Big Changes Between 68 and 69.
D.E. - I bought a 1968 Chevelle, and it originally came with a 327 with air conditioning. The previous owner bought it without an engine and put in a 1969 350. The problem is the air conditioning compressor will not work. First, how do I tell exactly what kind of engine I have? Second, how do I make this compressor work with this motor?
G.M. - To tell what kind of engine you have, you have to find the engine numbers. They should be located on the block pad in front of the passenger side cylinder head. You may also need the casting number from the back of the engine just in front of the bell housing on the driver's side. The problem that you are having is probably due to the fact that Chevy made major changes on the front of their motors between 1968 and 69. They went from a "short" water pump to a "long" water pump, changing engine pulleys, all accessory brackets, and their locations. The easiest thing for you to do would be to find a 1969 a/c bracket, which I believe would mount the compressor on the driver's side. You will also need new hoses for the compressor. The other alternative is to change your water pump to the short style, along with all of the other accessory brackets and engine pulleys to the pre-69 style.
Archivist: Tom Wilson
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