6 from the cowl to the core support (left/pass side of carb) worked great for me....
 
Wow! I never expected so much response from this post and all has been very helpful. I will keep the AC and at some point will get it working. I have retired recently and can finally have time to spend with my car after owning it since 2000. I try to do what I can and at 60 yrs old am learning all the time about auto mechanical work. I have read the various posts on this site over the years and am amazed at the knowledge one can gain from all the people on this site. I greatly appreciate the expertise offered and feel like I can do almost any thing on my car with your help.
 
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