[pongo]

Just got through with my serpentine belt swap on my 78 Camino. Everything works great, just have 1 problem, I can feel and hear the AC compressor run any time it is cycling on when the engine rpm's drop below 1100. Everything works great, and the ac is very cols, just noisey below 1100 rpms. I am running March under drive pulleys, but I also ran this set up on my 95 S-10 ( as it was the donor vehicle) with no noise at all. Any advice on what is going on? Here is a list of items used in the swap: 95 S-10 water pump, alternator,power steering pump, AC compressor and rubber hoses, a 91 Camaro "6mm" ac condensor and metal high pressure hose, new 78 Camino drier and evapartor with a 95 S-10 orfice tube. Made 2 adaptors to make the 95 134a metric hoses hook up to the standard R-12 condensor and drier. Any thoughts about why it is noisey?:dontknow:

 

[xcookpac]

Nice work and nice pictures. Couple questions: i.) what PS pump did you use; ii.) what was the PS pump hose from; and iii.) did you use idler pulley instead of the air pump. If not, what is the belt number for use without the idler?

I know a lot of questions but I am in the middle of doing the same upgrade. Many thanks.

 

[pongo]

power steering pump is off of the 95 S-10. I used my 78 El Camino hose, just changed out the fitting in the back of the pump. I did not have an air pump on my system. Everything I used for the swap, that went on the front of the motor, came off of a 95 S-10 with a 4.3 V6

 

[Pounce]

Did you have to tap/ drill any extra holes in your heads to get it to work? How did you run your alt wire to battery? If you have more photo it would be very nice and helpful, thanks in advance!

 

[acauth1]

Was there a rear brace on the back of the compressor to manifold on the donor engine?

 

[merc2u]

I did the same conversion on my eighty five, and I have the same noise, I just turn up the radio.....

 

[jlcustomz]

Looks good.
radial compressors tend to be a little rougher running than many other types, especially if there a little worn.
Bracing could be a thought,if it needs more.
Also the underdrive pulleys could be a strong factor for your symptoms. May want to try googling on the subject??

 

[zombieking]

This is just what I love about this place! I was thinking if I could take the whole serp setup off my s10 blazer as a donor to put on my 79 I would be too happy. Here's a thread on doing just that! I just hope it will still work with my engine, as it is a tpi setup. Might be a long shot to swap the A/C as well, but I like the whole idea!

 

[pongo]

No I did not have to drill and tap any new holes to mount anything, and what kind of pictures would you like? As for hooking up the alternator, I just used the factory wiring, but may run a larger cable straight to the battery if i see that it needs one.
I will have to look and see if there was a rear brace on the back of the ac compressor. I have a extra brace that I do not know where it goes, but one end of it looks like it hook to a stud on the exhaust manifold.
Hey zombie king do the swap, it was easy and everything worked out great, and if I can help you just send me a PM. The 91 v8 camaro/ firebird parts will help with the ac swap. If you use a R4 comp that used R-12 the swap is even easier.
Hey merc2u did your ac comp viderate your car? I am thinking that the only way for it to transfer from the engine to the body is by way of bad motor mounts, is this not correct?

 

[ccc]

the serpintine belt set up on my two 350s have 2 braces one from the compressor to intake and one to the exhaust manifold and mine are quiet as a mouse. what are your pressures at idle.if you have the system too full it will make the r4 compressors noisey and will resonate through the engine

 

[Pounce]

How manu holes did your heads have on the passenger side, as i have been told I man need to tap a hole to mount the bracket. What year is your motor? I was just trying to see a few photos of how your bracket hooked up to your heads and the wire run to the battery. Did yoou use the s10 battery wires? I know I am asking a lot, but thanks for all your help! Your set up looks good and I am really ready to get mine done so I can finally have a/c!

 

[merc2u]

My set up was a little different, I have a big block in a fifth generation. I bought a serpentine system for a later model pickup truck, and I had to modify brackets to get all of it in so it wouldn't hit the hood or frame. It all fits fine, but I have that noise from the ac compressor. I don't think there is anything wrong with my motor mounts. I have gotten to where I ignore the noise, because it rhimes with my fuel pump anyway. The next time I get it up on the lift I will check the motor mounts to see if they are grounding out.

 

[pongo]

the S10 did not have any braces coming off the ac compressor. my pressure's at idle are cut out at 22 and back on at 40 on the low side, high side gets up to around 180 to 190 on a 70 degree day. noisey and will resonate through the car, and that is just what mine is doing.

I was lucky because my passenger side head had 3 hols in it just like the driver side, and I have the factory motor, but the people that I talked to that had done this said if the 3rd hole is not there it would work ok any way. I did not use the S-10 cables, I used the 78 Canimo factory wiring harness. I hooked the 1 brown wire coming off the 95 S-10 alternator to the brown wire of the 2 wire plug from the Camino alternator harness, did not use the other red wire, hooked the Camino battery wire to the S-10 alternator battery post.

I was just asking about the motor mounts, because that is the only way to get vibration from the motor to the body. The weird thing about this that it sounds almost normal under the hood, but very loud inside the car.

 

[pontiacguy]

Gah!!! I just parted a 91 Camaro, but let the AC condenser go. I hate when I do that. I intend to do the same swap myself. I prefer the cleaner instl. too am wondering about the air pump. I was looking at it yesterday and it doesnt look like I can get away with bypassing it and removing. I wonder what the difference is between the 91 f car and the s truck? Any idea?

 

[Bryan59EC]

I did this a long time ago on both of my Elkys
there is an adaptor kit available for mounting the 93-95ish full size pickups and blazer v-6 brackets
to your BBC

The set I put on my 66 with an old 307 in it, went right on there, but I did drill and tap one hole for the AC side.

I did this to the 59 Elky 'cause on one trip I kept tossing AC belts.
Drove all the way back from Killeen with a belt that had flipped and was actually riding on top of
pulley edges----did not care for that.

Let's see
one belt
one tension adjuster
no alignment issues

what's not to like about this?

 

[zombieking]

Thanks Pongo! I am sure to be asking more questions when I begin this project. My donor will be from a 91 s10 4.3tbi with a/c, and to be going onto my 79 with a 305tpi from an 86 iroc. I think my issues I may have will be with this monstrosity of the air intake/filter.

I am sure there is a work around, but if I can get it to look as clean as your install I will be very happy! Nice job and thanks in advance for the help I will bother you with! :beer:

 

[pongo]

Just wanted to say thank you to everybody with the input on my AC noise problem. IT IS FIXED !!! Found out the it was low on freon, added more to get the pressure up on the high side, got rid of the under drive pulley set up, put on a new belt, and found a loose mounting bolt. Do not know for sure which one was the reason for it being noisey and viberating, or if it was all of them combined, but any way the AC system is cold and quite, plus changing over to the serpentine belt drive was worth the work.
Thanks again for all the advice

 

[Pounce]

Do you have a 350? You did say you were running the 4.3 water pump correct

 

[Pounce]

I ask not being funny only because I was just at the yard and passed on getting the 4.3 setup only because I didnt know if that water pump would work on my 350. I got one off a 93 suburban.

 

[pongo]

my El Camino has a 350, and all of the parts that I used are off of the 4.3 V6. The 4.3 and 350 use the same water pump. The 4.3 V6 is really a 350 minus 2 cylinders.