A/C Bracket dispute

[Raymond]

Anyone able to settle an argument?  Who is responsible for the Air Conditioning bracket design?  A European born and trained mechanic I know insists it was designed and built in America and not by MB in Germany.  He claims proof of that is that it is made of ridiculously heavy guage steel, is far too complicated, with many more bolts than it needs.  I agree the thing is a pain in the butt, but I can't see MB going 8 years with a design they didn't design and approve.



Ray
'68 280SL 4-spd Coupe

[ja17]

Hello Raymond,
I am afraid I must agree that these AC brackets are overwhelming. Those old reciprocating AC compressors developed a lot of vibration. It would be interested to see where the original design came from. These brackets can turn a simple waterpump change into a mjor ordeal.
On the other hand the American manufacturers seemed to have developed reliable AC systems long before other manufacturers.

Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio

[jlennon3]

Looking at the old ThermoKing parts book for my 108 chassis sedan, it appears the mounting bracket parts were indeed made by ThermoKing (in the US). Must say those brackets could probably survive a nuclear exposion intact!!!
John

[A Dalton]

If they were made in US , they were propably just over-built out of  fear of rejection by Hanz and Franz for being  unacceptable flimsy American product.....