hen our buddy, Paul Willis, decided his new project would be building a 1955 Ford F-100 from the ground up he had two goals: one was to incorporate some classic mild-custom features like a tube grille, quad headlights, a rolled rear pan and early Ford taillights, among other modifications; the second was to include modern mechanicals, like a Chevy Gen V direct-injected L83 V-8, 6L80 automatic, and independent suspension on both ends. Of course, a climate-control system would also be part of the modernization effort, and for that he turned to Old Air Products for one of their Hurricane A/C, heat, and defrost units.

Old Air Products was established in 1989 with the intent to produce a compact climate-control system that would fit any vehicle, be easy to service, and install. The result of their efforts was the popular Hurricane series that met all those goals. There are three variations of the Hurricane, the differences being where the connections exit the case to go through the firewall. The kit Willis chose was Old Air’s CAP-5100 series that is specifically designed for 1953-56 Ford F-100s. It provides A/C, heat, and defrost functions.

Included in the complete Hurricane kit is the heat, cool, and defrost unit, mounting hardware, switches, wiring, electronic heater control valve, receiver/drier, duct hose, hardware, compressor, custom fit condenser with custom tubes and brackets, and A/C hoses—everything necessary for installation. Old Air kits come equipped with a binary switch to protect the A/C system from excessive high or low system pressures. An optional trinary switch is available (PN 24-0103) to protect the compressor from head pressure that is too high or low, but will also activate the electric engine cooling fan as needed.

Old Air offers universal hose kits but for our application we opted for the new Simple-Crimp hose kit. It comes with a reduced-diameter hose that is easier to install and route compared to standard barrier hose and comes with a variety of fittings and the required clamps.

When selecting an A/C compressor, Old Air has several to choose from, including the popular and reliable Sanden 508. These compressors have five cylinders and a displacement of approximately 8.4 ci per revolution. However, for LS applications Old Air recommends using the Sanden 709, which has seven cylinders and a slightly larger displacement of 9.36 ci. These compressors put out more volume at idle and are suggested to eliminate possible vibration issues and better cope with potentially high engine operating speeds. Since the L83 Chevy didn’t come from the factory with a power steering pump (which was needed), Willis used brackets from LSX Innovations that mount both a power steering pump and will accept a Sanden 508 or 709 compressor.

Installing the Old Air Hurricane interior unit containing the A/C coil and heater core couldn’t be easier. It mounts to the firewall using factory holes; the heater and A/C hoses pass through the existing opening in the firewall for the original heater blower motor. The discharge louvers and switches to operate the fan, A/C, and heat normally mount to the lower edge of the truck’s dash. However, in this case the optional electronic slide control was found to be a perfect fit in the 1957 Ford passenger car dash Willis had gone to great lengths to make fit.
 
In most cases the custom condenser assembly Old Air offers for F-100s is the way to go. It includes mounting brackets that use the OEM bolts to mount the condenser, receiver/drier, and pre-formed aluminum lines to pass neatly through the core support. However, the aluminum radiator the truck was already equipped with included a condenser that was the proper size for the application, so that’s what was used.

Installing the heater and A/C hoses is quick and easy. The heater control valve can be located anywhere that is convenient. It is important for LS and Coyote engines; a bypass heater valve is used to recirculate the coolant/antifreeze back to the motor. We particularly liked the Easy-Crimp A/C hoses as they could be cut to the exact length needed and the ends installed without the crimping tool the standard hose requires. Old Air’s Jose Balderas points out that while the benefit of the reduced barrier hoses being easy to route in tight spaces, it is imperative that the hose does not kink as it will cause major problems with the A/C system.

As the purpose of a climate-control system like the Hurricane is to control the temperature of the passenger compartment, it’s always advisable to add insulation to the roof, floor, and firewall to optimize the performance of the heater and A/C. Make sure the weatherstripping around the doors and windows is in good shape; tinted windows will help reduce interior heat gain in the summer, making the A/C more effective. There are also mechanical considerations when installing a heat and cool system. The engine must be equipped with an effective fan (mechanical or electric) that provide sufficient air through the radiator and condenser. In addition make sure the charging system is capable of handling the increased electrical load and is properly grounded to ensure proper operation of the electronic controls.

Once all the components are in place all that is left to do is charge the system with refrigerant. This is a job for an experienced technician as it requires evacuating the system with a vacuum pump for a minimum of 45 minutes, then adding 28-32 ounces of 134a refrigerant. Once charged, a dedicated set of A/C gauges should indicate the pressure on the high side of the system (the discharge and liquid lines) to be approximately 2-1/2 times the outside air temperature. On the low side (suction line) the system pressure will initially be 35 to 45 psi then and drop lower as the passenger compartment cools.

Old Air’s complete Hurricane package includes everything necessary for the installation. It comes with detailed instructions and their helpful tech experts are a phone call away, if needed. It’s an easy way to make your F-100 cool.