AC compressor interchange w/ 2nd gen?
 

I am working on my chevy conversion and have hit a serpentine belt impass. I am rerouting my belt because the original AC compressor will not fit in the narrower chevy frame. I had planned on running a york compressor on a V-belt for A/C on the new truck, but I cant find a good way to route my belt. I am thinking I need to go back to a stock a/c compressor. My question is the 2nd gens have a different AC compressor, but it looks alot like the one on my old 91. Does anyone know if I can interchange them? My original A/C compressor is toast, but I can use it to route my belt and mock up the new set-up. Anyone have any cheap AC compressors? Thanks for the input.
_Greg

You need the belt and the routing for a truck with no AC compressor. Here's the routing, all you need is the right belt.
http://dodgeram.org/tech/dsl/cooling...belt_route.gif

The AC compressors are pretty much the same size on 1st and 2nd gen trucks.

When I tried a newer compressor on my 92 last summer I found the hard way they moved the mounting pads 5 lousy millimeters.
Expensive lesson it looked right bolted right up and worked for a few revolutions until the belt walked and kicked the fan blade into the radiator..... Oh well needed a rad anyway [dummy]

Thanks for the input.
I understand what you are saying, but I have further complicated the matter. I now have the alternator between the frame and the engine as it is smaller then the compressor. I also had to offset it to the rear about 1 inch, I then made a custom pulley that is has a longer protrusion on it to make up the difference. So, my problem is that I cant put the tensioner where I want it, without going around the A/C compressor.
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/d...CADmockup1.jpg
The picture is of what my original plan was:
Now I am thinking I have to remove the lower york compressor I had planned on using for A/C and replace it with the stock one. The upper one will be used for an onboard air compressor.
I wanted to use a york for A/C as I found (yes found!) a brand new compressor complete with clutch and all at the scrap yard. But it has the double v groove clutch. I can buy an 8 groove serpentine clutch and still use the new compressor, but that would cost around $150. I don't have the extra cash. So I can use my stock comressor to mock this up. But then later I will have to replace it with a good one.

Rainfade:
Dude! that sucks!!! You wouldn't happen to still have the lousy compressor would you? Thanks for the great reply!
-Greg

I would send member turbos10 a message about how he did his. Look in his gallery at some of his pictures.
https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...0&ppuser=56632

Something else to think about is moving the tensioner up onto your green plate like some other engine applications have.

My first failed design is the green plate.
I tried to add the tensioner and then an idler pulley too, the problems I ran into were:
1. The thermostat housing on the intercooled trucks comes out right there, and I sure want to have a cross flow radiator.
2.The belt I have right now is for an engine without an A/C compressor and it was still a couple of inches long. I would really like to be able to get a stock belt that was available at the parts store for future use. It would stink to break a belt and have to special order the right length.
3. The tensioner in the stock location is designed to take the "slack" out of the belt on the unloaded side of the pulley. If you move it to the top and say your alternator and ac compressor kick in a big load, it would fight the force of the tensioner pulley. I was looking at a 4bt done that way, but then I got to thinking all they are running is the water pump, fan, and alternator, no AC. I know the AC can draw quite a load, and then I will have the additional force of the Air compressor. I could probably wire the air compressor to kick off the AC temporarily while the AC is running, but then I thought the stock location of the tensioner is probably the best solution. Thanks for the help.
-Greg

JD730
I looked at that link, and man that gives me some ideas.
I have a 6 groove serpentine clutch in my shed for a york. That is what turbos10 is doing. Running a 6groov belt in an 8 groove pulley and you just have 2 empty slots. I could do that for the short term and later, when the money is not so tight, buy an 8 groove for the york and still keep my design. I think that might be the solution. Thanks for your input.
-Greg