The Lowdown: My AC kind of works, kind of doesn't, and I don't really want to use it anyway so I want to get rid of it. I find it's an unhealthy dirty waste of space. As winter approaches, I need my defrost to work until the car goes into storage. I've done some searching online only to come up with conflicting information.

Questions: Will a complete AC delete mess around with defrost capabilities?
Is an AC delete something a driveway mechanic can accomplish safely and properly?
Considering my distaste for it and that it doesn't work, is there any downside to removing the AC system that I've failed to notice?

 

#1: Depending on your summer temps in your Canadian town, it wouldn't be too bad (unbearable) w/o a/c.

#2: I don't know the Canada enviro laws, but in the US it's illegal to discharge R12 Freon into the atmosphere, so you are supposed to have it evacuated by an a/c shop.

#3: IMO (I actually removed my a/c and regret it), it's a waste of time unless you are shaving weight for a track car. I removed mine thinking the weight savings would "outweigh" the need for a/c, but since I only drive my 280zxt in the summer, I end up filling my shirt and pants w/ sweat, even w/ the t-tops off, and the wifey will not ride w/ me.

#4: If you are dead set on removing it, I suggest you look at the a/c system in the FSM to locate all items you need to remove / keep.

#5: Or you could just add a can of R12 (I hear it's easy to find in Canada) and have the system re-charged.

 

The summers can get pretty sticky in Montreal but nothing some good old rolled-down windows can't cure. Though deleting it will shave off a little weight, I mostly want to remove it because at the moment it seems like a waste of space and it looks pretty ratty to me, like I should be wearing a hazmat suit every time I pop the hood. I'll be looking into the AC shop thing for sure, thanks for the reply!

By the way, anyone have anything to say about AC deletion mucking up the defrost capabilities?

 

Unless you plan to remove every single item in the engine bay, clean it, detail / paint it, and re-install, then trailer the car to shows, why waste your time??? The 280zx a/c system doesn't look any different than any other car, unless you are talking about the faded / dirty copper tubing (which can easily be cleaned / painted).

As for the defrost, I'm pretty sure the manual climate control doesn't kick on the a/c for defrost, not sure about the ACC... but again, you could easily find out for yourself by opening up the FSM. www.xenons130.com/reference

 

Alright thanks again! This is the Z32 section though isn't it? I didn't find the right manual in the link you posted but it's ok I know where to find one already.

http://300zx-twinturbo.com/cgi-bin/manual.cgi

And you're right about how it just looks like any AC, but I'm not really worried about the looks of it so much as the shape it appears to be in. Maybe I'm just being chemiphobic.

 

Ah yes... I have "280zx" on the mind. All the same for the Z32 though. www.xenonz32.com/reference

But I'm not familiar w/ Canada laws on Freon... I believe Nissan converted to R134a in 1994 for US models.

 

Me neither luckily I've got all winter to search around now

 

R12 can be fatal if you get a good whiff in your face. My AC didn't work for the longest, and it was miserable. In the end, I redid my AC when I did my TT swap and it cost me about 500 bucks total to get a new compressor, O rings, dryer, etc etc and some R134, and have it put on a vacuum at a local AC shop to make sure there were no leaks (that was 90 bucks for an hour). One thing I learned, it's pretty cheap (around here) to get it charged with 134. If i ever have to do it again I will just pay the 40 bucks to have it charged, the 30 bucks to buy the 134 and charge it my self wasn't worth the 10 bucks in time i spent charging it.....

For the most part they say R12 isn't compatible with R134, but i've seen some at local auto parts store that says compatible with R12 (it's the oils in the two different freons that aren't compatible)... When I did my truck, I just unhooked it from the AC compressor, stood back a ways while it vented, then tightened it up and put 134 in. Didn't worry about the oils and it worked great (and for some reason was easier to charge than the Z)

Another note, your Z might already be set up for R134. What year is it? I think they switched it in 94 IIRC. If that's the case, find any leaks you have fix them, and keep your AC.

 

'91 so it's probably not like the '94 and up :P
I think I've got my mind set on removing it now unless it'll be too much of a hassle. I drove all summer without and it was pretty pleasant actually, I prefer open windows over that strange sterile feeling I get from AC. I might keep all the parts that I take out in case I start to go nuts from the heat, then with it all out it'll be easy to see what's wrong with it or whatever. Thanks for your input though!

 

To truly remove it, you'll have to remove the front fascia.

 

You do mean temporarily remove it right? That'd be pretty stupid if the AC was holding the front fascia to the rest of the car
Luckily I've already managed to remove it for what turned out to be no reason at all, so it wouldn't be too much of an issue!