4/19/14
330 A/C and Engine Installation

I’ve been working hard at getting a 330 engine rebuilt, installed, and done, but one request by the owner was to get the air conditioning working on this car. Even though this car came with factory A/C, none of the lines were hooked up properly, and much of it was open to the atmosphere, which is the death of many systems. I needed to figure out what fittings were on the evaporator (the unit under the dash) and adapt them to new lines and fittings. I wanted to convert this car over to 134a refrigerant, so new hoses and fittings were sourced and cut to length. Getting the lines to the evaporator was crucial before the engine was installed, because access after the the engine was installed would be nearly impossible.

After cutting the lines with the new fittings I took them to a machine shop to crimp the fittings to the hoses.

I got a new condenser to install with the new fittings, but it still needed to be mated to the radiator.

I also had to get a new dryer, since the old one was ruined by being open to the atmosphere.

The new system will have o-ring seals which should seal better than the original flare fittings. There will still be a couple of old style flare fittings on this system, but wherever I could change to the new new seals, I did. Let’s just hope there are no leaks!

In between chasing down air conditioning parts, I buttoned up the engine to get it ready for installation.

There are a ton of little details to cover, and the owner wants things to look perfect. Things like the distributor bolts were missing and new ones are available, but little things like these can really stall a project. Luckily, I can still install the correct bolts after the engine is installed.

With the A/C lines done, I was ready to drop in the engine.

Having the engine installed was a big milestone, but I had a ton of work still to do. A new ring gear and clutch is on the way, along with some Cadmium plated pieces I need from my plater. The work continues!

All this work is to get this car ready for the big Car Show I’m co-hosting in Maryland. People are coming from as far away as Denmark, so I can safely say this show attracts International attention! I’m dusting my 330 America off and hopefully will be able to bring her down to join in the festivities! See you there!

Save the Date! The 7th Annual Radcliffe/Tomyang.net Spring Car Show Saturday May 3rd 2014 celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Introduction of the 330GT!
Spectators are free, but Registration of show cars are limited for a small fee. Details can be found on the Radcliffe Website.
You can also Richard Garre at:
Radcliffe Motorcars
12340 Owings Mills Boulevard
Reisterstown, Maryland 21136
Phone: 410-517-1681

Reminder: If you have a Ferrari related project, car, or idea you’d like to explore, I’d love to talk to you. I can also help if you’re thinking of buying or selling. This website represents what I love to do, and now it’s how I make a living, so if you’d like to do something together, let me know. It all begins with an e-mail!

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