hamm928

I want to remove the A/C to lighten weight but keep the heater and fresh air. Has anyone done this? Any tips? Thanks!

blown 87

Yea, unless it is a race car leave it installed.

My thoughts on it.

IcemanG17

its easy...most of the weight is in the compressor & lines....you'll end up leaving the evaporator in the ac-heater core in the dash, but its only a couple pounds max anyway.

Unless you live somewhere VERY cold I wouldn't remove it..... the performance gain of maybe 50lbs lost weight isn't much and could be gained with minimal HP increases...

hamm928

The issue is not whether I should remove it but tips on doing it. Thanks anyway.

the flyin' scotsman

undo the bolts at the compressor and the main a/c lines at there respective connections.............the compressor will drop out.


then there's the condensor, evap valve, exp valve, the fuel cooler etc etc.

good luck

blown 87

Pretty much.

Things like this remind me of a Camaro for some reason, not sure why.

Not much to taking stuff off, just remove bolts and a hacksaw if needed for the rear AC if needed.

WallyP

If you think that the car will ever be sold (even by your widow!), it is much better to take stuff off so that the car can be put back to original as much as possible. Hacksawing irreplacable lines will reduce the value of the car noticeably, thus one possible reason for asking for advice.

tv

I did it. And I will never sell my car. Plus I like driving with the windows down in warm weather.

But mine is a fun car, not transportation so driving in mid day heat in traffic was never a concern.

I did it mainly to increase engine cooling and for weight.

My heater is un-affected and works very well.

Been a while but, I removed the radiator thing, the can with a guage, the aux fan, and then the big heavy piggy bank thing and its belt from the side of the engine. (forgot the real names)

Took off the little thing hanging on the strut brace and plugged those lines.

So now up front, there is a lot of room with the radiator and tranny cooler being very happy. Much better air flow now for the radiator.

Like I said the heater works great. I see no downside, just keep the parts for posterity.

docmirror

I think what others are trying to point out is that removing the compressor and the condenser, even the fan won't make much difference in the performance of the car. I would guess the total removed would be about 40 Lbs on a car that weighs well over 3000. If you want to start removing fat, you've got a long way to go, and the AC is something that most people in the US need every August.

JHowell37

A lot of people pull their hair out trying to take weight out of the car. For many of them, a diet should be good for several pounds. There's a reason all of those F1 drivers weigh 135-140lbs.

axis of evil

Right, go on a diet, get a skinny girlfriend.

hamm928

Thanks all for the tips. I probably should have quantified...the car is nice but not an all original investor car, I like to drive and sometimes race it. 83 Euro 5 speed, removed rear seats and alum paneled in, 3 inch exhaust, race seats, 997 Turbo 18s, Braille 11lb battery, electric radiator cooling fan, adj rear sway bar, E3 plugs, Eibach pro comp springs.

Here in Colorado the A/C isn't needed too much so I prefer to improve the performance over comfort, especially passing the often arrogant 911 owners at the track. Up in the mountans the A/C is never needed. Come on out and lets drive! 303-366-9165

hamm928

Thanks all for the tips. I probably should have quantified...the car is nice but not an all original investor car, I like to drive and sometimes race it. 83 Euro 5 speed, removed rear seats and alum paneled in, 3 inch exhaust, race seats, 997 Turbo 18s, Braille 11lb battery, electric radiator cooling fan, adj rear sway bar, E3 plugs, Eibach pro comp springs.

Here in Colorado the A/C isn't needed too much so I prefer to improve the performance over comfort, especially passing the often arrogant 911 owners at the track. Up in the mountans the A/C is never needed. Come on out and lets drive! 303-366-9165

hamm928

40lbs here, 50 lbs there all ad up eventually. More interested in performance than comfort.

rgs944

Thats the key, it all adds up. Maybe the 50lbs for AC will not be that much but add that to some other weight reductions and pretty soon it makes a nice difference. Like getting rid of your step mother out of the car.