Installing A/C in a 1999 Ford F-550?

rockyridgefarm · Mar 27, 2017

I've been looking for a pickup that is nearly non-existant - a Ford Standard cab, Dual rear wheel, Diesel, 4X4, manual trnasmission. Well, I'm going to go look at one Wednesday. It has the utility cab with no air conditioning. How much trouble am I asking for to install air? I have an F-250 with air and when the air went out last summer, it was just miserable. I'd much rather be cold than hot.

Case Nutty 1660 · Mar 27, 2017

we have lots of those out here in NE Wyoming due to all the oil field/industry out here we have fleets of them running, but I am sure where you are looking now there would be few for sale at this time, as for installing a/c I have seen them with aftermarket ones installed here I do know unless you find a old under dash mount one you are in for a major job installing one in dash, I had to have a plenum door unit replaced in my wife's van a year ago and it was over 800 in labor alone as they had to pull the entire dash out to change it. it can sure be done but I would figuare on 2500-3500 to have one installed
cnt

Sprint 6 · Mar 27, 2017

It could theoretically be done, but you would need a parts truck with A/C to take the parts from. The big parts could easily be bought from
a salvage yard, but it is all the little pieces to make it work that drive up the cost and kill your sanity. Not to mention the labor, since the
whole dash would likely need removed to install the inside HVAC box. I would either do without air, or wait for what I want to come along.

Gambles · Mar 27, 2017

There are aftermarket kits available if you want to pay their price. The mounts needed to attach the compressor to the engine would be easy, it's the rest of the parts that would be the costly items.

Wild Bill · Mar 27, 2017

there are many underdash kits available. Ebay is flooded with them. they start about $500 for imports and go up from there.

Vintage air would be a higher end supplier you could google up.

ron miller · Mar 27, 2017

WE got a system that came out Florida and put it on a 1070 case a few years back works great they be made to fit alot off different things

Jo Bird · Mar 27, 2017

You could find some thing to slap on the roof from an old camping trailer.

M-MAN · Mar 27, 2017

Under dash unit. The unit off a jeep wrangler would be ideal. That's what my 95 has.

Case Nutty 1660 · Mar 27, 2017

Sounds like a good deal any pics of it by chance? cnt

wisbaker · Mar 27, 2017

Don't know if it's still true or things have changed, used to be the dealer could add air for $500-$1,000. With newer trucks you have the dash vents already in place even if it was non-air so all you're adding is the evaporator, condenser, compressor, hoses and receiver/dryer. Before I got to wound up I'd see if Ford offered an A/C add on kit and see if there's any out there. Might be able to slip the evaporator in along side the heater core in the plenum from the under the hood and plumb the rest of the stuff in and switch out the control panel for one with the A/C functions included. I wouldn't be surprised if the wiring harness already has the A/C circuits in it so it would be plug N play for the control wiring. Only thing that might be difficult is getting the outside/inside door working so you have working max air

wisbaker · Mar 27, 2017

Which would be 110 volt/220 volt AC power, where you going to plug it in?

dhermesc · Mar 27, 2017

You might be able to get a "dealer install" unit from Ford that would run around $1000 or so. It would look like a factory set up both inside an out. The problem is a 1999 is now 18 years old and the factory version may not exist anymore. After that the "vintage air" unit mentioned below would probably be the next best option. They make them to fit almost anything (old cars/truck with new powertrains) so getting one for your application may not be the massive PIA that cobbling together from scratch would be.

http://www.vintageair.com/2017%20Catalog/2017%20Vintage%20Air%20Catalog%2043.pdf

Steve@Advance · Mar 27, 2017

I'm sure there is an aftermarket kit available. Probably wouldn't be too expensive.

The labor would be the worst, but if you can install it yourself, it would be doable.

wisbaker · Mar 27, 2017

Question would be if the current unit/kit is the same as the 1999 kit, it's basically the same cab, the question would be engine. Don't know if the kits came in ABC units (A for the cab, B for the engine) where the master kit part number was a assembly of sub kits.

jimg.allentown · Mar 27, 2017

In any case, you would need to change the wiring harness and probably the PCM as well.

Why?

Because the A/C system is integrated into the whole electrical system. First, there are control switches like low and high pressure cutouts. A/C compressor on factory units is controlled by the PCM. There is also a WOT cutout for hard pulls. Idle speed control is adjusted/controlled based on engine loading. PCM senses that when it switches the compressor on.

Adding the compressor, evaporator, and control head would be fairly simple. Just time consuming, and some fasteners might be a bit hard to reach.

The electrical portion could be a potential nightmare.

I once added factory air conditioning to a car I owned that was taken from a wrecked donor car. Installing the components was fairly easy. Sorting out the wiring and electrical took what seemed like forever. That was done many years before 1999, when things were a lot simpler. If you want it to work right, you will have to do it right.

My opinion based on personal experience.

ron miller · Mar 27, 2017

Sorry old phone cant do that you can e mail me or wellcome to call 419 707 1274. called the place got a picture of the tractor on their internet,we really like the unit been in about 4 years now sprayer and baler tractor it retired for feild work around 150 hrs a year

Rick Kr · Mar 27, 2017

Another vote for an aftermarket unit (VintageAir or similar) Street rodders use them all the time.

I think you are in for a nightmare trying to graft an OEM unit on.
I assuming the wiring harnesses etc are all different between an AC and non-AC truck.

Rick

dhermesc · Mar 27, 2017

I think the big issue would be electronics. One can only imagine all the differences between the electrical system used in 1999 and one used in 2017 - and the effort it would take to graft the two into one.

495man · Mar 27, 2017

(quoted from post at 04:39:55 03/27/17) I've been looking for a pickup that is nearly non-existant - a Ford Standard cab, Dual rear wheel, Diesel, 4X4, manual trnasmission. Well, I'm going to go look at one Wednesday. It has the utility cab with no air conditioning. How much trouble am I asking for to install air? I have an F-250 with air and when the air went out last summer, it was just miserable. I'd much rather be cold than hot.

Well, I once saw a guy looking for that exact truck...but in a V10 gas!!!!

He had the same fun, managed to get one though!

I'm in the "aftermarket A/C" thought, should be the bracket on that 7.3 for the compressor and space for everything else. Just a question on if you can get a kit.

Knew a guy that had a base V6 5-speed 4x4 1500, wanted A/C in it, dealer told him $1000 to $2000 for a kit. He traded truck so didn't do it.

Hobo,NC · Mar 27, 2017

https://www.ranshu.com/unitsMain.asp

VicS · Mar 27, 2017

I bought a new 1985 F800 tamdem with a 250
hp 3208 cat. No air! My dad was driving it
in the oilfield, hauling saltwater and
fracking fluid etc. He deserved air! So we
bought a cab from a wrecked F150. It was a
plug and play. But you have to pull
everything out of the dash of both cabs.
Not for the faint of heart. Took us a
couple of days. Hardest part the Diesel
had no vacume. My brother made vacume by
blowing a small amount of air over a tube.
Enough to work the doors.

rockyridgefarm · Mar 28, 2017

Thanks for all the replies. I'm gonna look at the pickup tomorrow, and if I buy it, I'll pry just suffer through hot days.

RBoots · Mar 28, 2017

Look for all of the plugs where the AC
components would be. On my 94, every plug
was there, and also a fuse holder in the
fuse box, with power to it, but no fuse.
Mine was factory with no AC. Maybe they
changed that with that newer body style,
maybe not. All I had to do was buy the AC
components, a compressor mount, the air box
that goes on the fire wall (holds the
evaporator and other stuff), and the control
panel with the knob for the dash, the doors
were all there, just no vacuum getting
through to them due to the control panel not
having the ports in it since it didn't have
a spot to select AC mode. Pretty much plug
and play. Remove all the caps snapped onto
all of the existing wires that were already
there, plugged them in, and put a fuse in
the fuse holder. Charge it up, WAH-LAH! AC
good to go

Installing A/C in a 1999 Ford F-550?

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