Earlier '66 AC Compressor Questions

[Mike B.]

Re: Earlier '66 AC Compressor Questions

One more Dec '65 compressor from a '66 Vette. mike

[Donald S.]

Re: Earlier '66 AC Compressor Questions

Hi Dom, I don't remember where I got this '67 compressor photo from. I collect photos of different parts from different sources. I bring my laptop along when I buy parts sometimes. Those file shots really help when determining authenticity. You just gotta trust the source where the photos came from. I just thought it would be good to show Peter another label. I'm sure he's seen several already.

Thanks guys for your posts! Mike

Dom,
The reason that picture looks familiar is because that's my compressor you rebuilt several years ago...and still running strong!
Don

[Mike B.]

Re: Earlier '66 AC Compressor Questions

Hello Everybody,

I realize that this is not a huge data base as of yet, but I'd like to keep this thread running for as long as folks continue to contribute towards gathering this information on early(er) 1966 AC compressors. I'm really enjoying this. Met a couple of good guys, one who also owns a '66 L-36 AC convertible like mine and that's only 183 St.Louis bodies apart from my car! Oh, the awesome power of the TDB!

So now I'm pretty confident that my late November '65 built 1966 Corvette's original AC compressor was most likely:

Compressor casting #6555302
Compressor casting date - ?
Compressor model #6550113
Compressor build code - ?
Non-swaged compressor case
Clutch hub design - ?
Vent design - ?

Well, at least I've figured out which model # it was!

OK my Corvette brothers, here's another shout out to you all. Especially those of you that own (or have info on) any Oct (J), Nov (K), or Dec (L) '65 Frigidaire A6 AC compressors. I'd really like data from actual '66 Vette compressors, but information from any Chevrolet car compressor would be great too. Just as long as they have a casting#6555302 and model#6550133 or model#6550113. This data will truly help me and I feel it will also benefit the NCRS TDB archives!

I'm looking forward to new posts.

Thanks again,
Mike

[Domenic T.]

Re: Earlier '66 AC Compressor Questions

Mike,
I just finished a 67 compressor with the exact assembly date as the one shown (072762). in your picture?

This date code is the same date and shift as the one on my bench. It is not 2 pictures of the same one as I went thru the trash and pulled the foil pieces out and compared them. Same font, the placement (072762) is farther down the box than the one in the picture. Also the foil does not have the damage under the 3.00 between the 2 zero's. Other things also but can you believe that they were both assembled the same night.
Also they both have a 67 foil on them with a late July 66 assembly date. That throws a bunch of speculation out the window!

Dom

[Mike B.]

Re: Earlier '66 AC Compressor Questions

Don and Dom,

What an awesome coincidence about your 2 compressor labels. Made same day same shift. What are the odds? And what are the odds that a guy with a '66 L-36 convertible w/AC just like mine would post on this thread? And only to find out that his car's St. Louis body # was only 183 after mine went down the line. Oh, the power of the NCRS TDB!

Take care, Mike

[Mike B.]

Re: Earlier '66 AC Compressor Questions

Good Morning Guys,

Last night I put together some info that I've come up with (so far) of calendar year '65 last quarter AC compressors for 1966 Corvettes. I'm including stats from any Chevrolet A6 compressor too as long as it shows proper casting and label info as the Corvette compressors. I know this is just the start of my data base and there's lots of work ahead. I'd like to keep this thread alive and continue to poll '66 w/AC owners to add to these stats. I'm now feeling that the change from model #6550133 to #6550113 was not in Nov '65 as I originally thought. Probably in late Sep or Oct '65. The '66 AIM shows the drawing revision date of 9-14-65 for the label change. I know there was a time lag from when the change would actually catch up to the assembly line.

So, anyone out there that has any Frigidaire A6 compressor with casting #6555302 with a Sep (I) '65, Oct (J) '65, Nov (K) '65, or Dec (L) '65 casting date, please respond! Provide as much info as possible. Casting #s, foil label info, etc. Photos would be wonderful!

This info will help track down the model # changeover, clutch hub design changeover and vent design changeover. All 3 of these events appear to have occurred during the months listed above. Not only will this help me, but it will add to TDB archives which will benefit us all. I'll strive to be very accurate collecting this data. All in good faith. I enjoy this guys, and I really look forward to your posts.

Thanks to all of you, Mike

[Domenic T.]

Re: Earlier '66 AC Compressor Questions

OK Mike,
Last night A NCRS friend that I did a compressor for sent me a pic of a I 06 5.
BUT, date code is under right high side port which I have a study going on about!

Dom

[Domenic T.]

Re: Earlier '66 AC Compressor Questions

This date code is the same date and shift as the one on my bench. It is not 2 pictures of the same one as I went thru the trash and pulled the foil pieces out and compared them. Same font, the placement (072762) is farther down the box than the one in the picture. Also the foil does not have the damage under the 3.00 between the 2 zero's. Other things also but can you believe that they were both assembled the same night.
Also they both have a 67 foil on them with a late July 66 assembly date. That throws a bunch of speculation out the window!

Dom

By the way, compressor came off a 10 28 1966 build date car.

[Harry S.]

Re: Earlier '66 AC Compressor Questions

I don't know if this help but I just looked at my listing of 63 A/C cars. The compressors are dated 1 to 3 months prior to the build date of the car. There are some tag sequence anomalies but that is to be expected as this was not always a FIFO installation process.

[Mike B.]

Re: Earlier '66 AC Compressor Questions

Good Afternoon Dom,

Yes, there's always those compressors that we've seen with the casting date under the right port. I was afraid to mention that to the audience of this post. I figure you'll enlighten us with your study when it's complete on this subject. I've seen some shots of compressors like that on that major on-line auction site, but I've always thought they may be for compressors from the '70s vs. the '60s. But lately I'm not so sure. Let us know what you find Dom. Good stuff!

I was wrong about the casting date on my Sep '65 compressor that I was telling you about. My memory was a little off. Last night I had my wife go out in the garage up in Maryland and check my 3 non-swaged compressors (thought I had 4) for info I needed. She was hating life. She's only 3 times heavier than 1 of them weigh! And she had to move a couple of them. Oh, the humanity!!

So the I 22 5 is actually I 6 5. That's the date I posted last night along with the other compressor info I've come up with so far. The I 6 5 compressor casting date is centered between the ports, not under the right one.

Thanks for the info Dom. Any other info/photos of compressors would be great for this data collection! From any Chevrolet car. Take care, Mike

Edit: Hey Dom, that I 6 5 compressor with the casting date under the right side port in an early non-swaged case isn't it? Mike

[Randy G.]

Re: Earlier '66 AC Compressor Questions

Hi Dom:

Just curious about the "dished" pistons you mentioned in my '67 compressor you're finishing up. Did they dish the pistons to drop the compression? Possibly because they expected that the Corvettes would be run at higher RPMs? I only mention this because I hope it cools the car just as well when I install and overdrive transmission in it in the next few months.

Randy

[Tom D.]

Re: Earlier '66 AC Compressor Questions

Reminds me of the '65 sales brochure. One of my favorite photos on the back cover. This photo ain't bad either! Thanks.

[Mike B.]

Re: Earlier '66 AC Compressor Questions

Hi Tom,

Are you referring to my yellow '65 in my garage? Well a good friend of mine had that GM poster of the yellow '65 drivin' down that country road framed & matted then gave it to me. It's mounted proudly above my work bench now. Later that year on this country road not far from the house we tried to reproduce that scene with me zooming by in the '65. Never got it quite right. Took lots of camera shots when we still used film. Take care Tom. Mike

[Domenic T.]

Re: Earlier '66 AC Compressor Questions

Hi Dom:

Just curious about the "dished" pistons you mentioned in my '67 compressor you're finishing up. Did they dish the pistons to drop the compression? Possibly because they expected that the Corvettes would be run at higher RPMs? I only mention this because I hope it cools the car just as well when I install and overdrive transmission in it in the next few months.

Randy

Randy,
Yes, that's what the dished pistons were about, but I doubt it will help the cooling. NOW, with a car as original as yours, why are you going to modify it? By the way, it was finished (compressor),Thursday and your compressor code is the one I posted about.

Dom

[Randy G.]

Re: Earlier '66 AC Compressor Questions

I drive from Orange and Fullerton up to Pomona to the NHRA museum car shows and the Pomona Swap meet on the freeway as well as other places requiring freeway travel. I can drop an overdrive in it without drilling one hole or modifying one piece on the car and I always keep the original parts to convert it back if the need ever came up. I'm concerned that running the original engine at 3,000 plus RPM's for extended periods could eventually take it's toll. I put a 700R4 in my '62 and the RPM's dropped to 1,980 at 65 miles per hour. Unbelievably, the guy that bought the '62 from me a month ago told me he specifically bought mine because of the overdrive and that he had no interest in the original powerglide transmission and torque converter.