Man that engine bay looks alot newer than 79. Blower motor resistor looks newerish to me to. Every thing is original, I have owned the van since it was 7 months old.
But I see the obvious difference in the upper line where she goes into the drier/accumulator. 1978 & 1979 were the same, all other years are different, parts suppliers (all of them) never got the memo.
Is the lower line ran similar to these pictured? Yes, they very may well be identical.
I got none of my login credentials to look at stuff here at home so I'll definitely check for you monday when I get in. But definitely 79 and definitely a 350? Definitely.
Just confirm for me 4 seasons part # 54538 is definitely NOT what you need and potentially what you already may have. Correct, everyone wants to sell me that style.
or this dude
1980-1984 Chevrolet G20 A/C Evaporator - Autopart Premium APAEC418 - Front - PartsGeek.com Note that there is an ad at the bottom of the page that should be the same, you just cannot trust drawings or photos unless they are the actual part for sale, good luck having anyone sending an actual photo. A large wholesaler of radiators and A/C parts had a drawing of the exact part I need, when I got it the part was the same junk everyone else was selling. There are about 5 clowns located in Hebron, Kentucky selling the same from different store fronts using a generic picture.
Thank you for making this effort, I am at my wits end trying to keep this van in original condition.
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Note that the big tube curls back towards the core and mine angles away from it. Perhaps the tube could be cut after the second bend and a hose attached but that is only a wild guess.Wow, that is one clean van right there buddy. A real van to! None of that mini crap LOL.
About 20 years ago, my wife's 93 accord got SMOKED by a full size van like that. I had just color changed it a week prior from brown to blue to. She was fine, but that van cleared the front end completely off that honda and drove off with a tweaked front bumper. It was somethin.
Anyways, Did this dude look close or no?
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Gotcha.Note that the big tube curls back towards the core and mine angles away from it. Perhaps the tube could be cut after the second bend and a hose attached but that is only a wild guess.
I can buy a crimper on eBay for a reasonable price, I just need to find an evaporator and the proper fittings to make it work. A big part of the issue it the very short distance to cram fittings and hose. We can't seem to get good honest A/C shop in this area.Gotcha.
But the way that bottom line is shaped, is that similar to yours?
I know we have a hydraulic repair place that can make high pressure crimped style a/c lines with the appropriate threads one would need. I'm sure you'd have something similar around. But we aint there yet. Hopefully I can get ahold of a good obtainable number for you Monday.
That number will definitely help. Gonna holler at my radiator/ a/c guy tomorrow.The original part number from Chevrolet or ACDelco is 3037331.
It seems most of the info is quite inaccurate LOL. 1979, go figure.I can buy a crimper on eBay for a reasonable price, I just need to find an evaporator and the proper fittings to make it work. A big part of the issue it the very short distance to cram fittings and hose. We can't seem to get good honest A/C shop in this area.
The original part number from Chevrolet or ACDelco is 3037331.

With this van many parts are wrong in the catalogs of parts houses, been that way from new. One example is rear brake cylinders where everyone wants to sell me 15/16" when it had 1-1/16", that are all singing from the same hymnal.It seems most of the info is quite inaccurate LOL. 1979, go firgure.
You could probably shoot me the VIN and we may be able to take another route, but it looks like 3037331 was actually superseded by 156339 in the same delco flavor.
And generally when this happens, the accumulator would've been updated as well, but doesn't seem to be the case. By this picture, it looks like that top line may actually be curved slightly back.
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In some cases, accumulators and receiver driers can be rotated in their brackets to alter the angle in which the line comes in from the evaporator. Probably not your case, but just a thought. Also, lines like these can be surprisingly moldable. Wonder if it could be screwed into the accumulator then "gentry reform" it back to location.
This is also searching 80+ from the 4.1 to 5.0 and 5.7 because every last thing I have shows a 79 to take this evaporator which is like what older style hvac cases would've had.
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Yea, thats what i figured. Got a pic at a different angle and shes way back. If it didn't have that dip in the line at the end and came straight out, that'd be it.With this van many parts are wrong in the catalogs of parts houses, been that way from new. One example is rear brake cylinders where everyone wants to sell me 15/16" when it had 1-1/16", that are all singing from the same hymnal.
The first photo has the tube bending back as you say and would be totaled getting it to where it needs to be. The other photo is an evaporator for the rear, they can be had most anywhere.
As you know there is little room to work in a van. From what I have learned, all engines used the same evaporator.
The VIN # is CGL2694161875. Again problems arise when the parts houses say there must be 17 digits, what is happening is they are turning their backs on older vehicles and closing out parts for vehicles with shorter VINs.
You may have come across this style, I have one from new old stock that could possibly be adapted by welding, or a fancy custom hose with lots of fittings.
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The bottom line may be close enough. Your idea of cutting it there has some merit, I have been putting off tearing it out because it still works with some small ozone holes behind me. The NOS evaporator that I have has the possibility of welding the pipe from the old on and I might have a guy that is capable. I just want to make sure that a new one that fits ain’t out there.Yea, thats what i figured. Got a pic at a different angle and shes way back. If it didn't have that dip in the line at the end and came straight out, that'd be it.
I wonder, pending this actually being the correct core size and bottom line config, if you could get that section cut out with the fitting reattached where I got marked. This core shows to be 9" high and 13.5 wide.
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Cutting the end off the old one is a good option.The bottom line may be close enough. Your idea of cutting it there has some merit, I have been putting off tearing it out because it still works with some small ozone holes behind me. The NOS evaporator that I have has the possibility of welding the pipe from the old on and I might have a guy that is capable. I just want to make sure that a new one that fits ain’t out there.
