AC Removal - 81 SC

[motogman]

The drive belt on the AC compressor on my 81 SC was removed when I bought it and the PO said it was that way when he bought it 6 years ago. From what i have read the AC was never very good - certainly the size of the vents suggest a meager system.

So the question is... what to do. The optiosn seem to be...

1) Rework the existing system & compressor.

2) Put on a new compressor and rework the whole system.

3) Remove it.

It seems that door nuyber 3 is the right way to go but there are many summer days when I drive the other car because it has AC.

What do y'all think and what links can you point me too, for more research onm the topic?

[gshase]

Depends on where you live. In Texas with an upgraded AC I am pretty happy with mine. You could spend $8 on a belt and see what happens if want to be cool.

[Mitch Leland]

I believe the need for A/C in your car is a personal choice that you'll have to make depending on how you want to use your car... Sadly the factory A/C is woefully inadequate, however with some time and money and the after market kits that are available you can have a pretty good A/C system. If you want to spend more money you can turn your can into a rolling Sub-Zero Refrigerator.

If you'll do a search for "air conditioning" you'll find that there is more information here than any other post or thread on this forum...

Spend some time and research the market before you jump into this, shop around talk to the various suppliers about their products. Be sure there will be some one on the other end of the telephone if you need them to answer questions in the event you need help.

Personally I love having my A/C, it extends the use of my car, I believe if I were to ever sell the car it adds to the resale value. I'm not a full time racer, so when I track the car, I still have A/C to get me home...

[mrm930]

My opinion: up grade
Look at Rennaire and Griffiths - both have great products. I am in the middle of a total tub - up restoration on a hot rod 930. I am going with one of these companies. I am throwing out the factory unit completely and starting over.

[kiwiokie]

It gets pretty hot here in Oklahoma. I drive with both windows down and it is surprisingly not that bad once the car is moving, even on 100 degree days.

[Targa Time]

I removed my AC system. Everything. Saved 75# in weight. I was surprised it added up to so much.

"Less weight, More power"

[fred cook]

I chose to upgrade the air conditioning in my SC. I live in South Georgia where we have many 95 - 100 degree days and a/c is really necessary. You can get decent amounts of cool air out of an early/middle year Porsche system but only with complete rebuild/replacement program. Just switching to a Sanden compressor will help and you will have more room in the engine compartment. Its lighter also. You will need the afore mentioned compressor, new barrier hoses (I made my own) an upgraded evaporator and probably front condenser. Unless you mount one of the rear fender vertical condensers w/fan, there is not much that you can do about the rear condenser. Also look at the Khuel vents for the center and ends of the dash. It's not cheap, you will get quite dirty and some of the bits and pieces are a pain to install. But, in the end, you will be glad that you went the extra mile! Good luck with your project!

[pete3799]

Originally Posted by mrm930

My opinion: up grade
Look at Rennaire and Griffiths - both have great products. I am in the middle of a total tub - up restoration on a hot rod 930. I am going with one of these companies. I am throwing out the factory unit completely and starting over.

That's what i plan on doing.......someday.

[arbita1]

As others have mentioned above it really depends on your preferences and what you use the car for.

I live in NY (where it can get pretty uncomfortable in the summers). But my car is for pleasure use only...no commuting or really long trips.

When I first bought it, the previous owner had the compressor removed (but gave me it separately). I went through a similar debate to you as to what to do. I decided to remove everything. Since then, there was a time that I wanted to replace all the removed parts with upgraded components, but I've since changed my mind. In fact, now I'm looking at back dating the heat as well.

My car is a targa, and I don't even put the roof on anymore. It just hangs up in my garage. And I only take it with me when rain is threatening.

Also, if you work on your own car, that comes into play too. It's much easier with the AC components removed. And even more so with the heat backdated.

If you're anything like me, you'll think about it endlessly and change your mind at least ten times. That's kind of the way it goes for me on everything I do with this car.

[wwest]

Originally Posted by fred cook

I chose to upgrade the air conditioning in my SC. I live in South Georgia where we have many 95 - 100 degree days and a/c is really necessary. You can get decent amounts of cool air out of an early/middle year Porsche system but only with complete rebuild/replacement program. Just switching to a Sanden compressor will help and you will have more room in the engine compartment. Its lighter also. You will need the afore mentioned compressor, new barrier hoses (I made my own) an upgraded evaporator and probably front condenser. Unless you mount one of the rear fender vertical condensers w/fan, there is not much that you can do about the rear condenser. Also look at the Khuel vents for the center and ends of the dash. It's not cheap, you will get quite dirty and some of the bits and pieces are a pain to install. But, in the end, you will be glad that you went the extra mile! Good luck with your project!

"..but only with complete rebuild/replacement.."

I disagree...

In relation to the early Porsche A/C design when did inexpensive highly efficient radiator fan/blowers become available...???

Answer...AFTER FWD vehicles became to prevalent in the marketplace.

So...

I would first abandon, totally, the highly INEFFICIENT blower for the front condensor in favor of 2 NEW radiator fans (<$50)to FORCE airflow downward through the engine lid condensor anytime the compressor clutch is engaged.

Taking it a bit further I would run the rear lid blowers in series, 6 volts each, with the A/C enabled, and only in parallel, 12 volts each, with the compressor actually operating.

[schumicat]

the problem is after being non-operational for years the various a/c components are probably corroded and seals dried up because they are exposed to outside air and aren't getting oil. reworking the existing system will probably result in a cascade of failure and leaks.

[autobonrun]

Originally Posted by arbita1

My car is a targa, and I don't even put the roof on anymore. It just hangs up in my garage. And I only take it with me when rain is threatening.

Hopefully you store your top with it open. After I refinished my top, I started leaving mine on the car so it wouldn't form permanent creases. I found storing it closed in the front of my car did just that.

As far as AC I'm also wrestiling with the decision whether to upgrade or remove everything. Driving my SC less than 1k miles a year it's hard to justify a complete new AC.

[76 Targa]

Just re-did the whole A/C system in my 76 Targa. Works great. In Tucson, summer temperatures are usually between 100 and 110, and occasionally get up to 115 .

Air conditioning is an absolute must for the car to be drivable at all during the summer here. If you're going to run A/C, I do recommend first installing a front fender mounted carrera oil cooler and fan, or your engine might overheat due to the extra loading of the compressor on top of the summer heat.

[Gordo2]

I removed the A/C on my '83 Targa thinking it only mattered when it's really hot. Didn't consider how you use the A/C to defog windows on warm rainy days... I normally don't drive the car when it gets really hot out, and I try to avoid rainy days (combination of having to use the heat to defog, and my Targa seals aren't the greatest).

I also backdated my heat.

I don't regret it. I dumped quite a bit of weight, opened up the engine compartment for maintenance (plug change, valve adjust etc), and didn't have to dump a bunch of money into the A/C system to get it working.

Gordo

[Charlie V]

Originally Posted by Targa Time

I removed my AC system. Everything. Saved 75# in weight. I was surprised it added up to so much.

"Less weight, More power"

Same.

[crustychief]

I redid my A/C a couple of years ago. I used a bowtie update and a pro cooler with a desert duty condenser. It blows pretty cold now.

[arbita1]

Originally Posted by autobonrun

Hopefully you store your top with it open. After I refinished my top, I started leaving mine on the car so it wouldn't form permanent creases. I found storing it closed in the front of my car did just that.

As far as AC I'm also wrestiling with the decision whether to upgrade or remove everything. Driving my SC less than 1k miles a year it's hard to justify a complete new AC.

Yes. I store it in the open position. The Owner's manuals says not to store it for prolonged periods of time in the closed position...probably for just that reason.

[wwest]

Originally Posted by Gordo2

I removed the A/C on my '83 Targa thinking it only mattered when it's really hot. Didn't consider how you use the A/C to defog windows on warm rainy days... I normally don't drive the car when it gets really hot out, and I try to avoid rainy days (combination of having to use the heat to defog, and my Targa seals aren't the greatest).

I also backdated my heat.

I don't regret it. I dumped quite a bit of weight, opened up the engine compartment for maintenance (plug change, valve adjust etc), and didn't have to dump a bunch of money into the A/C system to get it working.

Gordo

A/C is NOT reliable/predictable for defogging/demisting of surfaces, depends on climate, mother nature, and she's FICKLE..!