Re: Air Conditioned '55-'56 Packards

Posted by 55PackardGuy On 2010/1/17 10:51:45

That about covers it HH. I did look at the Mark IV install guide, which looks pretty much the same as the old factory trunk-mounted except for the compressor. You mentioned that the "on-off" engages and disengages the clutch. This may be a bit crude, but it still beats the common operating description I've read saying "the compressor runs all the time until the belt is removed."

Your description indicates that the pulley would freewheel until the clutch is engaged with the "on " switch. This makes sense, and relieves one of another commonly mentioned requirement to remove the belt during cold months or be forever "running the compressor."

I'd tend to try to salvage a stock under-dash unit, but it'd be hard for me to justify restoring an in-trunk unit other than as a curiousity, it's so cumbersome and affects visibility.

I wonder about your experiences with your under-dash unit and working on other components under the dash, or maintaining the AC itself. Is that a "real project" too?