Firewall Cleanup : AC Install

[Bennyt]

I plan to shave my firewall with a panel from Vannatta as BennyT posted above. I figure as I am doing the cab repair, I might as well clean up the firewall.

Don't forget to weld a stud on the inside for the VA kit so you don't have bolt through firewall! Still can't believe I forgot, really it was the painter but I forgot to remind him the 10th time.

 

[hoagster]

LOL... I think the same dude installed my original AC set up, there were some seriously jagged hacked in holes in the firewall and at the core support they just bent a knockout section to route the hoses through. Not to mention the rubiks cube to remove or install any of the heat or AC components which were separate stand alone systems.

I welded up everything on the firewall (almost) and cut down the Vintage Air adapter plate so it would be flush. I would probably have custom made new mounting brackets that bolt on the inside of the firewall if I had to do it again, or maybe just weld some studs to the firewall to slip the unit over. It was an all day job mounting the VA box under the dash for the final time, even after test fitting it without the AC & heater lines several times. Laying upside down and backwards while holding the box in just the right position for the bolts to line up just ended up causing fights.

IIRC the welded nuts in the VA brackets had galled jacked up threads, I think we ended up drilling one of them out and using a slightly longer bolt and nut.

Also, it was a bit of a PIA to mount the new firewall pad without any of the holes for the rubber plugs to push through. You'll want to replace the pad before your final install if you plan on replacing it at all.

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Nevermind posting another picture I found it, I see you didn't follow their directions either which called out 2" and 1 1/8" holes!! The grommets would fall out! I'm glad I read and re-read the directions then pulled out the grommets and measured everything. I like your setup but I don't have the skill in welding and body work that you guy's put into this! Awesome!!

 

[CalSgt]

Nevermind posting another picture I found it, I see you didn't follow their directions either which called out 2" and 1 1/8" holes!! The grommets would fall out! I'm glad I read and re-read the directions then pulled out the grommets and measured everything. I like your setup but I don't have the skill in welding and body work that you guy's put into this! Awesome!!

Yeah I studied those instructions and re-read them until they made no sense.

Thanks for the complement Mike, we’re just a couple of kids with a welder and a lot of grinding disks.

Dad and I were looking at you firewall pictures and thought it turned out great, we both liked the 2 tone. The black kinda makes the metallic green pop.

 

[gilby959798]

Reviving this because I am starting on my cab (FINALLY). How is the VA holding up for those who have installed it? Now is the time for me to work on this as I will never have this good of access again, so I think I will be purchasing the AC system soon.

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[hoagster]

Reviving this because I am starting on my cab (FINALLY). How is the VA holding up for those who have installed it? Now is the time for me to work on this as I will never have this good of access again, so I think I will be purchasing the AC system soon.

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I'm still slowly putting my truck back together. So the system isn't charged yet nor the ducting installed. But I would follow some of the suggestions in here to make it easier to install. Like the stud idea. There are only 2 bolts holding it on and its a bitch to line up. I actually flipped the bottom and screwed it into the housing first to make it a stud!

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[CalSgt]

Now is the time for me to work on this as I will never have this good of access again, so I think I will be purchasing the AC system soon.

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IIRC you need the VA firewall plate and the evaporator box mounting brackets to do any of the work like drilling the holes etc, because the plate is used as the template for the mounting screw holes and any other modifications that need to be made. Two of the mounting screws for the evap box actually just use self tappers that go from inside the cab into the cowl trough area. Those two screws were pretty simple, I hung the evap box on the two bolts that go through the firewall to locate it, used existing holes in the dash (under the dash pad) and a long extension on a cordless drill to put them in.

Are you smoothing or shaving the firewall? or just leaving stock?

I can't really attest to "how its holding up" but it's held the refrigerant charge for over a year with no issue once I got all my leaks tracked down. I did give it a real world test last weekend when I drove the truck for the first time. We are experiencing a little heat wave in CA right now and my little mountain town was in the mid eighties, the vintage air kept the cab cool and worked as expected. It doesn't cool nearly as well as my 2006 GMC A/C but the system and fan in that thing are huge compared to the 2" vents on the VA system.

 

[gilby959798]

IIRC you need the VA firewall plate and the evaporator box mounting brackets to do any of the work like drilling the holes etc, because the plate is used as the template for the mounting screw holes and any other modifications that need to be made. Two of the mounting screws for the evap box actually just use self tappers that go from inside the cab into the cowl trough area. Those two screws were pretty simple, I hung the evap box on the two bolts that go through the firewall to locate it, used existing holes in the dash (under the dash pad) and a long extension on a cordless drill to put them in.

Are you smoothing or shaving the firewall? or just leaving stock?

I can't really attest to "how its holding up" but it's held the refrigerant charge for over a year with no issue once I got all my leaks tracked down. I did give it a real world test last weekend when I drove the truck for the first time. We are experiencing a little heat wave in CA right now and my little mountain town was in the mid eighties, the vintage air kept the cab cool and worked as expected. It doesn't cool nearly as well as my 2006 GMC A/C but the system and fan in that thing are huge compared to the 2" vents on the VA system.

I plan to somewhat shave the firewall. I would like make the install as clean as possible but because I don't plan to shave the driver side, not completely shaved and I need to repair the firewall anyway so I will be filling any holes not necessary. I don't need it to freeze myself out, just cool it when its hot out as I likely will have the windows down so I can listen to the sweet tune of that V8 that I am putting int.

 

[CalSgt]

I plan to somewhat shave the firewall. I would like make the install as clean as possible but because I don't plan to shave the driver side, not completely shaved and I need to repair the firewall anyway so I will be filling any holes not necessary. I don't need it to freeze myself out, just cool it when its hot out as I likely will have the windows down so I can listen to the sweet tune of that V8 that I am putting int.

Thats about what I did, only things I would do differently:

1) I didn't do any bodywork at all before spreading body filler. If I had knocked down some high spots before I got started the body filler and sanding would have gone a little quicker and used less material. When quality body filler is $140 gallon every little bit of body work helps, I started the bodywork for the whole truck at the firewall otherwise I would have had that figured out already.

2) Either welded mounting studs to the inside of the firewall or studs on the VA poked through like @hoagster

 

[gilby959798]

Thats about what I did, only things I would do differently:

1) I didn't do any bodywork at all before spreading body filler. If I had knocked down some high spots before I got started the body filler and sanding would have gone a little quicker and used less material. When quality body filler is $140 gallon every little bit of body work helps, I started the bodywork for the whole truck at the firewall otherwise I would have had that figured out already.

2) Either welded mounting studs to the inside of the firewall or studs on the VA poked through like @hoagster

Yeah, I want to incorporate this in with my firewall repair, that is why I brought it up. I appreciate the feedback.