Mike C.

I have been slowly stripping the A/C system from my early 944 since I won't spend the bucks to fix it and I'd rather have a lighter car. In the northeast, I can live for a few weeks in the summer without A/C. I've gotten rid of the compressor with an A/C delete bracket and just got around to removing the evaporator unit under the dash. For those of you contemplating replacing an evaporator on the early car, it really isn't all that difficult to remove the under dash unit since it really isn't integrated with the heater controls. Once the glove box and under dash panel are removed, you can see pretty much all you need to. Start by disconnecting the electrical plugs where they go into various devices on the box. Cut the tie wraps holding the wires to the A/C pipes. With the appropriate wrenches, disconnect the A/C lines from the evaporator (the connections are right in front - easy to get to). After the A/C hoses are disconnected, move the wiring harness out of the way of the hoses (move to aft side of hoses). Remove the A/C drain hose from under the unit. If you look up under the forward part of the box, you'll see the tube. I had to use pliers to loosen it up to pry it off. There are 4 bolts that hold the box under the firewall/cowl, two in the middle and two on the right. Remove these and you will be able to carefully lower the aft portion of the box. It wil pivot down on a hanger on the froward side. Pull the box aft an inch or two and the hanger will come out and the box will drop down. Metal clips hold the two halves of the box together which must be undone to reach the evaporator. If you don't plan to re-install the box, a piece must be fabricated to block off the opening where the A/C vent is plumbed into the dash vents. A thin piece of sheet metal patterned on the A/C discharge duct shape (on the removed box) and duct tape did the trick. Other wise, you would have a big leak here and little heat would make it to the dash vents.

tempest411

Oh, what the heck! I really wanted to replace the heater hoses on my 924S before I put the cam tower on. Looking at how they come through the firewall it really seemed like I only needed to get the evaporator core housing out of the way for it to happen, but everywhere I looked online everyone says you need to rip out the whole dash to do it. I told myself I was going to give up on this project-inside-of-a-project unless I could find just ONE person that had done it without tearing out everything, and this single post above, that received no replies at the time was it. It worked! You do NOT need to rip everything out. In fact I didn't completely untangle all the wires going to the evaporator core housing. I just got it loose enough to drop down to the floor. Now that I'm there it looks like I'm 'this close' to having access to the heater core. If I unbolt the fan housing from the cowl, will it drop down and back enough for the heater core fitting to clear the firewall? Mmm...

Oh, btw, heater hose 944 572 381 02, which had been unavailable for some time is once again available. I received mine from Sunset Porsche. This is the passenger side hose that goes from the upper heater core fitting to the pipe that runs along the cam tower.

pfarah7

Mike,
What are you doing with all those ac parts? I'm interested cause' me likes AC and I'll take them if they're still in good shape. Thanks.
Patrick

tempest411

The OP hasn't been here since 2014. Perhaps someone here knows him and get in touch to see if he still has the parts.

V2Rocket

To answer your question, yes unbolting the fans from the cowl gives you the clearance.
BTDT after just removing the evaporator but leaving the dash in place, to replace my heater core hoses.

tempest411

Thank you! I'll see if I can get it apart before I have to go to work.

V2Rocket

Give yourself plenty of time, it's cramped and tight in there and will take a lot longer for 2 hoses and 2 clamps than it ever should.
Prepare lots of curse words ahead of time, you're going to need em.

Tiger03447

V2's correct..I was able to change out my two heater hoses on my '83 944without removing the heater box. Do yourself a favor and pull the passenger seat and set it outside the car. Use a 1/4" drive ratchet and a long extension with a U-joint to get to the 6mm nuts on the clamps. You will need additional light. You may also have to break out the insulation under the passenger footwell area..to get the necessary clearance. When you go to reinstall the new hoses, use some K-Y jelly on the hoses before re-install. It's water soluable and won't degrade the hose like petroleum jelly or grease will. If you are are lucky, the hose clamp nuts will point down toward you. If not just cuss it a bit longer and go for the open end. Not hardly any clearance above the hoses. Good luck and God bless! BTW..allow at least two hours to do the job...just sayin..

Glenn R

I just stripped the working AC out of my track car. Willing to sell all or some of the AC, if you are interested.

tempest411

Well, I was able to change out the hoses. I was hoping to get the heater core as well, but it looks like I'd have to pull the fan motor cowling under the hood, and the fan itself. But as the heater core is free-flowing, and there is very little sign of neglect anywhere on this engine, I'm going to pressure check the heater core. I'll only disassemble further if I find it doesn't hold pressure. I'd be more willing to go all the way now if I didn't have so much of the car taken apart already. A disassembled '84, this disassembled '87, and a motorcycle can make for a real mine field in an average two car garage!

V2Rocket

FWIW, the heater core in my car is original still and the other day I had the car running for a long time without realizing the rad fan wasn't hooked up.
I've got a 16psi rad cap on it which started to steam a little bit but it was when the lower hose blew off the rad at 122C that I knew something was up

So at whatever pressure that was, the heater didn't leak at all. SO maybe the old seals are pretty good still?

tempest411

Yeah, you don't really hear about heater cores leaking on these cars. They mostly just plug up with crud. The heater core on my friend's '66 Mustang failed catastrophically though, dumping an amazing amount of hot coolant on to the floor next to my feet as we were going down the road. Coincidentally, it has the same stupid design as the 944, with the hoses going through the firewall, then connecting to the core, To remove it you have to remove the whole plenum assembly from under the dash. I didn't take part in that repair, but it was a big enough job that he went without a functioning heater and defroster for 20 years, at least.

Cory McConnell

Is this still available? My son just purchased an 84 944. The PO removed the compressor and cut the hoses so we are in the market for a compressor, tensioner, and both hoses going to the compressor.

Also, you wouldn't have a cruise control unit and cable would you?