Removing Air Conditioner...Need Help
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 924
Likes: 1
From: Houston Texas
Removing Air Conditioner...Need Help
Hi guys,
I'm in the process of removing the air conditioner from my vette. Never use it, and I wanted to remove some weight and clean-up the engine bay. What I'd like to know is if there is a smaller (heater only) replacement blower unit that will bolt to the fire wall in place of the larger air conditioning unit. If not, is there a block-off plate or will I need to fabricate one. I know a lot of you are running without air so what how did you address this. Any pictures you have showing the fire wall area would be great. I'd like to keep the heater functional if at all possible. :cool:
I'm in the process of removing the air conditioner from my vette. Never use it, and I wanted to remove some weight and clean-up the engine bay. What I'd like to know is if there is a smaller (heater only) replacement blower unit that will bolt to the fire wall in place of the larger air conditioning unit. If not, is there a block-off plate or will I need to fabricate one. I know a lot of you are running without air so what how did you address this. Any pictures you have showing the fire wall area would be great. I'd like to keep the heater functional if at all possible. :cool:
Racer
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 287
Likes: 0
From: Wildwood IL
Re: Removing Air Conditioner...Need Help (81vette)
I removed my entire a/c but left the stock evaporator case and blower. I also investigated swapping it with a "heater only" setup but you would need both the inside and outside units, AND the hole in the firewall is larger on an a/c car. So I just pulled the whole unit off, removed the evaporator and capped the holes with some styrene (thick model making plastic). I then painted it semi-flat black and re-attached it to the firewall using new 3m sealer strips.
I also replaced the a/c wiring harness with a "heater only" harness. I had to buy a new "resistor" for the fan (controls fan speed) and had to mount it in the inside air distribution box, because thats where the electrical connection for it was. On a/c cars the resistor for the heater is in the evaporator case (thats the four prong connection on top of the evaporator case).
Bottom line, I don't recommend trying to replace the a/c boxes with a heater only setup. Sorry, no pics right now. :( But I'll see what I can do. If you email me, I can probably send you a couple.
:cheers:
I also replaced the a/c wiring harness with a "heater only" harness. I had to buy a new "resistor" for the fan (controls fan speed) and had to mount it in the inside air distribution box, because thats where the electrical connection for it was. On a/c cars the resistor for the heater is in the evaporator case (thats the four prong connection on top of the evaporator case).
Bottom line, I don't recommend trying to replace the a/c boxes with a heater only setup. Sorry, no pics right now. :( But I'll see what I can do. If you email me, I can probably send you a couple.
:cheers:
Racer
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 304
Likes: 0
From: honolulu HI
Re: Removing Air Conditioner...Need Help (81vette)
aloha.im trying to replace my a/c unit..the previous owner removed it for the extra horsepower..but living in hawaii and its to hot without one..let me know if ur getting rid of the removed parts..thanx
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 10,046
Likes: 675
From: FL
Re: Removing Air Conditioner...Need Help (1980 razz)
Last year that AC was optional was 1979. My suggestion is get a 1979 assembly manual and compare the non-AC to AC setups. Then armed with parts info, head to (or call) some of the Corvette specific junkyards for parts.
Try Contemporary Corvette in PA or Pacific Corvette in WA. http://www.contemporarycorvette.com http://www.pacvette.com
Try Contemporary Corvette in PA or Pacific Corvette in WA. http://www.contemporarycorvette.com http://www.pacvette.com
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 924
Likes: 1
From: Houston Texas
Re: Removing Air Conditioner...Need Help (SteveG75)
Thanks for the help guys. Anyone with a non-AC vette have a picture of the firewall where the heater blower attaches. I'd like to see what it looks like. I'd like to keep the heater, but don't want the big AC sized box on the firewall. I may follow the suggestion above and plug the holes, or fabricate a panel to cover the large opening then attach the smaller heater only blower. BTW, about half of the box was full of leaves...no wonder it didn't cool very well. I think the door was also stuck so that the cool air was going through the heater.
1980, my plans are to keep everything so that I can put it back to stock in another 20 years. :)
[Modified by 81vette, 7:13 PM 11/5/2001]
1980, my plans are to keep everything so that I can put it back to stock in another 20 years. :)
[Modified by 81vette, 7:13 PM 11/5/2001]
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 924
Likes: 1
From: Houston Texas
Re: Removing Air Conditioner...Need Help (1980 razz)
Hey 1980,
What I'd really like to see are pics of the firewall opening blocked off with some cool aluminum panel, or a pic of the heater only option. As a side note, I was going through my most recent Mid America catalog last night and noticed that they carry a lot of AC parts for your year car. You might check with them. It didn't look all that expensive, but maybe one of the other companies has the parts for less. Check it out. :)
What I'd really like to see are pics of the firewall opening blocked off with some cool aluminum panel, or a pic of the heater only option. As a side note, I was going through my most recent Mid America catalog last night and noticed that they carry a lot of AC parts for your year car. You might check with them. It didn't look all that expensive, but maybe one of the other companies has the parts for less. Check it out. :)
