Is there an easy way to remove the compressor and all the hoses? I have a 70 skylark with a 350 4bbl.
I guess it depends on your definition of easy. If you want to save any of it for further use you'll need to take your time. If not, you could cut it out with a reciprocating saw and a cutting torch :eek2: What do you plan on doing with the stuff? There is a market for these parts.
i just finished taking the rest of my ac stuff out. you can do it the "right" way and take it to a shop and have them empty all the gas out. then start taking stuff apart. i did it the wrong way a while back i took a blade to the hoses then unbolted the compressor. there wasnt too much gas in there so i didnt kill too many birds :grin: and just this weekend, i took out the inner fender and unbolted all the stuff attached to the firewall.
Why take it out? It's a nice option to have on those hot days.......and even if you decide not to make it functional, just clean the parts up and make it look good. Nobody can tell if it works or not from appearance, and besides that option makes your car more valuable. And not only that......if you learn how to repair it yourself, it really isn't that costly to fix. A/c work got a reputation as being too costly when corporate greed made it that way, and professionals have no choice but to do it the way they are told to or else. Just be sure to discharge responsibly, and the rest is all within the reach of the do it yourself mechanic. It is for the older cars, anyhow.
a previous owner stripped all the a/c stuff off the suncoupe i got recently,i'd like to stranle them:af:i plan on finding & replacing, thats a chore i'm not looking forward to.do it correctly & save your parts(or sell them to me):TU:
I know this is an old thread, but I thought I'd bring it back because I need to move my a/c so I can get to the exhaust manifold and change the plugs on that side while I'm at it. I could use the room to make my life easier. I don't know if the ac even works, as it's the middle of winter and can't tell either way. But the car did come to me with the electricals unplugged, I don't know if the pump works. Anyways, other than unbolting it from the brackets, what do I have to do to take the lines off so I can just pull this thing out of the way?
Have the lines drained to take away the pressure if there is any left. OF course you should never use a screw diriver to push down on the schrader valves to see if there is any left. If you never do make sure you where safety glasses.
I took the complete non working system off my 72 last winter. I bought a heater box from American Graffiti. Also a nonair alternator bracket from a member of the board here. In order to take it all off you must take the inner fender out or remove the whole right side fender to get at screws that hold the plenum box onto the firewall. There might be a way to get at the hidden screws from inside the car but I am 6' 10"" and under the dash is not much of an option for me. Taking it off opened up the whole right side of the engine very well, and obviously removed the extra weight of the system. I don't miss it. The car is not stock anyway. I kept the system. Good Luck on yours. Peace, Mike D.
If you use a screwdriver to do that you WILL be sprayed with oil. That's incentive enough for me never to do that.p
I don't know that there's anything left in it, it was unplugged when I got the car. I am unsure about whether I want to keep it or not, but it sure is in the way right now. If I get the thing drained, can I take the lines off it then?
Well, I tested it today and it does indeed have something in it still. I'll have to have it discharged before I can take it off. I'm still undecided about whether or not to keep it in the long run, though. I think I'll take it off for now and deal with putting it back on when/if I rebuild the engine.
I have been wanting to remove mine too in order to gain easier access to spark plugs and exhaust manifolds. There's a bolt on the back that i turned and it sounded like it was releasing pressure- would this be a correct way to discharge the system?
Well, I took mine off today. I bled it out of the valve on the cannister and there wasn't much in it anyway. Took all the hoses off, removed the pump, mostly no problem. But I did break pipe where it connects to the condenser, and the metal there was really soft and probably corroded. So I think if/when I put it back on I'll need a new condenser. Here's a question though. The manual says to cap off the pipes if you disconnect anything to prevent corrosion. What exactly do you cap them with? I thought about getting some plumbing pieces to screw onto the ends of the compressor. Here's a second question. The brackets that hold the a/c compressor on are huge and in the way. The top bracket just holds the a/c, and that came off easily. The bottom bracket also holds the alternator on. There's a big long bolt that goes through the alternator and through the bottom bracket and screws into the engine block. Is there a different bottom bracket that came on non-a/c cars that wasn't so big? I took the one on mine off and it really opens things up. But now I don't have a bottom support for the alternator. I thought of just using a post made out of pipe cut to size and running that bolt through to the engine block to line the alternator up correctly and give it bottom support. It's a lot simpler and cleaner than that ugly bracket. Any thoughts?
Hello! Go to a junkyard and get a bracket from a non AC car. I think it's the same brackets on buick 350/400/455 but i'm sure someone here will know for sure. or you can just buy a new one. check this out http://v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=193838 Good luck! Patrik
Used non air alternator brackets are available on the board here from time to time. I bought one. You just have to be patient. Peace, Mike D.
