original a/c leaking in rain

[59er]

has anyone run into this before? The a/c (old original type) on my 64 overlander leaks after a length of time in the rain (while parked, not on the road).

appears to be dripping off of the fan shaft? Does anyone have pictures or experience that could let me know how the water is traveling from outside to inside down the shaft? not sure if there are shaft seals, grommets, etc that could have gone bad...

thanks.

[59er]

I think its an Armstrong AC.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by 59er

has anyone run into this before? The a/c (old original type) on my 64 overlander leaks after a length of time in the rain (while parked, not on the road).

appears to be dripping off of the fan shaft? Does anyone have pictures or experience that could let me know how the water is traveling from outside to inside down the shaft? not sure if there are shaft seals, grommets, etc that could have gone bad...

thanks.

If it's an original TAC-110 Armstrong, the problem is simple.

That AC took many hours to install, because it came in two halves.

Remove the AC shroud.

Remove the top metal cover of the AC.

You should find a gob of ole "putty tape" sealer around the two copper lines that go thru the roof.

Remove all the old sealer.

Clean the surfaces.

Install new putty tape, except this time, completely cover the putty tape with "vulkem sealer." Don't be stingy with the vulkem. Use lots of it.

That will take care of the leak.

The only other possibilty, however rare, is that the gasket for the fan motor is shot.

That can only be replaced by removing the inside fan blade, and then removing the blower fan motor from top side.

Andy

[59er]

Thanks andy.

is the fan motor gasket located between the motor and roof of the camper or is it a gasket inside the fan motor?

thanks again.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by 59er

Thanks andy.

is the fan motor gasket located between the motor and roof of the camper or is it a gasket inside the fan motor?

thanks again.

The fan motor gasket is between the fan motor housing and the bottom of the AC.

It is necessary to remove the interior fan blade before you can remove the fan motor, since that motor has a dual purpose.

Rarely does that gasket leak, On the other hand the putty tape seal surrounding the two freon lines, "always" leak, in time.

Andy

[TomW]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

... Rarely does that gasket leak, On the other hand the putty tape seal surrounding the two freon lines, "always" leak, in time.

During the refurb, when my Overlander was sitting still, my original air conditioner never leaked. But after hitting the road for our first trip in pouring rain, it leaked like a sieve. You can read the details at my web site (link in my signature), but the problem was a street-side mounting screw on the top-side half of the unit.

Tom

[59er]

Thanks Andy.

Tom,

I stumbled across your site a while back before this problem....then reviseted it when I remembered something about you redoing the shroud...

great help and great bunch of pictures. makes me not want to take the top cover off of mine to see what the components look like!!!

[tlavergne]

My 1978 Armstrong A/C is leaking as well during heavy rains. Is the fix the same as the older style A/C units? I tried to take my shroud off today to look in and could not budge it. I took off 4 screws on the top but can not get that shroud to move. It appears to be a top and bottom half. Any ideas?
Many thanks.
Tom

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by tlavergne

My 1978 Armstrong A/C is leaking as well during heavy rains. Is the fix the same as the older style A/C units? I tried to take my shroud off today to look in and could not budge it. I took off 4 screws on the top but can not get that shroud to move. It appears to be a top and bottom half. Any ideas?
Many thanks.
Tom

Tom.

The two piece AC was last used in the 1969 models.

From 1970 on up, the interior part of the AC is only for the controls (sometimes) and air distribution.

Do you have the original 1978 Armstrong AC? Or is it possibly another brand?

Andy

[tlavergne]

Andy,
Yes, it is the original air conditioner and is an Armstrong. It says Armstrong 14 by the fan speed control knob. It also has a thermostat on the wall. I have had this trailer for about 6 years and I don't ever recall it leaking until a downpour last fall right before I put it in the barn for the winter.
Tom
'78 Ambassador

[TomW]

Originally Posted by tlavergne

... I took off 4 screws on the top but can not get that shroud to move. ...

The shroud on my Armstrong unit is secured by four screws on the top and two screws on each side (street & curb sides). The side screws take the place of rivets to hold the vent cover in place. Look closely at the two darker circles near the bottom of this image; They're screw holes:



Tom

[CJ of Okla]

Originally Posted by TomW

During the refurb, when my Overlander was sitting still, my original air conditioner never leaked. But after hitting the road for our first trip in pouring rain, it leaked like a sieve. You can read the details at my web site (link in my signature), but the problem was a street-side mounting screw on the top-side half of the unit.

Tom

Tom: I want to thank you for all your information you posted on your web site. I found your sight back in December and printed up a lot of your projects in repair. A couple weeks ago our A/C died, it was the motor. My husband used your A/C repair info like a bible. We thank you with all our heart for sharing your information.

I have a dilemma with my refrigerator. As we just got our AS in Dec and it is a 1969 and the frig is 38 years old. It seems to work great, but the seal was totally gone off the bottom of the bottom door. I found where I can get a new seal for $200.00. My thoughts are if the frig dies by the time I fix it all up I have lost $200.00. I tried to fabricate a seal from an old frig, but the seal it thicker than the original. Any Ideas how to make a temporary seal. I'm not being a tightwad just don't want to spend $200.00 on a frig that may die on our maiden voyage.

Thanks again for your wonderful web sight and thanks to this Forum it has helped us with many projects in getting our 69 back in running order.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by tlavergne

Andy,
Yes, it is the original air conditioner and is an Armstrong. It says Armstrong 14 by the fan speed control knob. It also has a thermostat on the wall. I have had this trailer for about 6 years and I don't ever recall it leaking until a downpour last fall right before I put it in the barn for the winter.
Tom
'78 Ambassador

The only possibility for that leak, is a bad gasket.

Unfortunately, to replace it, you will have to unbolt the AC and tilt it on it's side.

You will need a 14" X 14" AC gasket.

Andy

[tlavergne]

Thanks Andy...one more thing to add to the list. I appreciate your input..
Tom

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by tlavergne

Thanks Andy...one more thing to add to the list. I appreciate your input..
Tom

This is very true for Airstream owners.

"When the rain comes in, the money goes out, but, when the rain stays out, the money stays in."

Andy

[TomW]

Originally Posted by CJ of Okla

Tom: I want to thank you for all your information you posted on your web site. ...

... I have a dilemma with my refrigerator. ... Any Ideas how to make a temporary seal.

Thank you for your kind words. My door seal is still in good shape. While it came to me in good condition, I keep it that way by wiping it yearly with silicone grease.

If I did have a problem, I would start with the local home appliance parts store, and see what they have "on the shelf" that I might be able to adapt. If they were not able to help, I would take a closer look at this online site.

Hope this helps,
Tom