54 Hornet A/C

tbeilke

Wondering if anyone has installed A/C in a 54 Hornet and not used an electric fan? Am considering moving the radiator (3 row core) forward to gain room for an electric, but still looks more than a little tight to get it in. Any thoughts and experience would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Tom

[Deleted User]

If it is realy an issue there are remote condensers available to go under the floor of the car.They have a flat coil and mounting tabs with a fan mounted to them. The HotRod guys use them and you see them on the back of the cab on over the road trucks.
Roger

Ol racer

FYI
A member in our Chapter has a '54 with A/C and I believe the condenser and pusher electric fan are mounted in front of the radiator....He doesnt use the electric fan until engaging the A/C.

tbeilke

Thanks for your help. Will see how much room I can gain to squeezer a pusher fan up front.

Tom

[Deleted User]

You are lucky, as the 54's have plenty of room to put a pusher fan, but try the 51-52 and 53's. I got one in my 53 and it took a little wiggling. Run a seven (7) blade fan from an AMC with air or a Mercury with air. Works great. Walt.

tbeilke

Thanks Walt. I'll start looking for the AMC or Mercury fan blade. Tom

[Deleted User]

The AMC fan blade well bolt right on, while the Mercury one will need about 20 thousands of an inch removed from the outer part of the bolt holes. Center is like Hudson, 5/8 and slides right on and keeps it centered. I had mine done in a machine shop. Walt.

SuperDave

I seriously doubt that you will find room between the grille of a 54 and the radiator for a large enough electric fan. If you move the radiator forward, It will be impossible without cutting the grille pieces. The 54 has much less room then other models.
As to the fan..There are lots of six blade fans out there that are universal and can be installed with no alterations. however.. the flat blade so called "flex fans" I found to be LESS efficient than the stock four blade. The curved blade six blade from Speedway motors worked best and REALLY worked when i installed a home made shroud. No I don't have any pictures. By the time I got it all sorted out I was too exasperated to linger one more minute under that hood ! LOL

Walt-LA

Walt,

Can you give us some particulars on the seven bladed AMC fan? One of our chapter members is having a hard time with low speed cooling with the A/C on here in Louisiana. As Super Dave says, there is zilch for room in front of the radiator, as the grille interferes on the '54s. Walt-LA

Hudson Grandpa

I can give you a couple of pics of my fan install if you like. 54 cpe, 3 core rad, but it's tight. I'm 6 volt no AC.

DocHornet

You should have plenty of room for condenser AND front-mount fan. I've got that setup on my '51 coupe. Had to replace the existing, larger elec. fan with a slightly smaller, low profile one to fit, but I've had absolutely no problems with overheating, even in 110 degree Texas summers.

I did a complete write up for my installation and posted it here last summer. You can access at:
www.auldridge.org/doc.htm

tbeilke

Thanks for the info on the Doc Hudson A/C install. Have looked into the electric fan used on your installation and believe it wll also fit behind the grille on our 54'. Thanks again for your help. Tom

DocHornet

Tom,

I installed a beautiful all-metal/chrome retro-look under dash evaporator from Vintage Air in my '51 coupe. I fabricated the fairly simple alternator/compressor mount myself from flat 3/8" steel. You can read full details of my installation, with pictures, at:

www.auldridge.org/doc.htm

Phil