factory a/c mounting on a fe

[fordman]

yes they come mounted both ways from the factory. i think someone siad to lay them on there side for better performance out fo them. but i could be wrong. i parted a 71 that had the compressor standing up instead of laying on its side like my 68 is.

[kaptnkaos]

Hey Fordman..

I have also seen them mounted both ways...
Aren't the brackets different?
Someone once told me that they used the same pump in both cars and trucks and there wasn't enough clearance to install one vertically in a car, so the pump was designed to work either way.
If it was a dealer add-on, the dealer probably just used whatever they had in stock at the time.

KaptnKA S

[70_F100]

York and Tecumseh compressors can be mounted either vertically or horizontally.

There is a different bracket for each, as the mounting pattern is different. Only other difference is the dimension when you check the oil (IIRC, it's 1.125 for vertical, .874 for horizontal).

The Ford parts catalog lists two different brackets for the compressor mount from 68-72, dependent upon whether or not the vehicle also has P/S. 65-67 (all) use the same bracket as the 68-72 with P/S. Interestingly enough, 72 is the only year they list a bracket for hang-on air (earlier models may be listed in a different section, possibly with "accessories").

I'm not sure about vehicles without P/S, but the ones that have both A/C AND P/S should have the compressor mounted horizontally, as shown in the illustration I posted earlier.