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Blas · Joined: 05 Nov 2002 Posts: 227 Location: Illinois, USA

What's involved in removing the underhood AC components?
Compressor, evaporator, Condenser, etc....
Thanks

MrKrik · Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Posts: 21

Whats involved umm a hacksaw a pakage of bandaids and 2 matching sets of wrenches/sockets as there is quiet a few bolts that u have to hold on both sides. fair weight too like 40 lbs for it all .

Slam · Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 12:35 am Post subject:

But what about depressurizing the system? You can't just go in and start pulling hoses off - the freon (or whatever you use) will have to be removed and dealt with first, I'd think.

"...hacksaw a pakage of bandaids and 2 matching sets of wrenches/sockets..."

...beer, good music...
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'88 944 Auto - may or may not resurrect

!tom · Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 1:33 am Post subject:

This is something I am contemplating as well. There's also getting the controls out, and making sure the rad fans work properly (since at least one is controled by the A/C somehow). . .
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78 924 NA
5-lug

-nick · Joined: 16 Nov 2002 Posts: 2699 Location: Cambridge, MA

How about this - go for a ride, then take your 115lb girlfriend for a ride. Do you notice the performance difference? You really think 40lbs is going to make you that much quicker?

Keep it intact. Somewhere, someday, an owner will be cursing you for removing it for no good reason.
_________________
1980 931S
15psi boost, MS-II, EDIS, 951 IC, custom intake, Ford 5.0L throttle body, Forge BOV, WB o2, G31 w/LSD, 964 wheels, 968 rear sway, Bilsteins, 200# Welt. springs. A laptop, and a partridge in a pear tree.
1991 964 C4 Cabriolet

Jaf · Joined: 08 Jun 2006 Posts: 194 Location: Oria. Spain

MrKrik · Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Posts: 21

Usual reason for removal is it being compleatly failed and our completly leaked out..
its also weight on teh front end of the car .. and hey thasta tenth of a second in teh quarter mile or quiet a bit in the swirvies.
ona light car every lbs counts.. plus one les belt and better cooling to the rad.. the benifits are endless.. esspeicaly since most cars have windows.. and almsot all these cars have removable roofs

-nick · Joined: 16 Nov 2002 Posts: 2699 Location: Cambridge, MA

Just to be devil's advocate

If your cooling system is working properly, then the ac condensor in front of the radiator will make very little difference. Your fan might stay on for an extra 10 seconds in traffic, otherwise, you're fine.

If you're worried about the drag from the belt (which is just turning a pulley on a bearing when the ac compressor isn't engaged) then simply take the belt off.

Do you plan on removing the lines from the compressor into the cockpit too? You know that they're practically epoxied in to be watertight? You're going to chisel them out and seal the ~1" hole through the firewall to be waterproof for the life of the car?

I suppose you're also going to seal up the plumbing from the ac evaporator/fan to the heater box too? Going to spend a day making something to fit using fiberglass to cover that gaping hole? Or you could just leave it open and let any air that comes out from the heater to dump straight into the passenger footwell.

As to the 40lbs of performance, that's your call. If all the above seems worth the same as removing your spare tire, then I won't argue

_________________
1980 931S
15psi boost, MS-II, EDIS, 951 IC, custom intake, Ford 5.0L throttle body, Forge BOV, WB o2, G31 w/LSD, 964 wheels, 968 rear sway, Bilsteins, 200# Welt. springs. A laptop, and a partridge in a pear tree.
1991 964 C4 Cabriolet

leadfoot · Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 9:36 am Post subject:

Removal of the system is straight forward... for the depressurisation make sure you are outdoors or in well ventillated area. Once this is done let it vent for about 20 mins as it can sit and pool if doing this in a garage.
Then its a matter of wrenching parts off. The hardest part I remember was the air con bracket as the bolts were fairly tough but a little penetrant and heat helped.
I removed all the wiring too and this is quite messy as the 20 year old tape holding the loom together is pretty sticky...
There were no pipes glued through the firewall, just trun through a gromet but I did have to hack a couple of pipes IIRC as they were solid fixed not threaded...
My system never worked properly and I needed the room for the intercooler and used the compressor mounting points for my supercharger.
Leadfoot
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1981 ROW 924 Turbo -
carbon fiber GT mish mash
LS1 conversion in progress...

Blas · Joined: 05 Nov 2002 Posts: 227 Location: Illinois, USA

Actually, When I purchased the car (1980) I cut the air belt off about 2 weeks later. I'm sure all the refrigerant has escaped the system years ago. I just thought the weight loss and the less restrictive radiator cooling would be a good thing if it was not too much work. The car runs quite cool now with the addition years ago of a cooler thermostat and lower temo fan switch. Just looking for something to do I guess....
Thanks all....

steeny · Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 9:52 pm Post subject:

I had to grind the head of one of the bolts off becuase it hit on the pulley on the way out and i couldnt get the pulley off. then i sent it all to ozzie cause he wanted air con. ozzie - did you ever get it to work in your car?

if i remember, it saved me 25kgs (thats what it cost in postage anyway). so, a little over 50 pounds.

might not be much, but if it doens't work, and your not gonna put the effort in to get it working, get it out i say.
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1978 924 N/A
she's gone.....

Ozzie · Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 10:18 pm Post subject:

steeny · Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 11:15 am Post subject:

does that mean those alternator bushes may be a little closer as well?
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1978 924 N/A
she's gone.....

Ozzie · Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 2:24 pm Post subject:

That's on the agenda as soon as I can get my side of the garage cleaned out.
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Porsche 924 1984 (UK import) NA
Its AUTO and its BLACK
Montego Black on black/red
Engineer of Electro/Mechanical Systems Maintenance