I have a 1980 GS and I was wondering if I could remove the ac compressor with no other modifications.... It doesn't work anyways but for some reason i noticed the belt was loose, so i tightened it a little and it seems i have lost some power. Is that normal?

 

Also if i could get the AC working I wouldn't bother taking it off, I don't know where to start with finding the problem but I do know that the blower is broken (last few times i turned on the vents it blew a fuse in my stereo's head unit, hasn't worked since but radio is fine).

 

yep you can pull it off but probably need to get someone to de-gas it first, its illegal to do that yourself over here, not sure about your laws there (although the place i took mine to just let it out into the atmo anyway i think, lol)

there are just the two lines to and from the compressor through the firewall, i left them un plugged

as for trying to fix it im not sure.

 

what if I were to just take the belt off and leave the compressor itself on?

 

Nothing wrong with that. Easy way to disable it.

 

Cool, I just wasnt sure if it would alter anything other than just the AC.... It should add a little power too since its one less accessory correct? (Btw dan, you have 666 posts lol, hope ur not superstitious!)

 

i took mine out . took a lil over an hour. But could take a lil less if you cut the hoses.

 

if you are removing the a/c make sure you either have the a/c gas removed professionally or just cut one of the hard lines and take a walk. you do NOT want to inhale that stuff. its pure poison. you don't even want to be near the car when the gas is leaking out.

 

will it add any noticeable gain to power?

 

YES! Well, atleast when you have the AC on, to when you have it off. I had AC on
mine when I got it, but had to recharge it every summer. Felt like I lost 20HP when I
turned it on. Took it off and opened the sunroof, and never looked back

 

Honestly. i didn't really notice. i don't think the A/c compressor caused much drag on the pulley when its not running. Prolly gonna gain more from the Less weight. But again i didn't really notice.

 

So wait a minute..... If the AC isn't turned on then it shouldn't be draining power? I'm just looking for minor things to do to gain a little performance but so it runs better also. It is a daily driver in summer and I would rather not turbo/supercharge it. I am waiting for Innovative Tuning to fit me in to get my exhaust put on, they are booked for two months tho.

 

The A/C compressor only spins when the system is turned on. There is a clutch inside of the pulley wheel that engages or disengages the system based on what needs to happen.

If you turn the system on, there is a huge power rob. With it off though, there is not really any power loss at all. You will notice no improvement by removing the belt. The only reason you would want to pull the whole system was to either reduce the weight of the car or reduce the amount of stuff under your hood.

 

thanks dan

 

Not to bump this thread again, but anytime good sir.

 

Just an aside, but users here have reported issues with water pump bearings going out after removing the A/C belt.

Think of it this way, the belt arrangement on our cars is such that the Airpump belt, Alternator belt, and the A/C belt all pull in even directions, centering their force on the water pump pulley.

If you remove one of the, you'll not be able to maintain the same diametrically opposed force on the opposing belt on the opposite side. Increasing tension on the opposite belt will have the effect of placing more side-long force on the water pump pulley and bearing, and if this force is excessive, the bearing will fail.

Something to think about, but I'm paranoid that way. I still have my air pump hooked up with a RB exhaust.

 

If you do try to get the AC fixed. Be carefull, the older systems (pre 1994) used freon that is no longer legal (R12). The worst part is to convert to the newer coolant (R134A)requires the system to be completely evacuated of the old freon with a vacume pump before adding the new and improved stuff. If the system is not completely evacuated before adding R134A, then you get "the black death" which pretty much trashes the system.

Oh and it is illegal to vent to the atmosphere, CFC's and ozone etc. Buddy of mine works in HVAC and there are some serious fines if you get caught. Probably more of a problem with professionals rather than us backyard types. All the same I would not brag about it.

 

That was my first thought on removing the belt Longduck.... thanks

 

R-12 is perfectly legal to own and use in a system. I'm redoing the system on my 1994 and R-12 is going back in, just like the factory intended.

Moreover, the cost of using R-12 is less than a proper conversion to R-134a and certainly much less labor intensive since for a proper conversion all the components should be removed and flushed. R-12 can be had for $20 a can or so....R-134a is currently fetching $10 a can around here.

 

Yeah just cut the line and run like hell, there may not even be anything left in the system like on mine. Unbolt the line that comes out of the firewall and then unbolt the line in front of the radiator and you're good to go. Takes 45 minutes at most..
Make sure there's no tree-hugger neighbors watching, either.