Air Conditioning

[mustanggt3685]

Hey guys,

doin an install of some underdrive pulleys, good ol' march performance. I was contemplating buying a shorter belt and not routing it around the air conditioning pulley while I am down there. Would i see any power gains from this? It seems logical to believe so because the engine had one less accesory to power. Probably not good for the AC, but I do not use it to be honest, even in the summer. Windows down is how I roll

 

[nyuk98gt]

mustanggt3685:

Yes, you can eliminate A/C. I have read about A/C delete kits but I don't remember who makes them. A/C delete means the whole system is removed to save weight and, as you mentioned, parasitic losses.

Personally, if you intend on selling your car sometime, most people like A/C. If the car is going to be a track only car, then go ahead and remove the A/C. Parasitic losses amount to 3-4 hp only but the weight savings are considerable.

I think there are other options (exhaust, cams, p&p heads, modest weight reduction effort) to consider that would net you better gains before gutting the A/C.

HTH with your decision.

Chris

 

[Chopper1]

Yes unless the car is going to the track for the rest of it's life then I wouldn't recommend cutting off the A/C.After the A/C sits idle for awhile the freon will leak out and contaminants will get in.The system will have to be cleaned and charged and possibly a new compressor will need to be installed to get it to work again.At resale time you will regret this decision.I wouldn't buy a non-A/C car at any price.When the A/C isn't pumping freon the parasitic loss would be very small.

 

[sgarlic]

Hey guys,

doin an install of some underdrive pulleys, good ol' march performance. I was contemplating buying a shorter belt and not routing it around the air conditioning pulley while I am down there. Would i see any power gains from this? It seems logical to believe so because the engine had one less accesory to power. Probably not good for the AC, but I do not use it to be honest, even in the summer. Windows down is how I roll

Unless you drive with the a/c on all the time you won't notice a difference simply taking the a/c out of the belt routing. The pulley just free-spins unless the a/c clutch is engaged.

I eliminated mine completely (compressor, condensor, drier, evaporator core, lines, brackets, etc) from my foxbody, and I've regretted it every Arizona day since. There's no power difference, about the only thing it did was lightened up the front end (means nothing to me,) and cleaned up the engine bay.

 

[DogVomit]

3 - 4 Horsepower isn't worth the value loss, to me.
If you ever take a lady out, you may just want that AC running.

Besides, ever try to defog your windows without it?

If you're gutting the car, for the track... that's fine. There's a whole lot of other items to remove before you bypass (and you didn't say de-install the entire system) AC.

What are you really trying to obtain from that stang? Think before you regret!

 

[DerekStangGT]

After the A/C sits idle for awhile the freon will leak out and contaminants will get in.The system will have to be cleaned and charged and possibly a new compressor will need to be installed to get it to work again

hm, ive never heard of that. as long as the system doesnt originally have any leaks, its hard for new ones to develop (unless an outside force tampers with it), and very rarely is the refrigerent contaminated from a leak. the system is under pressure, and things tend to go from high to low pressure, meaning the freon will escape as a gas, while the system doesnt really take on any debris. usually just a recharge is in order. the compressor only needs to be replaced if it locks up or wears out (both can be caused by over usage or just regular wear and tear) or if you develop black death, caused by moisture in the system.......thats bad stuff.

 

[mustanggt3685]

Yeah, I talked to some ford guys around here and they said the same thing, so I'll keep the belt around it. I do not plan to make it a full time track car, need something to drive! I was just curious about the potential power gains, but that does not seem worth it to me.