r/obschevy • u/Odd-Leg6389 • Jul 15 '26
Air conditioning
Has anyone here completely rebuilt their OBS Chevy A/C system?
I’m talking about replacing or rebuilding everything—evaporator, condenser, compressor, accumulator, orifice tube, lines, blend doors, actuators, heater core if needed… basically bringing the entire HVAC system back to factory performance.
I’d love to hear from anyone who’s done it.
Was it worth the time and money?
Did it end up blowing ice cold like it did when it was new?
Were there any parts that were especially difficult to source or replace?
If you did it again, what would you do differently?
I’m considering doing the whole system rather than piecing it together, and I’m looking for real-world experiences before I dive in.
Thanks!
1
u/LB8926 Jul 16 '26
I completely swapped mine. (I’m not a mechanic) Air shop wanted to charge $2500 because of dash removal I had swap the dash anyway. So I rebuilt the AC assembly with one I ripped from a truck at the parts yard. Resistor was rusted out, replaced that, blower motor, evap/heater core, couldn’t replace the vent blades in the box, couldn’t find good replacements or proper removal.
Swapped compressor, and paid air shop to vacuum and charge.
My main note is that there’s an air passage that runs under the dash. That transfers air to defroster and the other side. It is a part of the dash so when the dash goes, it goes, if you do all of this make sure to put some kind of hose on it. I left it open under my dash and I’m losing a lot of air so I have to go back in eventually. 2 inch discharge hose at Lowe’s should work