Removing AC S2 ABY Coupe

[hashluck]

Repairing the AC on one of my S2 ABY Coupes is proving too costly for now. I need a new pump and condenser which is OK but also told that most of the pipes have had it (the system has been empty of refrigerant for probably 15 years) and some of them require major strip down in order to replace.

For now I am thinking to just remove the noisy pump as it is pointless that still being there even in bypass mode and the bearing/pulley is noisy so I want it gone. I assume I can just emulate the belt and pulley arrangement of a non-AC car? I will also look to remove the switches in the centre console so I am not reminded that I have a non-working feature. But I would like to be able to put AC back on the car later if the mood takes me so will leave in what I can and not completely strip it out.

Has anyone done this before? I am worried I am missing something and do need the AC Pump still for reasons unknown (mainly that it is not that easy to just take it off a car originally specified with AC).

Guidance gratefully received.


If it is easier to keep the pump does anyone know a cost effective source. It will never pump gas, just sit in bypass hopefully quietly

[Tractor Dave]

Just remove the compressor and belt. No need to do anything else. Leave the ac button in the car. Its handy if you are sitting in heavy traffic on a hot day as it switches the fan onto slow speed when activated. If you are doing anything to the radiator in the future you can remove the ac radiator which will aid cooling and save weight.

[hashluck]

Thanks Dave for that advice and the fact the switch is still useful (and I have tested it does turn on the fan). Do I just the AC pipes dangling or attempt to close the loop so to speak to stop crap getting in there?

[Tractor Dave]

Remove what you can. From memory most of it is well bolted down.

[K Simmonds]

I completely removed the air-con system from my 3B to save weight, it was also beyond economical repair, just about every pipe was very rotten and the compressor was seized up solid and had been bypassed for years.

To get rid of it properly you want to get the complete heater box and controls from a non air-con car, blower motor the lot. Then pull the dash out to which isn't hard just a bit fiddly and time consuming, swap the lot over and fit a new heater matrix while you have chance.

It would also be a good time to recover the control flaps as the original material will now be starting to fall apart, there's a couple of thread's on here explaining how to do this and is a cheap and simple fix.

When I got shot of it on my S2 I ripped all the pipework out in bit's as I no intention of ever refitting the system. The pipe's that attach to the pump seize up really badly, they can be pretty much impossible to undo without an induction heater and even then they still might not shift. I've even resorted to cutting the pipes off flush so I can get a six sided impact socket on the fitting and that's resulted in cracking the pump housing. Same apply's to the bolts holding the pump to it's mounting bracket, they corrode into the alloy really are best left alone unless you're actually going to set about repairing the system.

You can simply take the belt off if you just want stop the noise, it doesn't effect anything else.

My RS2's aircon system need's a lot of work to repair it and the belt had already been removed when I got the car. I did put a belt back on as the compressor was turning freely but it made a racket and the clutch wouldn't respond when I pressed the buttons, I decide that's a big job for the future and removed the belt again. I have all the bit's to fix it in my attic but it's not a job I'm in any sort of hurry to do,

If your in a real hurry to stop the noise cut the belt off which take five minutes.

[hashluck]

Thanks Kit, I am not striving to make my car super lightweight in the same way you are and I like to think one day I might take a look at getting it all working.

I am having a 'doh!' moment that it is as simple as removing the belt! But that is good.

[K Simmonds]

No worries, if you want to keep your options open I'd leave the rest of the system alone, as I mention above it's almost certain that fixings will break on the compressor and it's bracket.

Just pop the belt off and avoid all the hassle of trying to get shot of the component's.