Thoughts and/or experience: Deleting the AC system

[Endlessblockades]

Open to anyone's experience doing this. Any effect on the 'Auto' climate unit's function? Any pitfalls or precautions? I do not (and cannot) use the system and the condenser and plumbing is in the way of other ideas I'd like to explore.

TIA

 

[phattyduck]

Unplug all the AC sensors and see what the control unit does. It will probably just never even try to turn it on.

The AC has its own belt, so seems like it would be easy to remove the whole system (no figuring out belt lengths and routing, etc.).

-Charlie

 

[Endlessblockades]

Unplug all the AC sensors and see what the control unit does. It will probably just never even try to turn it on.

The AC has its own belt, so seems like it would be easy to remove the whole system (no figuring out belt lengths and routing, etc.).

-Charlie

Thank you. Any freon under pressure to be aware of? I might also leave the plumbing, evaporator core, and compressor intact and just remove the belt and the condenser.

Edited

 

[2TH4IST]

You loose defogger. I deleted my ac in my miata, sucks in winter or when it's raining. Everything gets steamy and damp. So expect mold sometimes in the near future.

I'm guessing your thinking forced induction?

Unless all your freon is gone, it will be under pressure and will need to be evacuated before removal. Or vented to atmosphere.....

 

[phattyduck]

Thank you. Any freon under pressure to be aware of? I might also leave the plumbing, evaporator core, and compressor intact and just remove the belt and the condenser.

Edited

The system will be under pressure, but you can unplug electrical connectors with no worry. Best bet if you are going to be removing components is to have the system evacuated first by a shop.

-Charlie

You loose defogger. I deleted my ac in my miata, sucks in winter or when it's raining. Everything gets steamy and damp. So expect mold sometimes in the near future.

I'm guessing your thinking forced induction?

Unless all your freon is gone, it will be under pressure and will need to be evacuated before removal. Or vented to atmosphere.....

Funny thing - I actually disabled the auto-AC with defrost setting on my 4Runner. I know how/when to turn on the AC when needed for defrosting. My favorite vent setting is defrost/feet and I don't like that it forces the AC on when not needed (it is rarely humid enough here in Southern California to need much defogging/defrosting).

-Charlie

 

[2TH4IST]

Funny thing - I actually disabled the auto-AC with defrost setting on my 4Runner. I know how/when to turn on the AC when needed for defrosting. My favorite vent setting is defrost/feet and I don't like that it forces the AC on when not needed (it is rarely humid enough here in Southern California to need much defogging/defrosting).

-Charlie

Charlie,
Is this for the auto climate controls or the manual? I'm interested in how you did this as the defront/feet setting is my favorite too!

 

[Endlessblockades]

You loose defogger. I deleted my ac in my miata, sucks in winter or when it's raining. Everything gets steamy and damp. So expect mold sometimes in the near future.

I'm guessing your thinking forced induction?

Unless all your freon is gone, it will be under pressure and will need to be evacuated before removal. Or vented to atmosphere.....

Nothing fancy - I want to experiment with airflow without the nasty crumpled clogged condenser in the way. I just spent a week in the desert and did many miles in the environment I most enjoy - sand and washes. My rig runs cool as a cucumber with some airflow and hot as a pepper at slow speeds with the added struggle of 33s and sand. Both engine and transmission. I spent a few days in the pits at King of the Hammers and all manner of vehicles can handle the slog, but most are running additional cooling such as electric fans. I put 1700 miles on my rig and about 200 in sand - alone, with no spare, and she never let me down. I had to rest her quite a bit or find a place to get some speed. On a side note, I do recommend a satellite communicator. Not having one way out there is crazy. One of my kids gave me a Garmin InReach Mini 2 for Christmas and I love that thing.

 

[2TH4IST]

Funny thing you mention it being nasty and crumpled/clogged condenser. Mine was like that too, falling apart in my hands. I'd say replace it, get it recharged, and see how it does. After I replaced my condersor and foam taped the edges of everything, it sucks air through the heat stack like a hooker on nickel nights.

I hate to say this, and as much as I like the koyo radiator, I'm seriously thinking of going to the CSF radiator, being 6mm thicker is a ton of surface area and cooling capacity. It's almost 3/8 inch thicker.

Also - nice pic! Are you on stock gears or have you regeared? I got to get a inreach mini2 as well. It isn't a joke either. Been out in the sticks 300 miles with nothing and no cell service. Did you opt to get higher search and rescue insurance garmin offers?

 

[Endlessblockades]

Funny thing you mention it being nasty and crumpled/clogged condenser. Mine was like that too, falling apart in my hands. I'd say replace it, get it recharged, and see how it does. After I replaced my condersor and foam taped the edges of everything, it sucks air through the heat stack like a hooker on nickel nights.

I hate to say this, and as much as I like the koyo radiator, I'm seriously thinking of going to the CSF radiator, being 6mm thicker is a ton of surface area and cooling capacity. It's almost 3/8 inch thicker.

Also - nice pic! Are you on stock gears or have you regeared? I got to get a inreach mini2 as well. It isn't a joke either. Been out in the sticks 300 miles with nothing and no cell service. Did you opt to get higher search and rescue insurance garmin offers?

That is probably a more logical approach. Koyorad makes a condenser for 3rd Gens, too, but I'm not married the the brand at all.....what condenser did you get?

I'm on 4.30s that came with the E-Locker spec so I figured I had a little more wiggle room than 'stock' for the 33s. It's definitely a bit more laggy off the line on the street, but not too bad.

Yeah I got the SAR upgrade up to 15,000ft (Mt Whitney is 15,500) and I like that you can turn all subscription services on/off as needed monthly. I also like that if your phone has a charge you can use the Garmin app to use it via Bluetooth as the keyboard/voice-to-text for any messages your need to send. thru the satellites. I had mine tracking me and the wifey could see where I was. I was in Death Valley at the end of my trip and noticed a lot of geezers had them clipped on....

 

[2TH4IST]

I went with a generic condenser, but I probably should have gone with the denso unit. But at the time I was pinching pennies.

Thanks for the info re: the garmin.

 

[3bears]

I cut the belt and pulled the fuse for my ac about 2 years ago, summer rarely gets hot enough to need....maybe a week combined and in the winter I was tired of the defrost making my engine idle go up and down. I live in a very dry cold climate and have not had moisture or "steam" problems...if I do I just open the windows for a minute. I do have the manual controls so dont know if any of this would mess the automatic temp controls
.

At some point I might get rid of all the condensor, compressor etc.

 

[phattyduck]

Charlie,
Is this for the auto climate controls or the manual? I'm interested in how you did this as the defront/feet setting is my favorite too!

'96-'00 manual style. There's a plug in the rear corner behind the mode selector dial:

Probably not possible with the auto-ac style.

-Charlie

 

[phattyduck]

Nothing fancy - I want to experiment with airflow without the nasty crumpled clogged condenser in the way. I just spent a week in the desert and did many miles in the environment I most enjoy - sand and washes. My rig runs cool as a cucumber with some airflow and hot as a pepper at slow speeds with the added struggle of 33s and sand. Both engine and transmission.

Sounds like you just need a new fan clutch... I've done plenty of AC-blasting 100*F+ adventures and have only had temps get above about 200*F when there was a problem with the cooling system (most recently a bad radiator cap...).

-Charlie

 

[Endlessblockades]

Sounds like you just need a new fan clutch... I've done plenty of AC-blasting 100*F+ adventures and have only had temps get above about 200*F when there was a problem with the cooling system (most recently a bad radiator cap...).

-Charlie

I'm jealous! and I clearly have some issue. I'm on Aisin fan clutch #3, 2nd OEM Fan (I ground some tips off the original when my battery slid into it). I have a new fan shroud that fits the Koyorad really snugly. 3rd T-Stat w/JV @6 PM, new radiator+cap. I run at 188 coolant/150 ATF with airflow (at 40MPH+ within 2 minutes regardless of ambient temps) but up to 230+/240+ under load/strain offroad in every combination of 2WD/4WD/4LO/OD Off. That is with the front and rear heater at full blast. I have burped the coolant more than any of my children. I can't drive off road under 10MPH without the heater assist. It never consumes coolant - the overflow jug returns to center line every time. Street life can be OK but variable. Kinda sucks. Caveat: Temps are reported to an UltraGauge - I should probably verify with an app-based method. Empirically - when it says it's hot, it's HOT (touch-test) but tolerating it. I just can't drive it like I want to when seeing those temps. I don't want to stress or damage it any more. This had been going on prior to throwing all the parts at it and the new radiator runs a higher pressure cap (127 kPa) than the OEM options of 88 and 111(?). I have no clue what that really signifies but the top hose is a lot firmer when the tstat is open than it was with the oem radiator/88 cap. Being close to wit's end, I was considering electric fans.....

 

[2TH4IST]

Holy smokes that is cooking! I would verify that temp for sure. Maybe a obd scanner besides the ultra gauge. Maybe the ecm coolant sensor is going bad? Like a dead spot. Does your gauge in the cluster move at all (its a different sensor then the ecm)?

There is one time in my life that I have actually seen a dead spot on a thermistor type sensor ohming out a thermocouple. Usually it happens so fast you can't catch it, unless data logging.

Yes, something isn't right there. I got a bit more blocking my rad/cooling stack then you have and hottest I get is 195 in any gearset (running "small" 32" tires) on/off road.

 

[phattyduck]

Holy smokes that is cooking! I would verify that temp for sure. Maybe a obd scanner besides the ultra gauge. Maybe the ecm coolant sensor is going bad? Like a dead spot. Does your gauge in the cluster move at all (its a different sensor then the ecm)?

The gauge cluster should be pegged at 240*F... I think it starts moving up around 215*F or so? That would be an interesting failure if the temp sensor is going bad in that way.

-Charlie

 

[brillo_76]

I actually do the opposite.. I replace the condensers with Densos and denso compressors. Then vacuum down the system.. let is sit for many hours to verify no leaks. IF leaks, I charge with uv die so i can see what is leaking.. By now over 25 years compressors will most likely be loosing refrigerate as they are over 20 years old almost 25 plus now. Along with the condensers, and pump the drier will need replaced. I would do the evaporators as last resort. Only because of the amount of work it takes to change them. Now if its leaking out of it you don't have a choice.

If removing the ac. I would just leave it all together and pull the fuse on the ac. Manual acs are simpler then the autos to disable. Fuse and done. The autos I am not really sure on as i don't have any with automatic except possibly one rig. So no experience with that side. However, if the compressor cant activate. I don't see how the ac can function..Pulling the AC fuse should just kill that system but other with the autos would have more details

I really enjoy the air conditioning in the humid summer months. So I always patch them up and keep them going. My 1997 limited just lost is compressor the other day. as it was starting to seize. So i just pulled the fuse until I replace it part. Then I will evacuate the system. Replaced the part then have it recharged again.

Supposedly, we can rebuild the ac compressors as well. I just never looked into that side of things or did one yet. :-(

 

[Endlessblockades]

The gauge cluster should be pegged at 240*F... I think it starts moving up around 215*F or so? That would be an interesting failure if the temp sensor is going bad in that way.

-Charlie

Yeah you pointed out a major data failure on my part. I am fixated on the OBDII gauge and did not notice the cluster gauge at all. I'll stress it out at the local OHV park in a week or so. Can't believe I didn't give the cluster a look at peak heat, but I don't believe I've ever seen it react.