I'm gonna be taking out my air conditioning this coming week (everything--lines, pump, condensor, evaporator, wiring, reciver/dryer). I'll weigh all the parts when I pull them out so we can have a difinitive "how much does a/c weigh" answer.

In the meantime, I don't want to take my car to the shop. Is there any way to get rid of the refrigerant without the recovery machine? Can I just bleed the valves till its all gone? I heard that the R-134a refrigerant isn't environmentally hazardous, but i can't confirm that. :dunno:

Also, am I gonna need to get some a/c bracket bolts from a non-a/c civic? I think my bolts will be way too long without the pump.

THanks.

 

You need the recovery machine because the refrigerant is R12 and is dangerous to you and the environment. I think in 00 they switched to something else thats safe like R34. About the bracket I'm not sure but I run no AC on my C1 with the stock bracket.

 

my car has R-314a.

 

yeah, I just realized that the bolts that hold the compressor to the bracket are different from the ones that hold the bracket to the motor.

Thanks for the reply

 

hhhmm I think thats safe but :dunno: just undo a line and watch your face till it all leaks out :rick:

 

You probaly won't catch hell like you would R12, but the nice thing to do is to have it evacuated.

I just dump it.

 

yeah, i really don't want to pay someone to do it. Besides, I vowed never to let anyone else work on my car anymore h:

 

The low pressure side of the system has a normal pressure valve like your tires. You can just press a small screw driver with some gloves on and evacuate the system. R-134a is more enviromently friendlier than R-12, but it's not the best stuff to release into the world.

 

after going through hours and hours of class on refrigeration, R134A is fine to purge into the atmosphere... just do it slowly with proper ventilation... (if in the garage, hood facing out of the garage and fans blowing out)

remember refrigerant is heavier than air, and likes to collect in enclosed spaces...

 

just unbolt the top of the ac radiator where the lines goes into it....hold a big rag over it while you losen it with a wrench...you will hear a bang and a hiss and then all your coolant pressure will be gone and you can start ripping your ac out till your lil hearts content....at least that is how I did it