Air Conditioning Removal

JoeF · 02-20-2003, 10:42 AM

Just in case I get bored this weekend and I find myself in the garage with nothing to do, what are the dangers of removing air conditioning components? The car has the new R134, but the air conditioner doesnt work very well and I would like to lighten up the car a bit. When I disconnect the compressor do I have to be careful about escaping gas or pressure? Am I over thinking this?
If any body has any warnings, I would like to hear about it.
Also, are there any precautions I should take when storing the compressor, in case I want to reinstall it later?
JoeF

Superman · 02-20-2003, 10:52 AM

I had my system professionally evacuated first. I'm a monumental cheapskate, but I would like to hand a decent planet to the next generation.

JoeF · 02-20-2003, 11:30 AM

I thought we switched to R134 because it was harmless to the Ozone layer. I was more concerned with what I might encounter with pressure or fumes in the garage.
JoeF

jthwan22 · 02-20-2003, 11:37 AM

Just push the valve in on the low side (fat hose) with the car off. That should drain the pressure.

mperkins · 02-20-2003, 11:48 AM

JoeF,
About 6 months ago, i removed my AC compressor, rear and front condensors. still looking to remove all the hoses soon.
i had R12 - and have never looked back.

i started the process by unscrewing the hoses from the rear condensor - maybe not a good move as pressured gas squirted all over the underside of my deck lid.
it took a good 15-20 min. before the system evacuated itself.
luckily, it all cleaned up easily.

After that little epsiode - everything discnnected rather simply.
i have decided to leave the blower motor inside the smugglers box - if perhaps a future owner would be interested in reinstalling the AC.

i may not have saved all that much weight (maybe 50lbs. or so) -
but the extra room in the engine bay is well worth it.

i think you'll be happy if you decide to do it,
Maurice
'80 SC Coupe

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Superman
I had my system professionally evacuated first. I'm a monumental cheapskate, but I would like to hand a decent planet to the next generation.

Nice thought....but ask yourself what Dusty Widebottom the a/c tech does at the apartment building a/c when he services the compressor.....he vents it to atmosphere. No controls.....

cowtown · 12:51 PM

Sometimes (with R12) you can actually get the techs to pay you for system evacuation, or do it for free, because they resell the stuff. Try a small mom-and-pop shop.

I've removed the AC from both my cars. When you're pulling out the smuggler's box parts, there is a fragile probe made of copper line (or something similar) that is easy to break. The Bentley manual explains the area well.

The brackets and lines are amazingly heavy, and it would be worth unscrewing all of the brackets, washing the area, and touching up exposed metal.

Other than that, just the obvious: be careful not to bend fins on the condensers, have the right sized wrenches for the fittings, etc.

PS: cap the lines, compresser, evap., etc. for storage. The drier will be useless, so you can toss it (I think).

One more PS: My 88's components, all lines & brackets/hardware weighed in at 70lbs if I remember correctly.

Lothar · Lothar's Garage

mperkins,

Since when is 50 lbs not a lot of weight. I think 50 lbs is considerable. If each 100 lbs is like adding 10hp, then you just gained 5 hp. I know people who spend a lot of money to gain 5 hp. The removal of your a/c system cost you nothing. Sounds like a good deal to me.

I removed my entire a/c system, including hoses, evaporator, condensor, bracket, dryer. I also removed a lot of skin off my knuckles in the process of removing the hoses. I still feel it was worth it.

cowtown · 02-20-2003, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lothar
...I also removed a lot of skin off my knuckles in the process of removing the hoses.

But then, Lothar is a caveman.

Sorry, slow day at work.

Superman · 02-20-2003, 01:55 PM

The new stuff is probably atmosphere-friendly. Mine was R12. R12 is very, very damaging to the atmosphere. Removing the AC is one of the best projects I have done. MUCH less weight, and I can now access the engine. And add oil.

Porschephanatic · 02-20-2003, 03:19 PM

To relieve pressure in my system prior to removal, I loosened a fitting on the filter/drier aft of the left front wheel, w/ the steering on full right lock. Minimal mess this way. 70 lbs. lighter, easy access to right side of engine, etc. I have no regrets. Cowtown is right, the filter/ drier will be rendered useless. For proper storage, purge compressor w/ nitrogen and cap.

stealthn · 02-20-2003, 03:44 PM

HEY! to all those who just vented it, get a grip! If everyone did this we'd all be burnt to a crisp from the sun or, the polar ice caps would melt and we'd all be under water.

It may not be much but it's our only planet. I'm with Superman on this, get it evacutated.

Sheesh

stormcrow · stormcrow's Garage

Now where have you heard this nonsense about refrigeration depleting the ozone layer. The truth is that it's the cows over in England flatuating - that's where the hole came from.

Steve

"A Porsche does more then just go fast in a straight line"

arcsine · 02-20-2003, 04:02 PM

Taken from a couple of different websites:

"R134 is a HFC (Hydroflourocarbon) which is Ozone friendly but CAN GIVE SERIOUS BURNS IF NOT HANDLED BY A QUALIFIED TECHNICIAN."

"R134 refrigerant. Chemical formula CF3CFH2 (tetrafluoroethane). R134a molecule has smaller size than R12 molecule which makes danger of leakage more considerable. Related to HFC group. Ozone depletion potential ODP = 0, global warming potential GWP = 1300."

While it is taken as ozone friendly, R134 does contribute to the global warming trend. I think that having the system evacuated and the R134 captured would be the considerate thing to do.

And I cannot recommend removing the system enough.

Lothar · Lothar's Garage

Steve,

I think you got mixed up. The flatulant cows are causing global warming by emiting greenhouse gasses. Mt Pinatubo expelled the stratospheric ozone depleting agents in quantities that are at least an order of magnitude greater than all the human produced chemicals in the history of human existence.

Of course Mt. Pinatubo was not the only volcano ever to erupt.

Beware when science and politics find the same debate. Politics always wins out.

I know I'm going to be sorry I brought this up.

Some of us cavemen learned to stand erect and attend universities where they teach chemistry.

Doug Zielke · 02-20-2003, 05:45 PM

If you remove *all* (and I mean all) of the a/c parts, you will save approx 75 lbs. I know.....I weighed every piece of it.

Dismantle with care. Put in a big box, marked: "Next Owner".

Removing the primitive a/c and back-dating the heating system, gave me an engine compartment I now love to work in.

Green 912 · 02-20-2003, 06:25 PM

Flabby Wideass might not be venting for long or venting at all. Most will pull it, clean it and sell it back to you and you then cut a check and thank us for coming to your house and fixing your AC. Very few still vent. You can count on a $10,000.00 fine if caught venting depleting gasses intentionally. I work with the stuff and I recover and recycle. R12 is the #1 cash illegal import from our friends to the south, eclipsing even pot. I bought 60 Lbs. of 12 when it was .40 per Lb. Handy stuff to have for old cars and sells real well and for FAR more that $.40. Venting the R12 was a wa$te.

Auto AC compressors are open type. Eventually ALL will leak the refrigerant out. It is slowly leaking out of yours right now. You want to be earth friendly but not sit in your own sweat? Charge your AC with Propane! It works well and is inexpensive to boot. Just don’t get in a fender bender...burning cars give off all kinds of bad gasses. Burning up sucks so lets go to ammonia absorption system. No extra energy used at all it would run on the waste heat from the exhaust. No Cl involved just ammonia. Yes it is bad to you when it leaks but it is in use in RVs now. So why not in cars? Well for one we are impatient and it takes some time to get going.

Jim Sims · 02-20-2003, 07:30 PM

Freon was deliberately invented in response to too many people dying when early refrigeration systems utilizing ammonia leaked. Absorption systems take up a lot of volume which may be okay for an RV but space is more valuble in cars. Now if I just figure out how to make a thermo-acoustic air conditioning system work off the waste heat from my 911 heater boxes then I'd have something.

Jim

don911 · don911's Garage

I had an A/C shop remove what remained in mine. Removing all the stuff is on my do list.

Doug....next owner?? I can't afford to sell this thing.

hughsheehy · 02-21-2003, 01:00 AM

did i read that right?

a guy just unscrewed an A/C fitting and sprayed r12 all over the place rather than have the decency to take the car to a shop and get the system properly evacuated???!!

being outside the US I'm (a) not sure the law is still in force and (b) not sure i'd be eligible for the reward, but i remember reading one time that there's a $25,000 fine for any DIYer who deliberatly vents R12 direct to the atmosphere, and a $10,000 reward for anyone who turns them in...

let's see... you'd get enough cash to do a rather nice upgrade to your car and teach a vandal a lesson.

any volunteers? US residency required..

hugh