Air con removal

[Robbynz]

Getting fed up with lack of leg room in passenger foot well and from getting cold knee's.Does any one know about disconnecting the unit from inside the cab,and be able to connect it up at a later date.I don't want to just disconnect and let the gas go ( being slightly greenish) and would you have to do something under the bonnet to seal the unit from moisture/air ,or remove belts etc.any suggestions appreciated

[TerryS]

I have never seen it done but a friend told me he watched a AC tech at a shop "pinch" off a line with a tool which was essentially a pair of visegrips, with rounded jaws. It must be either a tool they made themselves, or very specialized, as I haven't seen it in any catalogues. Apart from that, I doubt what you want to do is possible. Being green (a good thing) go to the AC shop and have them evacuate the system.

[Den]

The aircon units vary somewhat depending on model, year and the market into which the vehicle was sold. But the difference is in the detail - the basic stuff is the same (I assume, for NZ, RH-Drive):

You must have the system bled by an aicon technician. The gases are possibly not CFC-free. But also, messing about with high pressure hoses can be lethal. And, if the aicon techie is feeling generous, he might pay YOU for the recovered gas.

Now you can disconnect the tubes (to compressor/from condenser) from the valve unit on the engine side of the bulkhead, just in front of the LH foot well. Seal the ends to keep out any dirt and tie them out of harms way. Now remove the valve unit from the tubes (to/from evaporator), and store it in a clean, dirt free recepticle (like a ZipLoc sandwich bag). Also, right where the tubes come through the bulkhead, remove the electrical connector (which activates the compressor clutch).

Next you can remove all the screws securing the aircon duct to the underside of the dash, and the nut against the LH side of the passenger footwell. The interior unit should start to come away from the dash. Disconnect the electrical connector blocks, and remove the unit completely. The condesation drain tube should slip out of the LH bulkhead post. Seal up the tube ends. You might as well remove the compressor fanbelt, too.

Plug up the holes in the bulkhead and enjoy the legroom...

...and probably the worst heatwave in living memory this summer!

Denis

[Robbynz]

Thanks for the info.Guess I should find a friendly AC tech to drain the system and hopefully be happy for me to do the disconnection.