legacycentral bbs

If you remove the AC compressor, will you still have all the other HVAC functions?

Yes.

you can rip every component of the a/c system out except the box under the dash.

do you need to plug anything off? Like the lines in and out of the firewall?

You can pull the box out from under the dash easy enough. I did just the other day infact. You need to remove the glove compartment but the ducting unit the coils are in slides with a little bit of wiggling. It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be and does not require removing the dash. It does mean you have to plug a small hole in the duct afterwards but a piece of sheet metal, pull rivets, and sealant will take care of that.

Just a FYI. Though if you do that, I would suggest plugging the holes in the firewall with something to keep fumes and bugs out.

My plan is to just remove the compressor.

I never even noticed the difference with mine—defrost still kicked ass.

AC would be nice in the summer, especially on rainy days to defog the windshield. I lived without it for many years, however.

^^ what he says is so true !! in the summer and rain is a pain in the ass !!!

what i am testing this year in my new set up, is leave the condenser under the dash in, and see if it helps. my other cars i all ways had taken them out and it was a fog city in the car.

im going to try it in and if fog city happens i am putting ac in the car.

Only removing the compressor showed little performance lost with the defrost for me. Worked better than most other cars with A/C

summer is on its way, it sounds like it will work then i cant wait to test it.

when it was rainning out i didnt want to drive my gc8, as soon as the car got warm, i could not see.

For sure. As far as a Daily Driver, I LOVE AC and went to long without in my 86 F150. I love AC with tinted windows in the summer, gets so cold I almost want to wear a coat.

Now If I was building a race car, Id say scew the AC...I have windows!

It doesn't get that hot in western Washington very often, where you really need AC. The clutch on this particular compressor is failing, makes annoying noise.

I am not trying to be a debby downer but I really dont see the advantage to AC delete. The pully spins freely when the clutch isnt engaged and the weight savings are minor. Why not try to take the clutch apart and/or spray the hell out of it with white silcone grease? At worst remove the belt?

ciper wrote:I am not trying to be a debby downer but I really dont see the advantage to AC delete. The pully spins freely when the clutch isnt engaged and the weight savings are minor. Why not try to take the clutch apart and/or spray the hell out of it with white silcone grease? At worst remove the belt?

I have to 100% agree with ciper on this one...

Removing a perfectly working AC system for perfomance gains is very debatable. You are removing 10 lbs from the front... is moving a battery to the back worthwhile? Similar argument there.

But if you're removing the AC because it's broke and doesn't work, why drag around the extra weight? Removing it is pretty easy and in some applications it's nice to have the hoses out of the way and room for other items.

I only miss mine on really hot days but I do enjoy the cleaner engine bay and having a good place to run wires through the firewall.

AC delete = perfect spot for wrx coolant tank

but Im keeping mine, when its been a long day outside when its 90+ outside working and you have ICE cold AC, its vurrrrry nice!

(at least for now)

Removing the belt is what we will do.

In an N/A car, the hardline in back is a no go with a rotated turbo of any size. Also, working your charge piping around it is annoying and adds plenty of length.

With how I wanted the front of my car to fit together, AC was not possible. I lived without it for half a decade, so it's not a big deal. The beater has working AC anyways.

Are there instructions on how to take the clutch apart? I'd like to grease mine as well

The clutches are pretty much serviceless. All you can really do....if you can remove them is replace it with another clutch pulley.