Converting automatic AC to manual
 

Can anyone please tell me if changing my automatic AC control out for a manual one is simply a matter of changing the control units and reconnecting the hoses? Or is there a different wiring harness/plug or different # of vac hoses? Are there any additional parts I'd need other than the main control unit (I wouldn't have to swap out the whole heater core would I)?

I have a 83ZXT and it had the auto air and I changed it over to the manual one and it was fairly easy. I got a manual system out of a 81 and swap the whole system. The wire harness plugged right in but I did use my evaporater box and changed a couple of servos.

Heh, I'm hearing things both ways. Some people say the swap was plug n' play easy, while others say it's a big job. I went to the junkyard today and there was a dash that was already half off, but it was just way too difficult. And it seems impossible to do the swap without removing the dash too... Dang I dunno what to do. Hopefully my auto AC is a simple fix. Someone oughta make a kit to convert it to electrical instead of vac hoses up the yin-yang.

The dash does have to come out in order to remove the bolts holding the heater/ac . It is plug and play but best I remember there's acouple of servos I had to swap because the fittings on the evaporater were different from the mine. To me it was a very easy swap, if you decide to do it try to remove the old control with the 1st section. It will come apart in 3 pieces, the heater housing the a/c housing and the blower motor housing. Theres still a lot of vaccum lines on the manual system you dont want to get mixed up so take note of the ones you unplug. And for the autotemp there are no such things as an easy fix that I have heard of. I worked on mine for a bout a month before I did the swap and wished after thats what I done to start with.

if you e-mail me your address, i have a copy of the auto air repair manual i'll send you. i've got two and your welcome to one of them.
my e-mail is BJ_BISIG@YAHOO.COM

Really?! You're a saint! ^__^

Well, I had some Z specialists take a look at my auto AC. They tested all the lines for vacuum leaks, and they were all fine. So looks like it's probably something electronic with the head unit or something.

What is an evaporator?

Oh Shit! Does the mighty Bleach not know something? LOL LOL Just kidding

No, of course not! Someone must have hacked into my account and posted that question! :D
...but anyone can still answer the question, not that I don't already know.

But really, I've got the auto temp controls. I can get my defroster to work and the floor heat as well. Its basically full blast or nothing. So I'm insterested in this swap and I'm reading up on all the info I can on it. Looks like I need to get more than just the control section. I really don't want to pull the whole dash...

Sorry no way around not pulling the dash, bolts holding the heat-a/c units are located where you have to pull it to access them. The evaporater is the core that gets cold for the a/c. I reused mine because the fittings on it were different from the manual system, due to year model. Main thing is when removing the manual sytem from the donar car is to remove the control panel and the 1st section(heater core box) together without removing all those vaccum lines. There will be a few more vaccum lines going towards the a/c box you have to remove so mark them where they went. This make it easier when reinstalling because you dont have to figure out where all those lines go. The housings on both the manual and auto temp systems are the same only the controls are different. If I would have known how easy it was to swap them out I would not have spent 3 weeks tring to fix the auto temp..... If you need any more info on the swap always glad to help.......

Ok, when I do my swap, I'm removing any un-nessisary AC parts. My system leaks bad after i have it recharged so I'm just going to get rid of it. So the evaporator is actually that unit in front of the radiator?

Thanks for the tip on the center section. Before i was wondering if I could just pull the manual control box in the middle of the dash and make it work. Sounds like its not that easy. And you're saying the heater blower fan is also different on the manual control system and that's why I have to pull that part too.

I think I'll wait till this next summe to do this.

The unit in front of the radiator is called the condenser and you have no need for the a/c then remove it. Swapping out the whole system is easier than tring to swap out each piece.