[Molon Labe]

I'm going to be putting aftermarket AC in my '67 Fairlane. I've been talking to the guys at Vintage Air and they've been very helpful. The engine is a 351W from a '94 F-250 and although it didn't have AC initially it has the mounting bracket for the compressor. It's actually a large cast aluminum bracket that also holds the PS pump. So, if you don't get AC they just put an idler pulley where the compressor would go.

The Vintage Air folks suggested I can save some money by using that existing bracket and buying a direct OEM replacement compressor for a '94 F-250. I've found there are hundreds of choices out there. A lot of them from companies I've never heard of. I'm considering the Motorcraft offering just because I know it's the Ford OEM product but there are lots of cheaper ones from companies like Denso, GPD, Four Seasons, Spectra, Valeo and on and on. I'd like to hear from you if you've had good or bad experience with an aftermarket compressor.

 

[techinspector1]

I don't have direct experience with AC compressor purchases like this, but I do have 77 years of life experience that helps me some. Bolt on the Motorcraft unit and never look back. There's always some cheaper product available in anything you are looking to buy.

 

[LATECH]

Check to be sure the part you choose is manufactured in compliance with ISO 9001 standard.

Denso, Valeo, both good brands. 4 Seasons has been scetchy and overpriced in the past.

Brand name means little , ISO certification caries the weight of proven/expected quality

 

[3repete]

Denso is good, Valeo is good, 4 Seasons is good, and it's an American brand if that matters to the build. So is Ford/Motorcraft.
Spectra is a newer brand to me, they have a wide array of replacement stuff. I have used their tin stuff like oil pans. I don't know about their compressors.
I might get this 4 seasons from Rockauto. https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=815999&cc=1124761&jsn=493
It's made for retrofitting to an F250 that did not have a/c. It will have a lot of the little bits.

But the above poster has had trouble with them! So what's best, OE.

 

[JeffB28]

You can find good Motorcraft compressors at a lot of the Mustang shops that cater to guys racing them and taking them off.

 

[Molon Labe]

"Made in USA" carries a lot of weight with me. In the case of 4Seasons, they're an American brand but manufacturing is in Mexico, Canada and China. Valeo, same thing - all manufacturing is off shore. With foreign made products making up such a high percentage of "American" cars today it's hard to know. Even Motorcraft parts could be a crap shoot. Denso is the only brand I've been able to confirm that manufactures compressors in the USA along with other sources as well.

So, it's difficult to use the country of origin as a measure of quality. That's why I'm turning to the experience of folks on this forum. I guess I'm still leaning towards the Motorcraft just because it's the OEM product. Thanks for responding.

 

[Molon Labe]

So, I spent the extra money and went with the Motorcraft compressor. Guess where it's made - China. I wish it was USA but it may be ok. Before retiring, I was an engineer and spent a lot of my career working in manufacturing and I have to admit that "Made in China" no longer automatically means junk. Don't get me wrong, there's still plenty of crap being made there but many large companies (hopefully Motorcraft) are instilling their quality processes and expectations on the Chinese manufacturing facilities. I'll continue to try to buy American products as I still believe they are more likely to be the highest quality. And, I prefer to support American companies and workers.

 

[LATECH]

Plenty of other ones made in South Korea.

I actually prefer them .