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chevynut
07-15-2015, 02:00 PM
Does anyone here have a 55-57 Chevy Gen IV Vintage Air evaporator? I need some dimensions and can't find any online except for these, which seem suspect to me:

http://www.dreamershotrods.com/images/vintageair/magnumdimentions.jpg

I am pretty sure all 55-56 Chevys use the same box, as it's used on many other cars too.

My older cable-driven unit (for sale) is 32" long and this shows 6" shorter. Is that true? I need the actual dimension that's shown above as 7.5" but I need an accurate measurement from the plane of the firewall attachment brackets rearward to the cabin side of the main vents, as well as the defroster vents. I can't really use the dimension from the center of the firewall back since mine is custom, but if that's all I have to work with I'll take it. ;) I also need to know how far towards the passenger side the motor edge is from the center of the car, or from a 55-56 kick panel.

I have decided after much frustration to upgrade my cable unit to the Gen IV to make it easier (I hope) to run the vent hoses. However, I'm also concerned about running the heater and Freon hoses now. I already have the holes in my firewall and all my under-hood hoses made, and I don't want to go backward any more than I have to. I will make new hoses for the inside of the car, assuming I CAN. I don't want to buy the $800 kit and find out that it doesn't work either.

chevynut
07-15-2015, 03:02 PM
Looking at this a little more I see that the 4 ducts sit above the bottom of the main box. If they're high enough they will work for me. So it would be helpful to have a dimension from the bottom of the dash down to the bottom of the 4-duct plenum. If it's no lower than the older cable unit, I will be fine with it. I don't have a stock transmission tunnel or firewall, so dimensions from there would be irrelevant. A measurement from somewhere above the unit would work too.

I found this pic for a 57 that has the center vent so it tells me where the bottom of the 57 dash is which is helpful. I am assuming that a 57 dash is about the same height as a 55-56, but I don't know for sure. It also shows me where the end of the motor is for clearance to the kick panel only I don't know how a 57 kick panel area compares to the 55-56.

Any help on this? The issue is interference with my 2-DIN stereo that's under the dash. It protrudes forward 6.5" at an angle.

http://pic12.picturetrail.com/VOL419/1418666/2703406/184777144.jpg

rockytopper R.I.P 5-13-2017
07-15-2015, 03:38 PM
This is a friends 55 see link below. He installed the vintage unit a few months ago. I can probably get the dimensions you need from him.
http://www.trifive.com/forums/showthread.php?t=135945

One other option might be the oldair products system. http://www.oldairproducts.com/catalog/1928-72-chevrolet-full-size-car/1955-56-chevrolet-car-c-1_31000000_120132056_31102000_120132059.html
It fits in the factory location and uses all the stock holes in the fire wall for the hoses in the engine bay. The center vent is not hard mounted either so clearing your stereo would not be an issue. The down side is the unit sticks down below the dash and can be seen on the passenger side. This may be a deal breaker for you. I plan to buy this same kit because you retain the factory glove box and it is far easier to install in a finished car. I don't plan to install a/c for a while. The vintage unit is best installed first when the car is torn a part and under the dash is empty. It is apparently a pain if your car is complete already.

chevynut
07-15-2015, 07:48 PM
Thanks Rocky. Unfortunately I can't see the pics on that site because I'm not logged in and don't want to do so. Some pics I can see, but others I can't for some reason. All I see is this type of thing: "http://www.trifive.com/forums/images/attach/jpg.gif 20141213_114150.jpg (http://www.trifive.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=107426&d=1419302127) (102.5 KB, 145 views)" and when I click on it all I get is "You are not logged in or you do not have permission to access this page."

Does your friend have the 4-vent VA unit or the under-dash vent unit? I might be able to use measurements from either one because the cases are the same and only the vents are different. Seems they use the same basic box on virtually every Gen IV kit they sell. The box is the "Gen IV Magnum" shown in the drawings I posted above.

To be honest with ya, I think that Old Air system looks like crap :eek:. It hangs way too low below the dash imo. I don't need the original firewall holes because they're long gone and I don't want any mounting holes in the firewall. I will weld studs onto it to mount the A/C like I did for the VA unit I have. I don't want the hoses to exit where the stock opening is because that's gone, and I don't want to see the hoses under the hood...they all go through a hidden bulkhead. The issue isn't the center vent location, because I'm not going to use it. I'm using the 4 vents in my valence. So the issue really is the shape of the box and where the hoses connect to it. IMO the VA unit will work best for me.

Here's what I have.....

The top of the radio is about 3/4" below the glove box and sits at about a 45 degree angle downward in front. It's about 6 1/2" deep from the face to the back of the unit. The rounded cutout on the driver's side in the picture below is where the vent hose connects on the old unit I have. So you can see where my concern is, I think. If it's much lower or much further toward the passenger compartment there will be interference. You can see the pencil marks on the side of the console that show the profile of the stereo body.

http://www.trifivechevys.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4607&stc=1

http://www.trifivechevys.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4608&stc=1

I'm pretty sure now that I should have room for the Gen IV but I want to be absolutely positive before spending $780+ on it and another $50-75 to ship it back if it doesn't work.

If I could get a measurement from the bottom of the dash to the bottom of the 4-vent plenum, and another one from the bottom of the dash straight forward to the face of the plenum, that should give me what I need to make sure it will clear the radio. The only other measurement that I would need is from the fresh air vent or heater intake on the cowl to the motor case. That will let me figure out where the lines need to be and to make sure they'll work too.

rockytopper R.I.P 5-13-2017
07-16-2015, 07:19 AM
I emailed you the pics and the VA instructions should help. The hoses heater and a/c all exit out the original fan hole in the firewall. if you want details mark up instruction pics and email to me I will send to my buddy to measure it for you. just mark it dim a,b,c etc....

chevynut
07-16-2015, 08:31 AM
Thanks Rocky but it turns out the pics really don't help much with determining my fitment. What I really need is those dimensions. It LOOKS like it would work but I want to make sure.

I'm not installing the VA unit with the hoses they supply with the kit, and the hole in the firewall doesn't exist anymore. The hoses go through the 4 holes in my firewall and I don't want to re-do any of that.

http://www.trifivechevys.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4609&stc=1

http://www.trifivechevys.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4610&stc=1

NickP
07-16-2015, 09:40 AM
If, the base unit is the same regardless of the vehicle and the rest of the units parts, i.e. brackets and hose and duct outlet box is specific to the install, I have a new in the box unit that I can measure. If you can discover that, let me know and I'll measure anything you need.

chevynut
07-16-2015, 10:09 AM
Nick, yes it appears that all of the vehicle-specific kits use the "gen IV Magnum" case and all they do is change the vent connections and mounting brackets. If you have the one with 4 vents like shown in the drawing above, that would work. I'll give you a call rather than to try to do it online.

chevynut
07-16-2015, 01:23 PM
Since Nick's unit isn't a 55-57 specific one I could still use the measurements. He has a universal Gen IV Magnum evaporator and will be getting me some dimensions that might help.

I could still use some measurements from a tri5 installation. If anyone has one of these installed, please let me know. There are several dimensions that might help me out.

WagonCrazy
07-16-2015, 10:17 PM
I have the Gen 4 evaporator for my 57 Nomad. Part number 56157-pcz
31 inches long x about 10 inches wide
I can get more measurements for you...what do you want? (We can do a Facetime video call on Friday morning and I can go out in the garage and show you any aspect of this thing)

46134614461546164617

But you should just order your unit and get it there. You can mount it "left to right" under the dash pretty much anywhere it fits best. But I'll tell ya...the rear hose connections will be a bitXh to tighten once the unit is mounted in there. You need make up the hoses and then tighten them in first...

Call me on Friday.

chevynut
07-16-2015, 10:39 PM
Hey Paul, good to see you have one, even if it is the one with the under-dash vents ;). Have you mounted it in the car yet? I think you can get me at least one of the dimensions I need with the unit out of the car. Your pics do help quite a bit. Your defroster vents look a bit different than the drawings of the Gen IV that I posted above but I think they're kind of irrelevant to my issue since they're pretty high on the box. Those left end main vents can easily be changed out too.

I'm surprised that yours is 5" longer than the 4-vent one. It looks like the ends of the 4-vent unit would be right about at the center of the car which is good for me. Like you said, I have some flexibility in moving the box around to make it fit since I have nothing I have to mount it to. Mostly I am interested in where the bottom rear (toward the bottom of the dash) of the 4-vent plenum is located. Once I verify it will clear my radio, I'll get it ordered. I found a place where I can get the entire SureFit '56 evaporator kit for $730 shipped. ;)

As far as the hoses, I had all my hoses made up for my older cable unit. All I needed to do is tighten them and then attach them to the bulkhead fittings after the unit was bolted in place. Now I have to re-do the damn things. :(

chevynut
07-16-2015, 11:07 PM
One thing I just noticed....are there more floor vents on the back of the unit near the firewall? The installation instructions say "dash/floor door" for one of the servo motors. So I assume that means you can direct air to the dash/center vents or the floor vents behind the unit. That's something I never saw before but your pics show two openings there. That means my console will still have to accommodate them.

BTW, did you notice your unit is 10 years old? :p

NickP
07-17-2015, 10:01 AM
Nick, yes it appears that all of the vehicle-specific kits use the "gen IV Magnum" case and all they do is change the vent connections and mounting brackets. If you have the one with 4 vents like shown in the drawing above, that would work. I'll give you a call rather than to try to do it online.Visit This: http://picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/20292324

chevynut
07-17-2015, 12:01 PM
Thanks for the great pics Nick. ;) It looks like the overall height of the unit is about 10.5" and the bottom of the outlet plenum is about 8 1/4" from the top. The front mounting screw looks like it's about 6.5" from the top of the unit. That mounting screw is just below where the bottom of the dash is according to the installation instructions, so it looks like the bottom of the dash is at about where the main box seam is. That looks like about where it is in the pic I posted above too. So that means the bottom of the plenum must be about 2 1/4" below the bottom of the dash when installed.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1600/2283636/20292324/411497349.jpg

Also I assume you have your unit sitting on the table with the mounting bracket in place. If I'm interpreting your pic correctly, it looks like the plenum is 8 3/4" above the mounting plane (firewall). I'll have to measure the distance from the firewall to the bottom of the dash and see where it lands.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1600/2283636/20292324/411497344.jpg

chevynut
07-17-2015, 12:39 PM
Well, after talking to Paul and getting nick's measurements I did some checking on my Nomad. It's going to be a little close, but I think it's going to work. I also think I have some flexibility on placement of the unit and may be able to raise it a little. I'm going to order the new Gen IV unit and go for it. :)

NickP
07-17-2015, 01:54 PM
One thing I just noticed....are there more floor vents on the back of the unit near the firewall? The installation instructions say "dash/floor door" for one of the servo motors. So I assume that means you can direct air to the dash/center vents or the floor vents behind the unit. That's something I never saw before but your pics show two openings there. That means my console will still have to accommodate them.BTW, did you notice your unit is 10 years old? :pPictured here are the floor outlets (2): http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/2283636/20292324/411497358.jpg

chevynut
07-17-2015, 02:39 PM
Thanks Nick, I have to figure out how to get those floor outlets out of the console too. They don't look too well thought out....the one on the right points right into the case.

I got the system ordered today. $730 shipped to my door for the Gen IV 56 Chevy Surefit evaporator kit. If anyone wants to get a good deal on VA, let me know and I'll hook you up with the guy I bought from.

chevynut
07-28-2015, 05:52 PM
Well I got the VA unit today...it was just built late last week and only took a week to get from the time I ordered it. Looks like everything is there, even stuff I won't use. :)

After putting on the brackets I found a slight problem. The case stuck out past the brackets.

http://www.trifivechevys.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4724&stc=1

So I took the brackets back off and bent them in my brake so they would clear. I'm not using the stock holes in the firewall so it doesn't matter where I put them.

Once I got the brackets tweaked to work, I put the unit up under the dash and right away I could tell it was going to work. After marking and measuring a dozen times I finally drilled two holes through the firewall and mounted the evaporator using bolts.

http://www.trifivechevys.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4725&stc=1

I put it up as high as I could to make sure I had clearances below, and that it didn't show under my valence. I think it's just a tad higher than it would have been if I'd used the stock holes. It also fits almost perfectly to my firewall setback which is 2.5".

http://www.trifivechevys.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4726&stc=1

In the first picture below you can see how high the 4 vents are and they clear the radio really well. And in the next one you can see that it looks like my console was cut out just for this unit, but I didn't do anything to it....

http://www.trifivechevys.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4727&stc=1 http://www.trifivechevys.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4728&stc=1

Then I installed the valence, and you can't even see the unit even from the pretty low angle I took this picture from...

http://www.trifivechevys.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4729&stc=1

So I'm really happy with the installation so far. :) I still have to weld the studs to the inside of the firewall, and I'll probably use some "elevator bolts" with the big head, or something like that. I'll plug weld them through from the front of the firewall. Then I'll cut off the other stud I had for the cable unit. Then I have to re-do all the interior lines.

One thing I noticed is that the heater vents in back aren't close to being centered over the tranny hump. :confused:

Rick_L
07-28-2015, 06:16 PM
Good to see that's all going to work out. A bit disappointed in the shallow bracket, probably no big deal for you, but it might be to some.

How are you going to get heat to the driver side?

chevynut
07-28-2015, 08:25 PM
Rick, I'm not too worried about heat as the car probably will never be driven in the cold. That said, I thought the Gen IV could also direct heat out of the 4 end vents which will be in my valence. I didn't even know about the heater vents until I looked at the pics Nick and Paul posted. Even so, I think I'll just leave some room at the point where my console and firewall meet for the hot air to come out. As far as I can tell I placed the unit only about 1/2-3/4" further toward the passenger side as intended. My bulkhead is far enough away that I don't think that will be a problem...I hope.

By the way, what was this hole originally for? Apparently all cars have it since VA doesn't say anything about drilling one, and mine is stock.

http://www.trifivechevys.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4731&stc=1