Temporary Removal of A/C Compressor

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zmarty27

zmarty27

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Good afternoon, gang.

I am unable to post pictures now, but I certainly can tomorrow if not this evening. In the mean time, I'll present the question(s) just to introduce the thread.

First, the car in question is a 1974 Plymouth Duster with the 3.7L 225, automatic. I am doing some deep cleaning in the engine bay and my a/c compressor is nearly good for nothing (very old, no Freon, bad clutch, etc). I plan on removing it temporarily (brackets and all) with hopes of replacing the whole set-up at a later date. My belt configuration is good to go without the compressor present. It has been running fine without the compressor functioning. In the process of removing the lines leading to the compressor, I noticed a line running towards a cannister connected to the transmission oil cooler (or based on my research in the '73 and '74 manuals, that's what it is indicating). I can't find the intention of this line, and I am afraid to remove it in case there is a function that would either: A. harm the function of the engine while running, or B. harm me in the process (I doubt there is anything of extreme harm in there, but in the off chance there is something under pressure, I don't want to risk it). What is the purpose of this line? *pictures to come later*

Second, once I get all of the lines removed, would I simply plug the hole on the firewall and on the cannister? What would you recommend? My first thought is to get a threaded cap nut (or something in that family) to seal it for later.

Thanks for all the help. I'm really learning a lot from you guys.
Zach
 
I think what you are seeing is the condenser coil in front of the radiator.
It's about the same size as the rad.
Screenshot_20230417-150554.png

  1. There is a coil ( looks like an oil cooler) in front of the radiator
  2. There are lines running from it to the compressor and to the firewall and I to the car
  3. Inside the heater box in the car is another coil like the other but smaller (not to be confused with the heater core)
  4. There may be other gizmos along the way.
  5. Finally there is another hose that runs from the firewall back to the compressor.
Its a closed loop

Gasses in the system move from inside car coil through the compressor to the coil Infront of the radiator through the gizmos, then back to the coil in the car.


As for disconnecting it

Should be no big issue, but you need to protect the insides. Cap with a real plug all openings to hoses, ports etc to reduce the moisture that will enter the system.

There might be a gizmo called the receiver/dryer IIRC it contains a desiccant to hold any moisture that enters the system. If it is exposed to the atmosphere for very long it might become trash.

I'm sure an AC company can advise better on how to remove the components.


Side note:

If a hose has been disconnected for some time the damage has already been done, you got basically nothing to loose to just pull and store.
 
Last edited:
Dana67Dart said:
I think what you are seeing is the condenser coil in front of the radiator.
It's about the same size as the rad.
View attachment 1716079123
  1. There is a coil ( looks like an oil cooler) in front of the radiator
  2. There are lines running from it to the compressor and to the firewall and I to the car
  3. Inside the heater box in the car is another coil like the other but smaller (not to be confused with the heater core)
  4. There may be other gizmos along the way.
  5. Finally there is another hose that runs from the firewall back to the compressor.
Its a closed loop

Gasses in the system move from inside car coil through the compressor to the coil Infront of the radiator through the gizmos, then back to the coil in the car.


As for disconnecting it

Should be no big issue, but you need to protect the insides. Cap with a real plug all openings to hoses, ports etc to reduce the moisture that will enter the system.

There might be a gizmo called the receiver/dryer IIRC it contains a desiccant to hold any moisture that enters the system. If it is exposed to the atmosphere for very long it might become trash.

I'm sure an AC company can advise better on how to remove the components.


Side note:

If a hose has been disconnected for some time the damage has already been done, you got basically nothing to loose to just pull and store.
Click to expand...
Yep, that looks like the one! Sorry for my confusion. Heater core has been out of commission for nearly ten years. We have since directed the hose from the water pump with a smaller j-shaped hose. As for the a/c, I think you answered my question about mystery canister A. After googling an image, that looks exactly like what the a/c is connected to. (I’ve since found it in a separate section in the ‘74 manual [go figure]) The receiver drier is probably just as toast as the compressor. Thank you for the help!
 
Just double bag and tape up the connections as best you can. Toughest part is capping the evap at the firewall because they may be proprietary connectors. The TXV may be flare, and you can get caps for those.

If you have a decent tractor/ hydraulic outfit in your area, go see if they have some plastic caps off other fittings whcih can be used to plug the evap ports
 
I used some rubber caps and hose clamps. Everything comes out real easy, but keep it all organized together in case you want it later. When it all comes out, you will have saved a lot of weight!
 
The only "canister" I can think of would be the drier.
 
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