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Jim is quite an 'authenticity' buff. Sounds like his 12v a/c clutch is a temporary fix in his mind.

He literally wrote the book on 1940 Packards. [PACKARD 1940: a pivotal year] I really enjoy his stories on this era of Packards.
See the Bookshelf:packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/BookShelf/

I was on the team that judged Jim Hollingsworth's 1941 Clipper at the Branson Meet in 2009.
packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=5523&cid=45


DanL

Motorcycles (HD, Indian, Henderson etc) used generators up thru about 1965. HD somewhere about late 60's or early 70's went to alternator depending on model.

Average diameter of generators (HD,Ind,Hen etc) about 3 inches diameter and 7 inches long. In fact any VW beetle 6 or 12v Generator will fit to the Indian civilian generator bracket perfectly.

MC alternators are nearly all somekind of integral engine case application. So size or diameter of MC alernators is almost not an applicable measuresment.

Small engine alternator like B+S and Tecumseh or Cushman are more or less dynamos. Special lighting coils are arranged under the flywheel and are energized by the magnets of the flywheel just like the ignition coil.

Note that most small engine alternator applications as described above produce AC voltage not DC voltage. THis is factulay true of Cushman. B&S and Tecumseh may or may not use an external rectifier of some sort to convert it to DC.

Believe it or not, a common automotive lite bulb WILL operate just fine on AC voltage as well as DC.

For those that want a 12v auxillary alternator or for total conversion here is a link to Kubota alternators ranging $55 to $120. I've never used one. Many people have for MC applications because they are small and internally regulated. Just google Kubota alternator or samurai alternator.

google.com/search?q=kubota+alternator&hl=en&prmd=si&source=univ&tbs=shop:1&tbo=u&ei=AeXETNiIA4KKlweEyJWRCg&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CDAQrQQwAA

In doing a lot of looking on the net, Ifind that the a-c system in the Packard had no clutch. The system was turned on and off by to use of a high side bypass valve. This is the reason a 6 volt clutch is not available.
This should be a very apparent fact when looking at the manual.

True, but while that short-circuit's the cooling. You are still basically driving the compressor full time. Hence the desire for a modern compressor with a clutch.

Given the original system didn't use a clutch why not bolt the thing solid?

In a TXV system the only reason to cut out the compressor is to reduce horsepower draw. The rest of the time the condenser will be metering less freon for the reduced heat load.

In a state like Texas the compressor will be running all the time anyway.

Given the original system didn't use a clutch why not bolt the thing solid?

You are still going to need some way to prevent the evaporator from icing. With the clutch solid, there will need to be some method of preventing the evaporator from dropping below 32 for an extended period of time. Even in Texas there will be times when air flow is low. With the slow air letting moisture condense and freeze it will not be long before the evaporator is solid ice.

The original postwar Packard systems used the electrically operated gas bypass to regulate evap temp. When AC was off the gas just went in one side of comp and out the other so there was almost no load and no cooling. In all these years, I've only seen one solenoid valve for sale. packardsl had it on his site so finding a 6v refrigerant solenoid is about as much fun as finding a 6v clutch. Later cars used fixed modulating valves for the bypass function but those are somewhat scarce now. If you can find an aftermarket or other mfg's mechanical gas bypass valve and can have it rebuilt, that might solve the problem but even those that are worth rebuilding are not that plentiful. Suction throttling & POA valves are also defunct. I see at least one classic car AC place is even recommending those that have those earlier valves convert to cycling clutch. They have products to fit in place of the valves to mimic the look but without the guts.

For better or worse, it's pretty much come down to the clutch or nothing these days.

An article in Wikipedia on Weather-Eye air conditioning advises that Nash's A/C system for 54 relied on a electricially-engaged clutch.

Nash was still using 6V, positive ground electrical system on its cars, then, and into 55.

I can't imagine there are many such Nash systems suriving, but wonder what they use for service.

I think Packard was the odd one out with no clutch. The Frigidaire AC basic unit was bought from GM and also used in Cadillacs. In 53-54 Packard had the solid drive wheel and the identical Cadillac compressor -- at least in 54 -- had a large solenoid mounted on top which operated a mechanical clutch. Cadillac's clutch wasn't for temp control -- Like most mfgs with clutches then, it only turned the compressor on and off when AC was on or off. Cadillac's temp was also done by electric valve gas bypass.

Might be an interesting study to see who did and did not have clutches. Too bad info for early AC units is so scarce.

I guess my point is that if you did find a compatible 6V clutch, you should be able to integrate commonly-available, modern pressure switch(es) to control cycling - even though such switches are used in 12V systems- no?