Hot Rods 1940 Chevy A/C ???

Do I bother with A/C if we are going to run way to hot ? This is the old rad in the photo. Running a stock 350 with a 700 R. I need to make a decision here about A/C . I have a new 3 row rad now and no room for a engine mount fan so i will need a puller. I will make a cover for the top cradle to force new air in. If its going to cause problems i won't do a/c
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If the electric fan is on the front (grill) side of the radiator, it is a pusher fan.

I'm in Southern Arizona, about 8 miles from the Mexican border. Conditions are a little different than in Canada. I did grow up in New England (MA and VT), so I am familiar high heat-high humidity weather.

Success will depend on the parts installed. You will need a high flow electric fan to stay cool in a traffic jam. And a high output alternator to power that electric fan.

Russ

 

My 48 runs a 350 with a 700-r4, I have enough room in front of the engine to run a clutch fan, puzzled you don't have the room. I have A/C, I don't run the trans on the radiator for cooling but I do have a trans cooler in front of the radiator along with the A/C condenser. Car runs 180 all the time with a Walker radiator, I had a Griffin radiator for a while when I was thinking about doing an LS swap. Car ran the same temp with either radiator. When I bought the Walker, I insisted that the water drain pet**** be installed on the front of the radiator so I didn't have to worry about the fan clearing the pet**** or the trans cooler lines. It has worked for thousands of miles, and will sit in traffic no matter how hot out it is. Good luck with yours

 

I installed a high quality Vintage air in my 50 Chevy pickup years ago with a 350 SB.
In Ohio I’d never do it again. Yes I had my share of cooling issues but resolved them. And installation was far from easy. It’s just not worth the cost and labor in a place like Ohio.
We rarely hit 90 and in reality how much do we really use these vehicles?
Now with old fords with their tilt windshields and cowl vents. Installed AC’s arent even needed.

 

I have A/C on my '37 Chevy truck, 250 inline six, aftermarket radiator. I run a 6 blade steel fan, no clutch, A/C will blow 35 degree air. You will need more air flow than the fan pictured can make. I had a 18" flex fan that couldn't keep the temps steady at idle, the solid steel 6 blade and a smaller fan pulley will let it idle under 200 for a long time. My truck was very hot driving, you set right up against the side window so the sun really baked, opening the windshield and cowl vent only let in more hot air, it was better than nothing, but still very hot. A/C makes its much better to drive in the summer.
I moved the radiator as far forward and down as possible, I even removed some sheet metal to get it there, the fan is tight, less then 3/8" clearance front and back. Electric fans were not an option I was going to use.
You for sure need a bigger fan with a shroud that uses the whole radiator. It needs to be thick enough so the air has room to get through the core and turn towards the opening. If you use one of the thin shrouds, don't expect it too cool, same with the fan mounted right to the core, you will only cool what's right in front of the fan blades. I don't have much alternator load, just the HEI and lights, so I use one of the mini alternators for clearance reasons. It can handle the A/C with no problem, the amp gauge doesn't even wiggle as it cycles on and off, so a high output charging system isn't needed unless you have a lot of accessories.

 

Had a 40 with a 355 and 70r4, A/C. Here in S. Texas we build the A/C first, then the car. I used a super cheap alum. rad off ebay, homemade shroud, 7 blade fan, switched pusher fan in front, 185 or so Tstat, closed everything in front of rad so only air coming in would go through it, and a few other tricks i've forgotten. If you're that close with the rad you need to move it somehow and get clearance for a belt driven fan, no electric is equal. You didn't mention the compressor, Sanden is the preference for its size and performance-also not much power to drive it.

 

My '39 has a SBC with short water pump and a mechanical fan. I have a 1" spacer behind the fan to get it closer to the radiator. My distributor clears the firewall without any mods to the firewall, but it's a points distributor as an HEI wont clear.
Your engine must sit pretty far forward to not have room for a mechanical fan.

 

show us the other side of the radiator, so we can see what kind of real fan you might be able to install.

A few different pictures from different angles, showing the whole thing