VikingBlue

Following up on the other fellow's post about whether or not he should remove his AC....

I've had a 71 442 for 20 years and never really inspected the AC condenser..As far as I knew, mostly everything in the engine compartment hasn't been touched. I assumed the condenser was original.

But I looked at it yesterday and the models listed on the label were Pontiac models, including Ventura II. I learned the "II" suffix was only used in 1971 and 1972.

Is there a chance the Linden plant may have installed a condenser labeled for a Pontiac unit ?

And, if not, is there any way to get a new label or new condenser labeled for Oldsmobiles ?

Last, I've been told an unlicensed person can get a large fine for removing a condenser since refrigerant can leak out...it this true ? Or is it not a big deal to remove.

GTI_Guru

I know that can certainly be an issue in some locations. See if your local shop can evacuate the system properly for you. Might not be too terribly expensive, but depending on what's actually in the system, and if it's unknown, they may not want to touch it, as it could contaminate the stuff that's currently in their recycling system.

Some of those old units were filled with all manner of gasses, including propane (scary!) by enterprising shade-tree mechanics. Being that you've personally owned it for that long, that's probably not the case, but it does happen, and one bad batch can ruin hundreds of dollars of R-134a, or thousands of dollars in R12, as that stuff is now extremely valuable being out of production and all...

-Jeff

VikingBlue

TTT....anyone know who may sell repro stickers for the condenser and if it's possible a Linden car could have gotten a Pontiac label on it originally ?

oops, got my VINS mixed up....I meant a Lansing car if that makes a difference. 71 442 with a Pontiac label on the condenser...and have owned the car more than 20 years. Replacement unit from a 71 or 72 Pontiac or maybe the factory getting units intended for Pontiacs ?

jensenracing77

if you have pressure in the system then yes, legally the pressure has to be removed by a certified technician. 90% of all technicians will just vent it and tell you they done it properly and charge you for reclaiming. if they do it right then after you leave they will likely vent it from the tank because it is VERY expensive to send it in. it is also illegal for them to use it in another customers car. there are about a hundred laws that apply but i know what most shops do. after the pressure is out of the system you can do anything you want to the system. if you go back to R12 it has to go back the the certified tech, if you go with 134A you can do it yourself if you have access to a vacuum pump. the older systems don't work well with 134A. this info may not be that helpful but i have more experience with this stuff than i want.

MDchanic

I think this is really a matter of grammar.

Rather than agree that an unlicensed person can get a large fine, I would rephrase that an unlicensed person could get a large fine.
I would then point out that, in accordance with the laws of quantum physics, which posits a surprising amount of randomness to the subatomic structure of all matter, all of the molecules in your underwear could right now, suddenly, jump two feet to your left (quote thanks to Douglas Adams).

As far as the condenser goes, I am assuming that you are correctly describing the item in question, it being the radiator-like thing in front of the radiator, and NOT the thing in the fiberglas enclosure on the firewall (I will occasionally mix the two up, with utter certainty of my own correctness).
If that is the case, I will admit that I have never seen a label on a condenser, only on an evaporator. Where, exactly is the label located? Do you have any pictures?

Next, the Ventura was an X-body car (otherwise known as a Cheby Nova), and I am not convinced that it would have the same condenser as an A-body.
The Olds Parts Manual lists the condenser for a '68-'72 F-85 as #3014915.
Olds did not add an X-body to their lineup until 1973, if I am correct, so I cannot compare that number with a contemporary X-body. If your condenser has #3014915 somewhere on that label, then it is the right part for your car, regardless of who installed it.

- Eric

VikingBlue

Ok....I am not ashamed, and am only slightly embarrassed... I often don't think before I type.....I mean the compressor...with the red Frigidaire tag. Mine notes several different Pontiac models....including the Firebird, Tempest and Ventura II. next to each model is the specified amount? of R12...

So I figure most likely some repair shop got a replacement unit off of a Pontiac back in the day....or...somehow Pontiac units were in the Lansing plant.

What's sort of intriguing is the ventura II reference on the label...suggesting it's a compressor initially installed in 71 or 72...and if not original to my car, then by chance my original was swapped out for another 71-72 piece off of another car.

MDchanic

I do the same stuff all the time...

As for the compressor, they're pretty much all interchangeable, so long as they're the same model (I'm sure there must be a few displacement variations), so it really doesn't matter what it came out of.
It is not likely that that compressor was installed in the factory, but instead it was probably put in as a used replacement when the original failed.

Don't worry about it - unless you're trying for a concours car, you're the only one who will notice.

- Eric