A/C fuel filter vapor return line
 

Looking for a little help. There has been a thread running in 64-65 GTO forum regarding the subject pipe. It is a item maybe never serviced and a good look at what they originally were would be helpful. We have some idea of what was used on the A body based on a parts book picture. But there are irregularities in the information and we would also like to know what was used on the B body from 62-64. If someone has a original 62-64 B body with A/C with the original pipe we would appreciate a nice picture. Don't take a pristine car apart to get the picture. You may invoke your "IF it ain't broke don't fix it" constitutional right to leave it in the car. But a good picture would be appreciated. Thanks- Thanks.

At what point in the Vapor return line do you need the picture? In the engine compartment near the fuel filter or along the routing it took secured to the frame back to the gas sending unit? Some clarification would help.

Need in the engine compartment. Trying to get a handle on the length and bends for the pipe from the top of the filter to the pipe that runs back on the frame.

These are the only 2 pictures of the engine compartment area that may be of use. (That I can find at this time.) They are of a '63 Bonneville which had an original A/C installation. Hope they help. I have the route the fuel lines took along the frame as well. I took pictures of a 1963 FS frame, with the body off which shows details of the routing.

Good luck.

I can get you a pretty good shot of mine on Sat

Thanks Ziggy - you the man. That along with some other remake pieces I have tried gives an idea of what length the original pipe may have been and just how those two lower bends were oriented.

Here's another just in case.

Thanks barrierblue66. The view from that angle is different and helpful.

Next open house at Indiana Pontiacs I will look at some of his 64's too see if any are still left
I have found a couple on 65-66 cars

patrick

65WJ - certainly if you see something let us know. But I think the subject may have expanded from the original question. In the 64-65 GTO forum the question has been kicked around a while and centered originally on what was done on A body. But lilabner has come in with several pictures of 61-62 cars with a vapor return routing that I had seen before but thought it was a user redo of what was originally there. But lilabners picture postings make it look like maybe the factory routing on 61-62 (and maybe earlier) used a different routing than the 63 and up. So if you are there anyway and wandering around enjoying yourself, try to see what may have been factory normal for each year. I for one kind of like to make things look original and would like to know how the factory did it.

Mods forgive me for this, but I have to ask. Have you looked at the pipe opg sells for the 64-67 "Catalina"

http://www.opgi.com/catalina/1965/fi...lines/KR00045/

Unless there is a difference in the location of the fuel filter, I would think this would be dang close?

I found a couple more pictures of 61 & 62 cars. The 61 cars had an A5 compressor and a one piece pass side inner fender panel. The 62 cars had an A6 compressor and a two piece pass side inner fender panel. Also the 62 had the line from the dryer to exp valve going under the compressor, where the 61 had the line going over the inner fender panel. The 62's also had a muffler on the compressor where the 61's didn't. One of these 62 pictures shows a car with Factory Air and no return.

That opg part looks a lot like one that War eagle posted in the 64-65 GTO forum. I don't think he was totally happy with it. Maybe others are around but I haven't found many.

lilabner you will soon have me convinced the over the valve cover routing is correct for 61-62. I really don't like that much unsupported length but if that's what they did I guess it's right. But maybe it didn't work well and the later years got an "improvement".

It is interesting that the IPC just sends you to 25' rolls of copper tubing. I wonder if it possible that there were multiple vendors for the part, and perhaps multiple "shapes" depending where it was sourced from

if you have the service manual look in the exhaust section
in my 65-66 manuals the vapor return line is explained and diagramed

patrick

My manual is for 61 and the Fuel/Exhaust section makes a mention of the vapor return but no real description and diagram. Even the A/C manual, which does mention the vapor return as a deviation from non-A/C cars, gives no description. The diagrams in the A/C manual that do show the fuel filter show it as a non-vapor return filter. That's most of the reason I'm having a hard time defining exactly what the system looked like.

I don't think the pipe was ever sold as a service item and the parts book just lists the tubing rolls. Maybe that's why a lot of cars have the long over the valve cover routing as mechanics could do it easier than making the very short U bend come off the filter. But lilabner is finding so may cars with that routing it looks like maybe that was the factory way. At least for 61 or 62. I know the later had the sharp U bend.

Here's how I did mine, based on best info.

DMRGTO - based on what has been posted here and in a similar thread in 64-65 GTO Tempest forum it looks like what you have done would be correct for a 62 B body. Looks like a nice job. Neat installation.

I have always liked to keep things original when possible and may have to remake mine about like yours without the hose bracket (I think the parts book only lists that as being used in 62). But that approach looks awkward and may be why the factory eventually changed it. But right is right so I may have to do it that way. At least I know who the mechanic will be working on mine and he (me) will keep it that way.

OK, so as long as we are talking fuel lines for AC set-ups, I recently saw what appears to be an inlet safety relief of some sort mounted on the inlet to the fuel pump on a 1963 GP with AC. First time I saw this. The owner of the car (in his 70's) indicated to me that the relief was original and most shops removed them when they changed the fuel pump.

Any insight on these? See attached pictures. The item in question has a metal dome in picture 1and is silver in color. It is hard to see in picture 2. (tough to get the camera down at the proper angle to take the shot)

Air dome aka muffler.