Factory ac vs dealer install

[sc72]

How can i identify factory ac from dealer installed,i ask because i'm trying to buy an expansion valve and a dryer from Ford and i'm not sure the counter man knows up from down,the line routings are diff,and the belt tensioner's are diff,by the way where is the orfice tube at.

[wybnrml]

I think dealer A/C had the three relays mounted above the strut tower on the passenger side while the Factory A/C had the three relays mounted behind the Driver Side headlight.

[sc72]

Well they are mounted between the light [drivers side] and the battery,i shouldn't bad mouth the counter man after all he is about the same vintage as the Festy,So whats the scoop with the orfice location,the manual says it's back by the expansion valve and the counter man says it's up by the drier??

[wybnrml]

I don't think Festiva's had orfice tubes, but I may be wrong.

[sc72]

I'm not going to say that, since i really don't know either,right now i'm elbow deep reading the repair manual.
Hey what else could be pluged up if it proves not to have an orfice tube.

[microflea]

reciever dryer could be saturated.If the system has been opened at any time,it needs to be replaced.I believe it is located on the passenger side front.In front of the radiator between the headlight and nose of the car,if you're standing back looking at the front of the car.You can see it through the grill.Good luck

[sc72]

so i called the people who i bought the A.C. pump from and asked him about the orfice,he laughed and said did you find it and i says NO! he laughed and said thats cause it don't have one. Wybnrml you are right about the orfice tube and thanks Flea for the help. I asked about the flush kit and this fella says skip that and buy your self a can of carb cleaner,take both lines loose at the fire wall and sray in the top line, let sit for 5 min,use air hose,wrap line with rag and see what comes out,repeat a couple times,then move to the condenser and repeat.I hope he's right,it would be an easy fix.
Thanks goes to Euro for his advice and help.

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

I recently went to buy an A/C belt after mine myseriously disappeared (the special washer behind the idler pulley was missing, causing he pulley to wobble and shed belts). NAPA offered me two different belt lengths -- one for factory AC, other for dealer AC. Not knowing what I had, I bought both belts and one fit.

So belt length may be one way to tell what you have.

[gestiva]

both my Blue festys had A/C when I got them.
one had Dealer install, and One had Factory.
The factory lines looked more "heavy duty"
and the dealer lines looked line "brake lines". not sure if that helped.

[eurotiva]

Factory air has a rock guard that's mounted in the lower opening of the bumper. Also the compressor is bolted to a bracket.

Dealer installed air has no rock guard, and the compressor bolts directly to the side of the block.

I can tell by the way the a/c lines "look" like they weren't made to fit.

[FB71]

Factory air has a rock guard that's mounted in the lower opening of the bumper. Also the compressor is bolted to a bracket.

Dealer installed air has no rock guard, and the compressor bolts directly to the side of the block.

I can tell by the way the a/c lines "look" like they weren't made to fit.

they are both on a bracket, but two different brackets. Dealer is a fabbed steel bracket, factory is a cast iron bracket.

[Pu241]

I just got an AC unit from FestivaWes and mine has a cast Al bracket:








I don't know were this fits in with the factory vs dealer AC.

[eurotiva]

^ thanks for the clarification guys.

[bravekozak]

custom lines

I have both a used Nippondenso (factory) and Sanden (dealer) compressors.
I bought a new Sanden compressor off the Bay.
I am using a V-belt pulley clutch.
Since I have power steering, I have to have custom lines made because of the interference the back of the P/S bracket causes.
I tried to get the line that goes from the drier, around the battery, along the firewall to the condenser, with no success.
Also the power steering hoses cause a lot of clutter and make it extremely difficult to adapt a stock pressure hose.

http://bwbronze.com/festiva/no_%20tensioner.jpg

[sc72]

Air is it A or B

Thanks goes to Euro,FB71,wybnrml,AlaskaFestiva Guy,Microflea,gestiva,bravekozak and last but not least, Pu241 thank you for taking time to dig out the parts,take the pic's and put them here for all to see, seeing those brackets now tells me that the GL is factory and the L Plus is dealer add on,now i can go to our local Ford Dealer and help the counter man with good info. Again thanks all.