Air Con Removal from Donor

[Motorhole]

Done a search but can't find much on this.

Obviously will be removing aircon pump and all associated plumbing from the donor M52. But can this be done without having to degas the system, i.e. keeping all the plumbing intact? If not, what's the best way (safe & legal) to degas the system prior to removal? I should add the car is immobile and SORN so I can't take it anywhere to be done.

[Topblag]

Just did it at the weekend on an E30 cabby. If it doesn't already work, the gases will mostly be gone. However, we found the nuts connecting the sections very difficult to remove and when we did, we got some seriously nasty gas escaping. I'd remove the gases outside, but that's not very environmentally responsible......

There was a valve in the pipework which when unscrewed, let some gas out. Assume the E36 system will have the same.

[Motorhole]

There are two silver pipes on the driver's side of the engine bay and these each appear to have a valve in them. I assumed this was part of the aircon circuit. You can see them on this picture, just to the right of the brake servo:



Ideally, I don't really want to go releasing the gas and all I need from the car is the engine. If it's possible to unbolt and remove the compressor from the engine without breaking the coolant circuit, that would be ideal...otherwise, well I'm not really sure!

[Brianmoooore]

Compressor can be unbolted and left in the shell, still full of refrigerant. Has its own belt, separate from the main serpentine.

[Motorhole]

Superb, thanks Brian. Means I can proceed and still do my bit for the environment

[TimJ]

Hi all I've been using this site for a while now to get information for my upcoming m52 conversion, haven't need to post until now.

I'm a qualified refrigeration and auto A/C tech in Australia and you can not remove a A/C compressor without releasing or removing the refrigerant (gas). As soon as you remove any of the fittings to the compressor (or any other part of the A/C piping) all the gas will be released unless it has already been removed.

I don't know the laws for removal of refrigerant in the UK but it would be illegal to simply release the refrigerant into the atmosphere in Australia. You would need a set of automotive A/C guages, a refrigerant recovery machine and a refrigerant cylinder. It's expensive equipment and not something you're likely to have lying around.

First thing you should do is verify that there is currently gas in the A/C system. If the donor car is still running and the A/C works, then there is gas. If not you should try and very carefully open one of the two service ports on the system (they are essentially giant tyre valves with a pin in the middle, they should be covered with plastic caps). DON'T JUST USE YOUR FINGER BECAUSE THE REFRIGERANT WILL BE VERY COLD AND CAN CAUSE BURNS. Use a piece of rag to insulate you from the gas as it escapes. If nothing comes out when you open the valve, then the gas has already been removed or leaked out and you can pull apart the system.

If gas does come out you have a couple of options. You can realease it into the atmosphere (may be illegal there) since such a small amount of a relatively harmless gas (R134a in this case) is pretty insignificant. Or you will need to find someone who is prepared to come and recover the gas for you. Perhaps a mobile A/C business in the area or someone that you know who works in a workshop.

Kind of long but I hope that it helps.

[TimJ]

Welcome to the E30Zone Tim

As Brian says, the compressor can be unbolted from the motor with the pipes still intact and moved out of the way without releasing the gas, then extract the motor.

But your description is correct, the UK is certainly a signatory to the whole global climate change bit and will be illegal to vent the gas in the UK even if it is R134a, so legally it would need to be recovered.

If he weighs it in still undisturbed, it becomes the scrappie's problem..

Yeah I was assuming he actually wanted the compressor... Probably a bad assumption... It's unthinkable not to have A/C over here not so much in the UK.

If you want to leave the A/C compressor in the vehicle then that should work fine. They are worth quite a bit though, better to remove and sell then just scrap.

[Motorhole]

Yep, correct, have no need for the A/C compressor in the car the motor is going into. I don't want to break any laws and besides, venting refridgerant to atmosphere is not in-keeping with my (mildly) environmentally friendly ethos!

Donor car owes me very little money once I have taken the motor, gearbox, prop and wiring etc. Not too bothered about reclaiming for the a/c compressor, happy to leave the whole system behind.

Cheers guys