removing AC?
 

has anbody done this? how much weight does it save and all that other stuff? do you guys regret doing it? im thinking of doing it to help reduce weight... i myself dont use it, i just open the windows.... so i thought this might be a good place to start weight loss

nobody has done this have they?

well my ac doesn't work right now and i'm debating on whether to get it fixed or just take it all out, i'd like to know the weight too if anyone has done it. i just installed a kjr crank pulley and i'm not running the belt for the ac...so i'm already getting close to ripping it all out

edit: i just emailed sport compact magazine because they stripped like 600 lbs off a 350z and since they weighed everything maybe they could tell us, i doubt i'll get a response though

I dont use mine either and when i do it makes a wierd noise so i too just open the windows...saves gas to.

FYI , it's been shown on most all late model autos that you can get better Highway MPG the windows up and A/C on. The drag with windows down is significant.

Doesn't sound like a good idea although im in Texas where it just about hits 100 every day :)

it will save you a couple hundred pounds...

if you dont want to do a perminant removal... just cut the AC belt and you will have a faster revving motor too...

anybody have some info on how to remove it comepletely?

Yeah, I cut the A/C belt of my KA 240SX (a test) and revved it, and it sure revved quicker.

is it seriously 200 lbs?

I thought it was just 20 lbs or so?

is there some sort of aftermarket lighter weight AC we can install?

1) no way, I pulled the AC off my 300 and it was like 60 lb total, with removing the condensor

2) see 1

3) nope, the only stuff they have is like JC Whitney stuff for trailers and old trucks, it would be both heavier and not work as well

4) I really see the removal of AC as one of the steps that finally makes a car from a street car into a track car- as much fun as it sounds, you will be far better off removing the seat for competition or defueling. I also live in Texas just about 5 miles from the border, and the air inside my truck is usually ~130-140 degrees when I get into it. AC is essential. I've lightened my car more than most and I will even replace the hood, fenders and hatch with painted CF and lexan and get some ridiculously overpriced seats before I would pull the AC

I have a strange urge to go cut my AC belt now :p Do'h cut the wrong one haha

I pulled my belt off and love it. No complaints.

The weight of the A/C is aprox 60lbs. Most of the weight being concentrated in the nose of the car (Condensor and Compressor) where you dont want it. The with the Condensor removed the Radiator gets far better airflow into it. One drawback, the inside of the Z is a very hot car, even on a 60 deg day, it gets rather toasty inside the Z, also with the windows down, the airflow into the car is almost non-existant. Nissan really did a good job on the aerodynamics of the car, because you can be at freeway speed and hardly get any excess airflow into the car with the windows down.

If my car was a street car I would leave the A/C in and find other ways to shave weight (ie: lightweight seats, carbonfiber hood etc...)

Has anyone here removed the condenser? I just bought a salvage Z and need to replace the condenser, among many other things. According to the service manual the A/C piping can be disconnected from the condener using a tool called a "disconnector". First of all, do I need that or can I just do it with basic tools? If I do have to use the "disconnector", where can I buy one?

what u gonna do if its too hot?

the 60lbs estimate is probably much closer than 200lbs. i pulled the ac from my miata and sold it on ebay, shipping it was ~50lbs (if i remember correctly), almost all of it in the compressor. the condensor was surprisingly heavy (more dense than a radiator, although it included a fan), but still fairly light.

i'd echo other folks thoughts - if this is a street car, i'd be looking at other things first to lose weight. over in the autox/road race forum we had a discussion abou the CF hatch - weight loss, approximately 70lbs if you use the lexan instead of glass. with glass, probably a 40lb reduction (its a *BIG* piece of glass). that weight is all up high as well - a good thing to lose.

is this a road course car, drag car, street only? unsprung weight has a big effect on performance - get some lightweight 17" wheels, and accel/braking/cornering all improve.

anyone have any links to a reputable vendor for the CF hatch / body panels?

ahm

i removed mine in order to run the header there for my turbo. about 40lbs maybe. As for the difference in power, I cant say because I put a turbo on so of course my car got faster.

Quamen, how'd you remove the A/C piping from the condenser? Manual says you need a disconnector but I'm wondering if there's another way. Thx.

This is the ACTUAL weight.

Compressor 17 lbs
Condensor 7 lbs
Evaporator 7 lbs
Total 31 lbs

I also did my rear window, glass weighed only 15 lbs and the Lexan was 7 lbs. Its harder to lose weight than most people think.