Planning on removing the air conditioning...

[sommmatt]

Straight up, my air conditioning doesn't work. I'm 19, I have no money, so I've decided to man up and roll the windows down, and take out the deadweight system that's too expensive to fix. I bought the car and the A/C button does nothing at all, so I'm assuming it needs a recharge due to a leak somewhere.

Is there any writeup anywhere that shows the process of doing this? I don't know if there is proper steps to follow so I don't have to worry about refrigerant getting all over the place and whatnot. I'm a complete air conditioning nublet, otherwise I probably would give fixing it a try.

Thanks

[capblueberry]

just my opinion but why not just leave it in there? i mean when it comes time to sell the car i'm sure it becomes less desirable if the A/C is completely missing rather than just in need of a charge or leak fix.

but just my opinion. as the weight you lose from it won't do much of anything for ya performance wise anyways.

[livinglegend2100]

A/C is unneccesary..-empty the system of freeon. theres a check valve up by yur hood latch. i just pressed the pin down with a screwdriver and taped it. until it ran out

-then start rippin it all off. pretty much anyhting thats enroute of the a/c system can go. and most of it is aluminum too. so its worth some cash for scrap.

- i just did all this last week. took about an hour or two. theres also a small pulley that runs of the a/c belt system that you can take off too. you'll see which one when you take off the belt for the a/c pump off.

its a rpetty bland explantion but i trid my best for havin just downed a 6pak =]

good luk

[sommmatt]

Well I don't ever really plan on selling the car, not because I'm arrogant and I think I can keep it till im 85 because I love it so much, just that it's almost 20 years old and I'd never get even close to the money back from what i put into it. Drive it for a year or two, then turn it into a retarded fast drag car or something.

Where exactly is that valve? I was looking around for it but I was also running out of daylight and the mosquitos were out.

The last question I really have is, would a system that hasn't been used for 5 or 6 years (like mine) just lose freon on its own, or is there definitely a leak? I'm wondering if recharging it would be a good idea, or if it would just go dead again quick.

[Shabbernigdo]

i took my ac out a month or so ago. i pulled out all the alum lines the compressor and the compressor bracket off the motor. opened up some nice room and made the bay look cleaner. the only ac part i have left on my car is the condincer and that will eventully go as sooon as i can figure how to get it out

[krazydriver]

sommatt, when you say your AC doesn't work, like the compressor is bad or it just doesn't blow cold?

In my car all the o-rings had worn away, so i just started tearing out the whole system. There wasn't ANYTHING in the system to worry about releasing properly.So if you really wanted to recharge it, the only way to do it and have it work would be to take the entire system apart and replace all the seals/o-rings etc. it's really not worth it.

So just cut the belt to the ac compressor, drop the compressor off, unscrew the ac lines that run to the dash, then finagle them out from behind the engine. If you want to remove the condenser your going to have to pull the radiator, there's no way around it. All in all i think the AC system weights ~35-40lbs if your looking at weight savings, and you'll have SOOOO much more space it's not even funny.

[sommmatt]

Well honestly I have no idea whats wrong with it, but cold doesn't blow, nothing turns on (even the light). So, we'll see.

Is that the system's weight including the condensor?

[krazydriver]

yeah I'm kinda estimating it, but I'd say somewhere in that range once you take out the compressor, the compressor bracket, the condenser, all the lines and the oil separator can thingy by the battery, as well as pulling the in dash AC thing. The compressor alone is > 20lbs

[sommmatt]

alright, should give it a little better weight distribution, if anything. I'll probably just pull the system tomorrow if it's not raining too bad. Need room in that bay for turbo

[brizanden]

i say it could just need a recharge. like you said its 20 years old. I dont really use my a/c, but even when i swap in a rb i plan on keeping it jsut in case. its only like 30 pounds total i bet and has minimal parasetic hp loss. i would take it some where and have them quote it. then if its really not worth it rip the sucker out.

[Scuffed_ChukiCoupe]

I took allllllll that shizz out. Just rip it allllll out, everything pertaining to ac i ripped right out lol. The lines, make sure the freeon is out. Then just start braking it all off piece by piece, its kinda hard to pull it out in 1 piece. The lines go into the bulkhead on the left side of the engine, just screw those off. The condensor, u gotta take out the stock intake pipe going across the top of the radiator shroud, remove all that crap temporarily. I cant remeber what i did but i unbolted the condensor and i think the top of the rad and leaned it back, slipped out the condensor. As far as the pump i unbolted that from the block, and i also took off the bracket. The bracket alone weighs like a pound.

I kno its not very descriptive but gl

[otterman]

KA compressors are so cheap man.

**** the heat, I'm actually putting AC back in my SR.

[brizanden]

^see u dont wanna do all that work to take it out then be like... **** its hot as balls i want that back.

[krazydriver]

I'm not going to presume on the temperature preferences of sommatt. but.......according to his profile he's in windsor ontario, CANADA!!!

Not living up there myself, i'm not positive what the highest summer temp is, but i do live in upstate NY, and it's fine driving around with no AC

[otterman]

oh lulz

[sbird1]

To the OP, you live in Canada. Don't be a puss. Take the **** out. Try living in SE Georgia with no A/C. Then complain to me that it's too hot in your car.

[Dizel01]

zerothread/321533There you go. I ripped mine out and would never look back. It helps the gas mileage and frankly 20 year ac components is trash to begin with. Driving the car will feel much better.

[BigOh8524]

[

i'm not positive what the highest summer temp is, but i do live in upstate NY, and it's fine driving around with no AC[/QUOTE]

I live in Queens NY, I bought my '92 240 coupe in Sept '07 with no A/C system in it what so ever, so I really haven't with an A/C-less summer, until now. The other day I ran into a slight dilemma. First the humidity sucks here. If you ride with the windows down after a while your back is gonna look like the football players just poured the gatorade on you. After dealing with that humidity and sweating my balls off it's started pouring rain. So i had to make a choice, close my windows and hot and dry (apart from the sweat) or leave the windows open and be cold and wet along with the interior of my car. This situation has made me decide that i will spend the money on the luxury of being able to be dry and cool when it rains in the summer. Anyone of you who just took your A/C system out. I'm looking for one.

As far as the original post: there's a chance your compressor isn't working. If it isn't you can have as much freon in your system and your car still won't blow cold air. Some people like to disconnect their compressors, check and make sure it's not that, and also check the fuses. can never go wrong with checking fuses, specially since it's so simple.

[sommmatt]

Okay, don't think Canada, think Detroit. I'm right across the river. So, think, hmmm, Motor City? That equals pollution. Equals our nice little dome of retardedly high temperatures in summer, and stupid cold temperatures in winter. Last week we were in the high 80s. So yeah, it gets kind of hot, and very humid.

No, as soon as you cross the border, it isn't snowing. We don't live in igloos. I'm further south than a lot of people in northern states.

So don't tell me to man up because I live in Canada. Check your geography and make sure you're further south than me before you say a thing. haha. Yes, thats any of you in New York, most of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana, most of Wyoming, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Mass and Maine.

...

Sorry went on a bit of a rant there. But seriously, it does get hot enough to warrant an air conditioner. My city is probably one of the few cities in Canada to experience 4 seasons, instead of Winter and Construction.

[danielsan]

the a/c comes in when its hot and raining. gets rid of fog on the glass quick, plus its nice to have on long drives on the highway. in town i just roll the windows down.

[D-UNIT]

ur a/c light is not turning on because there is no freon in the system. There is a pressure switch on the dryer ( pass side front frame rail ) No pressure = NO A/c or light or compresser turning on. Just get a retrofit kit for r134a. Fill up the gas and everything should work. you might have a hole in ur condenser. change it. No a/c is hell especially in rain.

[allenms240]

ur a/c light is not turning on because there is no freon in the system. There is a pressure switch on the dryer ( pass side front frame rail ) No pressure = NO A/c or light or compresser turning on. Just get a retrofit kit for r134a. Fill up the gas and everything should work. you might have a hole in ur condenser. change it. No a/c is hell especially in rain.

Anyways, is that true?My AC light won't come on either, but having no freon also won't turn the condensor off? I have the plug for the condenser plugged in but it's still not kicking on. I'll refill on freon but does any know for sure that no freon=no condenser/ AC light?I jsut swapped in a DE not too long ago, so all the freon was released...

[D-UNIT]

no freon pressure = no compressor clicking on. The a/c pressure switch is on the dryer. you know that round cyl on the frame rail under the batt. You should change the dryer ($40?) It takes the moisture out of the system so the system doesn't corrode.