Explorer A/C in TTB Truck.

[85_Ranger4x4]

Explorer 5.0 in a older Ranger, anybody gotten the A/C to work? The hoses are concerning, I think everything else should be pretty simple.

I am planning on a second gen (89-91) condenser to eliminate one crossover hose.

Anybody done this before? Thoughts? Ideas? Warnings?

 

[Uncle Gump]

I think @Bird76Mojo could help with concerns. I know he even made all his own hoses.

BTW bird... how is that system working for you?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I think @Bird76Mojo could help with concerns. I know he even made all his own hoses.

BTW bird... how is that system working for you?

That would be the easy route, Explorer compressor has a big dorky looking manifold thing though:

So I will have to cut and splice two different ends onto that work of art.

 

[Dirtman]

That would be the easy route, Explorer compressor has a big dorky looking manifold thing though:

So I will have to cut and splice two different ends onto that work of art.

Making those hoses isn't at all complex if you find a good hydraulic shop. Yea AC and hydraulics aren't the same but the places that make hydraulic lines usually have no problem doing AC stuff. I had lines made from scratch for an old girlfriends civic by a local place, just needed to bring them what was left of the old fittings and the block. They did everything else in rubber with extra wiggle room so i could figure out routing myself. Cost about $150 if I recall. I dont think thats bad for custom AC lines...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Making those hoses isn't at all complex if you find a good hydraulic shop. Yea AC and hydraulics aren't the same but the places that make hydraulic lines usually have no problem doing AC stuff. I had lines made from scratch for an old girlfriends civic by a local place, just needed to bring them what was left of the old fittings and the block. They did everything else in rubber with extra wiggle room so i could figure out routing myself. Cost about $150 if I recall. I dont think thats bad for custom AC lines...

Yeah, we do them for weird farm equipment that is obsolete. But it isn't mixing and matching stuff though.

My Ranger is all standard, Explorer is all metric. I have had issues with splicing metric and standard hydraulic hoses but they have a lot more pressure.

 

[Dirtman]

Yea I never made my own, I just take a bunch of fittings to a local place called Creston and say I need this fitting on one side, this fitting on the other, and a hose this long. Ive done all sorts of insane adaptations for power steering, AC, and even soft brake lines and they never let me down. I believe alot was metric to sae, or compression to O-ring etc. Like I said... Just throw fittings down and say "You make this work!"

 

[Uncle Gump]

I miss those types of parts stores that had a machine shop in the back that could actually do stuff like that. You just don't get that kind of service in the big box stores.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I miss those types of parts stores that had a machine shop in the back that could actually do stuff like that. You just don't get that kind of service in the big box stores.

Just lost our last one, machine shop guy retired.

The best head guy on the area died a few years ago.

And just like that there is nobody to do valve guides/seats, bore blocks or turn cranks in the area anymore...

 

[Bird76Mojo]

There are several excellent online A/C supply houses that have any fitting you may need, no matter how odd the combination of parts. Once you find your part numbers, Google them to find the best prices. I found 90% of mine on Ebay. I still have a good bit of A/C hose laying around and I still have the crimping tool as well.

If you can come up with the hoses and end fittings the way you need them clocked, mark the fitting/hose for clocking orientation and tape the fittings on which end they go on, and I'll do the crimps free of charge for you. I normally charge $8 per crimp locally. I've done a few for hotrod guys. But you're my fellow Ranger brethren.. (note, there's no guarantee of a 100% seal - even the local shops told me this, but I do use Nylog on every crimp and threaded connection just in case)

Refrigeration Technologies RT201B Nylog Gasket/Thread Sealant, 30 ml (1 Pack): Nylog Blue: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

Refrigeration Technologies RT201B Nylog Gasket/Thread Sealant, 30 ml (1 Pack): Nylog Blue: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

www.amazon.com

If you need some lengths of A/C hose, tell me which sizes you need and I'll see what I have left. I'll cut you a deal on it. I'll have to have a look at my hose again though, to see if it's standard beadlock, or reduced beadlock.

Here's some light reading material for you. I went through ALL of these when I built my system, and a LOT more:

Fittings and Hoses Archives - AC Parts for Auto, Truck, Off-road, AG, & Farm

www.acparts.com

https://us.bergstrominc.com/images/Kysor_Parts_Catalog_PDFs/Kysor_Fittings.pdf

https://d20zhcxsm1cs5t.cloudfront.net/uploads/documents/01_AirConditioning.pdf?mtime=20170414101651

Automotive A/C Hose Kits | Stainless Hose Kits | Old Air Products

www.oldairproducts.com

https://www.autoacfittings.com/main.sc

Compressor Adapters

coldhose.com

Splicers Archives - MastercoolParts.com

www.mastercoolparts.com

Universal Switches

coldhose.com

Automotive Air Conditioning A/C Hose Fittings || TechChoice Parts

Automotive Air Conditioning Beadlock A/C Hose Fittings.

www.techchoiceparts.com

FORD SPRINGLOCKS!! ---> http://www.acpartsguys.com/hose_fittings__ports
FORD A/C COMPRESSOR FITTING BLOCKS! ---> https://nostalgicac.com/fittings-hose-kits/compressor-adapters.html

MEI Female O-Ring 90 Deg. Short Drop Steel Fitting No. 8 x Hose No. 8 without Port - 4420S

Buy MEI A/C O-Ring Fitting 4420S for less at PARTDEAL.com. Wholesale pricing.

www.partdeal.com

Aftermarket A/C Fittings & Refrigerant Hose - Restomod Air

Aftermarket A/C fittings and refrigerant hose for your Classic, Vintage, Custom Car and Truck. Custom kits to make your engine hoses for your specific needs.

www.restomodair.com

@Uncle Gump My system is still working well. The high side service port leaks a little though. The guy that sold it to me on Ebay refused to believe that his parts were out of spec, but once I took photos of the measurements using a Starrett digital caliper, he sent me a new fitting pretty quickly. Though I never bothered to make a new hose because I would have to buy new fittings for both ends, which he refused to send me free of charge.

I wish I could have fit a larger condenser in the system though. It would function a lot better. The way it is now, it'll ride at about 50 degrees give or take a few degrees, regardless of outside temps, but once I end up driving about 5-10 miles, it drops down to 40-42 degrees and stays there. It also prefers the truck to be running 50mph to stay at it's coolest output. If I'd re-gear the rear axle to drop my rpm's it would help some. I also need to clean the connections in the resistor wiring plug so I can operate it on the 3/4 fan setting. That should theoretically be the most efficient setting. Right now I just have 1/2 and full blower fan speeds. I usually leave it on 1/2 speed and it cools me down well enough, for a truck that has absolutely ZERO insulation inside the cab. lol

 

[Uncle Gump]

I think by those numbers bird... you really can't hope for much better performance honestly. I know even my factory system feels as if it works better at cruise speed. I haven't put a temp gauge in a duct though.

@85_Ranger4x4 ... I knew bird would have helpful information for you. He put a bunch of time into researching.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

There are several excellent online A/C supply houses that have any fitting you may need, no matter how odd the combination of parts. Once you find your part numbers, Google them to find the best prices. I found 90% of mine on Ebay. I still have a good bit of A/C hose laying around and I still have the crimping tool as well.

If you can come up with the hoses and end fittings the way you need them clocked, mark the fitting/hose for clocking orientation and tape the fittings on which end they go on, and I'll do the crimps free of charge for you. I normally charge $8 per crimp locally. I've done a few for hotrod guys. But you're my fellow Ranger brethren.. (note, there's no guarantee of a 100% seal - even the local shops told me this, but I do use Nylog on every crimp and threaded connection just in case)

Refrigeration Technologies RT201B Nylog Gasket/Thread Sealant, 30 ml (1 Pack): Nylog Blue: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

Refrigeration Technologies RT201B Nylog Gasket/Thread Sealant, 30 ml (1 Pack): Nylog Blue: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

www.amazon.com

If you need some lengths of A/C hose, tell me which sizes you need and I'll see what I have left. I'll cut you a deal on it. I'll have to have a look at my hose again though, to see if it's standard beadlock, or reduced beadlock.

Here's some light reading material for you. I went through ALL of these when I built my system, and a LOT more:

Fittings and Hoses Archives - AC Parts for Auto, Truck, Off-road, AG, & Farm

www.acparts.com

https://us.bergstrominc.com/images/Kysor_Parts_Catalog_PDFs/Kysor_Fittings.pdf

https://d20zhcxsm1cs5t.cloudfront.net/uploads/documents/01_AirConditioning.pdf?mtime=20170414101651

Automotive A/C Hose Kits | Stainless Hose Kits | Old Air Products

www.oldairproducts.com

https://www.autoacfittings.com/main.sc

Compressor Adapters

coldhose.com

Splicers Archives - MastercoolParts.com

www.mastercoolparts.com

Universal Switches

coldhose.com

Automotive Air Conditioning A/C Hose Fittings || TechChoice Parts

Automotive Air Conditioning Beadlock A/C Hose Fittings.

www.techchoiceparts.com

FORD SPRINGLOCKS!! ---> http://www.acpartsguys.com/hose_fittings__ports
FORD A/C COMPRESSOR FITTING BLOCKS! ---> https://nostalgicac.com/fittings-hose-kits/compressor-adapters.html

MEI Female O-Ring 90 Deg. Short Drop Steel Fitting No. 8 x Hose No. 8 without Port - 4420S

Buy MEI A/C O-Ring Fitting 4420S for less at PARTDEAL.com. Wholesale pricing.

www.partdeal.com

Aftermarket A/C Fittings & Refrigerant Hose - Restomod Air

Aftermarket A/C fittings and refrigerant hose for your Classic, Vintage, Custom Car and Truck. Custom kits to make your engine hoses for your specific needs.

www.restomodair.com

@Uncle Gump My system is still working well. The high side service port leaks a little though. The guy that sold it to me on Ebay refused to believe that his parts were out of spec, but once I took photos of the measurements using a Starrett digital caliper, he sent me a new fitting pretty quickly. Though I never bothered to make a new hose because I would have to buy new fittings for both ends, which he refused to send me free of charge.

I wish I could have fit a larger condenser in the system though. It would function a lot better. The way it is now, it'll ride at about 50 degrees give or take a few degrees, regardless of outside temps, but once I end up driving about 5-10 miles, it drops down to 40-42 degrees and stays there. It also prefers the truck to be running 50mph to stay at it's coolest output. If I'd re-gear the rear axle to drop my rpm's it would help some. I also need to clean the connections in the resistor wiring plug so I can operate it on the 3/4 fan setting. That should theoretically be the most efficient setting. Right now I just have 1/2 and full blower fan speeds. I usually leave it on 1/2 speed and it cools me down well enough, for a truck that has absolutely ZERO insulation inside the cab. lol

What compressor did you use? Mine is the FS10 with the ports on the back.

I need to hit the JY and dry run "build my system" and compare the evaporator to compressor hoses. As long as they are about the same size and not pointing at something stupid I think I can splice them together. Then just maybe get another end put on compressor to condenser hose so it will connect with my older condenser.

I did find this (Murray 12209 if the link goes away in the future) that would convert my manifold setup to two separate hoses... but it costs about the same as the manifold with hoses.

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/murray-climate-control/air-conditioning/air-conditioning-hoses---fittings/a-c-fittings---tubing/940c86cb3e32/murray-climate-control-a-c-compressor-fitting/mry0/12209/v/a/5261/automotive-suv-1999-ford-explorer?pos=8

I think a second gen 2.9 hose will wrap around my carb ok (not sure how it will play with throttle cable) and then meet up with the hose coming off the manifold.



I also halfway wonder of that compressor is the same as mine too, the mounting looks the same. But the hoses wouldn't reach and I don't know if it would like being mounted on its side so I don't think I would gain much.



I need to read all your stuff yet...

 

[ford4wd08]

Not sure if it helps, but here is the layout of the hoses on my 85 factory system. They don't have a manifold as it is two separate hoses going into the compressor.

You can still buy 2 of the 3 hoses new from 4 seasons.

'85 Factory AC System -- How to Repair

If you do decide to replace the condenser (I would if for no other reason than to ensure all of the mineral oil is out of the system, it does lay at the bottom of the condenser) then purchase a newer design parrallel condenser & not the old style tube & fin, the parrallel is far more efficient...

www.therangerstation.com

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Not sure if it helps, but here is the layout of the hoses on my 85 factory system. They don't have a manifold as it is two separate hoses going into the compressor.

You can still buy 2 of the 3 hoses new from 4 seasons.

'85 Factory AC System -- How to Repair

If you do decide to replace the condenser (I would if for no other reason than to ensure all of the mineral oil is out of the system, it does lay at the bottom of the condenser) then purchase a newer design parrallel condenser & not the old style tube & fin, the parrallel is far more efficient...

www.therangerstation.com

Awesome pictures

Since I have a lot of variables (different engine to work around and compressor is where the PS pump usually is in a Ranger) and basically a clean slate (no a/c parts to start with aside from the button on the dash) I am going with the second gen style with the crossover as part of the condenser to eliminate one hose crossing the engine bay.



I have the condenser, harness and airbox scrounged up so far.

 

[Bird76Mojo]

You'll need to flush that condenser with A/C flush or possibly alcohol, then let it air dry for several days. Compressed air will introduce moisture.

I used the factory 92 Thunderbird 5.0 compressor. An FS10 as well. You'll want a new one if you want this system to function well.

Use the largest condenser you can fit in there.

 

[Bird76Mojo]

If I remember right, the Ranger used an FS6 possibly...? The FS10 is probably overkill.