A/C system removal

[quartermile]

OK, when I ordered my GT3 the thing I struggled with most was the "no cost" A/C delete option. That, and the PCCB. So everyone agreeed I should KEEP the A/C and I figured it can always be deleted at a later day.

Well, now the time has come and I am considering deleting the AC but I am not sure what's invovled. Anyone know how this thing is connected up and how much all the stuff might weigh? I was talking to a racer last Friday and he thought the compressor alone would be worth 50lbs.

Edited April 20, 2005 by quartermile

[PorschePRH]

I would never have thought a late model A/C compressor weighed 50lbs. You'll have to re-route the belt drive which might be a pain. In the end the no cost delete might seem like a pretty good deal.

[0586slb]

This is going to be a fairly big job. What are you going to do with the components that you remove?

This is what you'll have to do:

Arrange for a vehicle A/C specialist to collect the gas from the system. Ask him/her if you can have some plugs to cap-off the various things you remove. Are you going to remove the wiring harness too? In the engine bay, you'll need to remove the compressor, belt and tensioner. If the comp. is driven with the same belt as the other engine ancillaries, you'll heed a different belt. There will be an object known as a receiver/drier somewhere in the engine bay. Remove that too, along with the pipework.

Remove the pipes from under the car that go towards the front. The front bumper will have to come off to remove the two condensers from in front of the radiators. In the scuttle area, you'll need to remove the battery and a lot of other brackets and stuff to gain access to the pipework and service valves etc.

Inside the car, remove the steering wheel, column etc. to remove the entire dashboard assembly. Once thats out of the way, you'll find the A/C plenum chamber. This has to be removed and replaced with a non-A/C version. Once thats out, don't forget to cap off the hole where the evaporator drain pipe exits the car, otherwise you'll get wet footwells when it rains.

Whilst everything is out of the car, consider how much of the existing wiring loom can be used with the new heater system and consider how you may have to graft one loom to another. (Wiring diagrams for A/C and non-A/C cars are essential for this) Oh, you'll need a different set of heater controls too.

If you don't intend keeping the car, think of how gutted a future owner will be if they see A/C on the options list and you've removed it, so its probably best if you keep all the equipment and modify the wiring as little as possible. - Best of luck! -

[quartermile]

This is going to be a fairly big job. What are you going to do with the components that you remove?

This is what you'll have to do:

Arrange for a vehicle A/C specialist to collect the gas from the system. Ask him/her if you can have some plugs to cap-off the various things you remove. Are you going to remove the wiring harness too? In the engine bay, you'll need to remove the compressor, belt and tensioner. If the comp. is driven with the same belt as the other engine ancillaries, you'll heed a different belt. There will be an object known as a receiver/drier somewhere in the engine bay. Remove that too, along with the pipework.

Remove the pipes from under the car that go towards the front. The front bumper will have to come off to remove the two condensers from in front of the radiators. In the scuttle area, you'll need to remove the battery and a lot of other brackets and stuff to gain access to the pipework and service valves etc.

Inside the car, remove the steering wheel, column etc. to remove the entire dashboard assembly. Once thats out of the way, you'll find the A/C plenum chamber. This has to be removed and replaced with a non-A/C version. Once thats out, don't forget to cap off the hole where the evaporator drain pipe exits the car, otherwise you'll get wet footwells when it rains.

Whilst everything is out of the car, consider how much of the existing wiring loom can be used with the new heater system and consider how you may have to graft one loom to another. (Wiring diagrams for A/C and non-A/C cars are essential for this) Oh, you'll need a different set of heater controls too.

If you don't intend keeping the car, think of how gutted a future owner will be if they see A/C on the options list and you've removed it, so its probably best if you keep all the equipment and modify the wiring as little as possible. - Best of luck! -

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the detailed description. I think I have a good idea of the scope of the project now and might scale it back. Any components that come off get added to a pile of about 400lbs of other things that came off the car :lol:

Loren do you have a diagram showing just the AC system?

[Loren]

Like this?

1 - Compressor

2 - Condenser

3 - Fluid reservoir

4 - Expansion valve

5 - Evaporator

[quartermile]

Like this?

1 - Compressor

2 - Condenser

3 - Fluid reservoir

4 - Expansion valve

5 - Evaporator

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks Loren. That's the diagram I was thinking of. This site is most valuable, thanks for keeping it going and I just donated :thumbup: