Classic Auto Air - 1973 Duster - Fan switch help

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scottbak

scottbak

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So I purchased the Classic auto air Classic Auto Air 20-286 Plymouth 1967-1974 Non Factory Air kit. however the instruction are only for up to the 1972 year. The dash in mine looks like this:
upload_2020-6-29_13-31-21.png


but the switch is supposed to be separate
upload_2020-6-29_13-32-22.png


Does anyone know how I would rewire the harness? It looks like they are providing a switch to replace the original one with int he dash?
upload_2020-6-29_13-36-53.png


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Wiring from their instructions above.
Wiring diagram from 1973 Wiring book
upload_2020-6-29_13-39-32.png


Can anyone assist with this? Need to know high, med, low and which one not to use, as the 1972 had a 4 way switch? or one more than the 73?

Thanks for all the help I can get.

Scott
 
You dont need to rewire the switch, you just need to do some engineering to make it fit the 73 bezel. You will not be using the original blower motor or wiring so that is not an issue. The kit is only made to fit up to 72. I installed one in my 73 so it can be made to work.
Have you sorted out the firewall plate yet? That was by far the most work of the install. I did not like their plastic plate at all so i made a metal plate for mine. I will see if I can find some pics.

Here are a couple pics. Also notice the plates I made to block off the holes where the original AC hoses and heater hoses passed through.

20190714_171655.jpg


20190919_184257.jpg
 
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MoparMike1974 said:
You dont need to rewire the switch, you just need to do some engineering to make it fit the 73 bezel. You will not be using the original blower motor or wiring so that is not an issue. The kit is only made to fit up to 72. I installed one in my 73 so it can be made to work.
Have you sorted out the firewall plate yet? That was by far the most work of the install. I did not like their plastic plate at all so i made a metal plate for mine. I will see if I can find some pics.

Here are a couple pics. Also notice the plates I made to block off the holes where the original AC hoses and heater hoses passed through.

View attachment 1715553513

View attachment 1715553514
Click to expand...

oh pictures and help would be great! Maybe a pic of the switch wiring? Or whatever you have would be awesome!!!!
 
MoparMike1974 said:
You dont need to rewire the switch, you just need to do some engineering to make it fit the 73 bezel. You will not be using the original blower motor or wiring so that is not an issue. The kit is only made to fit up to 72. I installed one in my 73 so it can be made to work.
Have you sorted out the firewall plate yet? That was by far the most work of the install. I did not like their plastic plate at all so i made a metal plate for mine. I will see if I can find some pics.

Here are a couple pics. Also notice the plates I made to block off the holes where the original AC hoses and heater hoses passed through.

View attachment 1715553513

View attachment 1715553514
Click to expand...
That looks great! and thanks for the help!
upload_2020-6-29_15-19-30.png

Be glad to get rid of that old one! What color is your 73? looks like similar to mine
 
Gecko Green (PFM) Used on some of the newer jeeps and challengers. Its not the latest version with metal flake/pearl.

I dont think I have any pics of the switch mounting but I will look and post them if I have them. Basically I took out the original switch and cut out a little plastic to make the new switch slide in the hole. It fit pretty tight as it was but I put a few dabs of hot glue to be sure.
For the vent controls I used an AC bezel and swapped in a lever from a non-AC panel. The reason is the AC one used vacuum to operate and the non-AC used a cable like the kit needs.
 
Sorry, I dont have any pics. I see you have the non-AC panel. That may work as is, just change the switch out. Of course your labeling on the bezel wont be correct. I managed to get mine to read correct in almost all the positions.
You may even be able to use your original switch if it has enough positions.
 
.....is that a motocraft voltage regulator in your engine bay? Shame on you.
 
MoparMike1974 said:
Sorry, I dont have any pics. I see you have the non-AC panel. That may work as is, just change the switch out. Of course your labeling on the bezel wont be correct. I managed to get mine to read correct in almost all the positions.
You may even be able to use your original switch if it has enough positions.
Click to expand...
No worries, I think you gave me the help I needed. I will make it fit.
 
Im guilty too, I have one Ford part on my car.

20181114_212124.jpg


Let me know if you have any questions along the way with the AC install. I will help if I can.
 
The brackets they supplied halfway worked. Might have been a direct fit on a stock engine but the bracket did not line up to my intake mounting holes so I made a new support bracket. It also took quite a bit of trial and error to figure out what pulleys to use.

20190415_191658.jpg
 
BTW, your alternator mounting looks screwy to me. Its sitting much further forward than it should be. When you go to mount that kit it will be an issue.
 
MoparMike1974 said:
Im guilty too, I have one Ford part on my car.

View attachment 1715553736

Let me know if you have any questions along the way with the AC install. I will help if I can.
Click to expand...
ok, I am at the switch install. What did you end up doing to make it go into the original spot in the heater control? Can you take a pic of the dash with it? What about the wiring? Mine has a red cable going to the switch and black is cut and hanging with what looks like the original shrink tubing on it.
upload_2020-7-20_16-4-47.png
 
MoparMike1974 said:
BTW, your alternator mounting looks screwy to me. Its sitting much further forward than it should be. When you go to mount that kit it will be an issue.
Click to expand...
Yeah, you know, it is! They ended up putting washers to add space between it so it would line up with the water pump and to line up the belts. I think I can put the ac unit on the right side and not on top or left, but when I get to that we'll see. :)
 
I can take a picture of the front of it but thats not going to help you much. No way to get a pic of the back side.
For the wiring I just followed the instruction. I think you cut one wire to use for the hot. There should not have been any heat shrink on there from the factory.
 
MoparMike1974 said:
I can take a picture of the front of it but thats not going to help you much. No way to get a pic of the back side.
For the wiring I just followed the instruction. I think you cut one wire to use for the hot. There should not have been any heat shrink on there from the factory.
Click to expand...
That would be great. then I can at least see what you did on the front. Also, when it came to the part where you did the controls:
upload_2020-7-20_18-25-0.png

upload_2020-7-20_18-25-11.png


What did you end up doing? using it as it was or did you add any of the plates?
upload_2020-7-20_18-26-43.png

Here is my controls
 
ok, here is what I did: Took the bracket that was attached to the switch, drilled a couple of holes on the other side, slide switch in (after two bends in switch control to fit straight as possible and screwed it in with the screws that were in the bracket. Had to notch out the wire end so it sat flatter, as it was hitting plastic and raising it up. Boom, done. Next step here we come. Ooof

IMG_0695.jpg
 
MoparMike1974 said:
I can take a picture of the front of it but thats not going to help you much. No way to get a pic of the back side.
For the wiring I just followed the instruction. I think you cut one wire to use for the hot. There should not have been any heat shrink on there from the factory.
Click to expand...
What did you do for the slide controls. I elaborated in the above post.
 
For the slide control first I removed the AC vacuum switch an the lever. Then I used parts from a non-AC panel to allow a cable to hook to it. The brackets that come with the kit are useless if you have a 73+ panel.
If I remember right, the bottom control already used a cable so no mods were needed on that.
 
MoparMike1974 said:
For the slide control first I removed the AC vacuum switch an the lever. Then I used parts from a non-AC panel to allow a cable to hook to it. The brackets that come with the kit are useless if you have a 73+ panel.
If I remember right, the bottom control already used a cable so no mods were needed on that.
Click to expand...
Cool, just wanted to verify what I did was accurate. I did use the original controls and hooked up the new cables to it. Thanks for confirmation!
 
Is there anything you need to have or buy that doesn’t come with the kit ?
 
Rd2Scamp said:
Is there anything you need to have or buy that doesn’t come with the kit ?
Click to expand...
Cable ties. Lots of them! :) no, I didn't need anything that was not included. The only issue was my 73 was not an option for the kit, so I got the 72 one and tweaked it for the dash. Things are a bit odd when sliding levers and such, but I live in Las Vegas, so I am good with it!
 
scottbak said:
Cable ties. Lots of them! :) no, I didn't need anything that was not included. The only issue was my 73 was not an option for the kit, so I got the 72 one and tweaked it for the dash. Things are a bit odd when sliding levers and such, but I live in Las Vegas, so I am good with it!
Click to expand...
Oh the only thing they could have done better was the connection with the arrow, they could have bent that at 45 or 90 instead of sticking straight up in the engine compartment, but other than that I love it! Here are the before and after photos.

Before.JPG


After.png
 
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