Condenser Woes!!!
So I bought an OSC replacement condenser that is supposed to fit my truck from RockAuto.com. It did not come with new brackets/rubber isolators, but that was no problem because I had good ones in a combination from original and ones I got from the wrecking yard. It is a Piccolo design, so not ideal, but probably will work! What I found with this replacement Condenser is that the lower connection between the Condenser and the Evaporator, did not line-up at all! BUMMER!!!
Original Condenser
RH End of Original Condenser, showing Serpentine, Large Tube design - Dual pass, crosses across face of fins 17 times per pass.
LH Side of Original Condenser
OSC Replacement Condenser - P/N: 3642
OSC Piccolo Design
OSC LH side of Condenser - showing the stock plastic seal that clips on
Showing how the OSC Condenser and factory hardline does not even come close to fitting up!
So...I kept searching and found a Spectra Premium Replacement one. P/N: 7-3642. The pictures made it look like this one might be a better choice and possibly fit better as well! When I picked-up the Spectra condenser and brought it home...opened up the box...to my delight, it was a true parallel pass, flat tube design! It came with new mounting brackets and rubber isolators! YEAH!!! The flat tube and parallel pass is much more efficient than either the piccolo design or the OE design. The brackets were 4 upper brackets, no lower brackets and the rubber isolators looked to be redesigned to accommodate the different end bracket design of this condenser. No problem, I can make a hybrid application of my isolators and brackets and the new ones. However, when I went to install the condenser, I found that it is several inches too narrow! BUMMER AGAIN! There are no provisions in my radiator support to accommodate so narrow of a condenser and the upper brackets would not bolt to where they need to go, despite that Spectra says this fits my 1991 V3500.
I put the Spectra Condenser back in the box, reinstalled the OSC Condenser, and returned the Spectra one. Now I am left with figuring out what to do with the connection to the Evaporator. I would like to keep it a hardline, but the stock one is not going to connect to the replacement condenser! I guess I can see about making up a softline from a A/C shop to fit.
Sprectra P/N: 7-3642 - Parallel Pass, Flat Tube Design
Flat Tube Design
Spectra 7-3642 Came with new brackets and rubber isolators
Spectra Top Brackets Installed
Spectra in Front and OSC in the Back.
My guess is that the Spectra 7-3642 does fit for earlier trucks with small block engines that had narrower radiators, but it definitely does not fit to a 1991 with a big block!