partial A/C removal

[magilla]

I am planning to remove (destroy with great prejudice) the A/C belt. I am not sure that I am ready to remove the entire A/C system yet, but I am installing a new decklid soon , and I want to remove the radiator thingie that is mounted to the decklid. I believe it is the evaporator(?) Can I remove that without any issue? DO I need to seal the unit when I remove it? Do I seal the hoses as well?

Any advice on how to do this?

Thanks,
Magilla

[91C2wrencher]

You don't mention what car you have so my response will be in general terms. First it's likely the radiator thingie in the rear is the condensor(it should get warm when you run the A/C) the evaporator is the cold one (and I really don't know where mine is, except they are usually in the front blower box). I've removed my A/C belt years ago because I got tired of recharging every spring and use my car mostly for auto-x and DE and racing around town spooking the old folks! As for disassembling(you'll need to leave it in place to run in honest PCA class races) the A/C system, once you "open" the system it is contanminated and all plugging the lines will do is keep dirt and such out of the tubing(good if you ever wanted to reverse the surgery). Additionally not running an A/C compressor leads to dried up seals(as the refrigerant carries the lube around in the system, and this will mean a comp. rebuild in the future(again, if you want to go back to A/C). Do I miss the A/C on my car? eehh, no not really but it was nice to have in August driving back from the track, but I just keeping thinking of the extra 0.5HP I get and all is well.

[magilla]

Sorry, Mine is an '83 SC.

I currently have an entire tail and lid combo made of F/G, and the OEM tail I bought is WAY Heavier! I thought that removing the condenser would be a great way to drop some weight. I haven't used my A/C since I got the car a year ago, so I doubt it even works.

I drive mostly like you describe. Around town to scare the friends, and then AutoX events (and DE this year, hopefully).

Thanks. I'll just yank it and plug with duct tape or something, just in case.

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

I removed the entire a/c system from my '83 SC, and you'd be amazed the weight of it, once you get it all off: compressor, compressor bracket, rear condensor, front condensor, entire evaporator (?) unit in the smuggler's box, all the hoses from rear to front and back again, front condensor blower, dessicator in the left front wheelwell...

Stephan

[Kurt B]

It'll take a day to remove it all, but it can be done. The hoses are the hardest part to track down and unbolt. There is a lot of weight in all of that crap, especially those hoses and compressor.

As far as taking off the deckid mount. Do that with joy. How can any air get through that manifold?

You'll have those hoses bouncing around in there...I started off like you removing just engine-bay stuff. In the end, it really gets to you having things half removed like that. You'll want to take it all out, but you can do it a step at at time, an hour here and an hour there, and make a nice pile in the garage of stuff that should never have been on your car!

[dean]

Hi
You should take your car to a shop to get the freon dischaged. They should do it for free because they car reuse it in another sys.
Dean