AC Delete

[K1ng0011]

Looking to do an AC delete on my 1999 ford explorer sport 4.0 OHV. I have done some research and answered some of my questions but not all of them at this point. I am not really looking for an AC delete pulley. I would rather get a shorter belt and reroute the belt if possible. That does seem to be possible based on the picture below. Just need to get a belt for a 1997 ford ranger 4.0 OHV without AC. Also it looks like 95-97 ford rangers use a similar HVAC control panel to 2nd Gen ford explorers and they might possibly swap but I don't know that for a fact. As far as I am aware there was never a second gen ford explorer that came from the factory with heat only. I know the rangers did but I am not sure what years of ranger if any would swap over to a 2nd gen ford explorer. Anyone have any insight on this?

 

[DR98FL]

Check here on Rock auto,

DAYCO 5060810DR {Click Info Button for Alternate/OEM Part Numbers} Drive Rite Info
Accessory Drive; Serpentine Belt; w/o Air Conditioning

1999 FORD EXPLORER 4.0L V6 OHV Belt | RockAuto

RockAuto ships auto parts and body parts from over 300 manufacturers to customers' doors worldwide, all at warehouse prices. Easy to use parts catalog.

www.rockauto.com

 

[K1ng0011]

It took me quite a while of reading and digging to come up with this information. It appears that there is an AC delete option that does exist for the 2nd gen explorers. There are two AC delete boxes that came on ford rangers. Pre 1995 boxes and 1995-1997 boxes. It seems that all ford explorers and rangers got a significant update to the firewall in 1995 when the 2nd gen ford explorer made its debut. Now the good news is that there is an option for an AC delete box that can be swapped to a ford explorer that will fit like a factory unit. The bad news is that one of main reasons to delete your AC is usually to save space and make things easier to work on. In this case the box is molded for an evaporator but one is not installed and there is no way for hoses to make it into the housing. So your not really saving any space.

AC box removal?

Instead of remolding the AC box on the firewall, what would it take to remove it completely but still have a working heater? Anyone done this?

www.therangerstation.com

Pre 1995

1995-1997

My AC Box

 

[donalds]

I. Made a thread with all the ford manual
If you like I could post some stuff if I could find it in the manual for no / AC

air conditioning compressor

Thought I'd take a few pictures of the AC repair Give your buddy a 12 pack to evacuate your system I'm not a expert by no means Feel free to tell me what I did wrong so I can learn more AC compressor groaning 20+ years old We did replace every o ring with proper ones We replaced the quick...

www.explorerforum.com

 

[K1ng0011]

That thread has a lot of good information. I don't know a lot about how the Ford HVAC system works. I would be interested in the differences of how the two systems work. The difference in the wiring and vacuum lines. So I would know how to properly make everything work when the ac is removed

 

[donalds]

Ill look in the morning

 

[K1ng0011]

I went to the junk yard yesterday and this is what I found. The HVAC control panels between the factory AC and non-factory AC do differ. The blend door on factory AC cars is controlled by an electronic motor. The rangers without AC control the blend door mechanically with a steel cable from the control panel to the blend door itself.


2nd Gen Ford Explorer With AC

95-97 Ford Ranger Without AC

 

[K1ng0011]

So it seems like over the years the positions of the pulleys may have moved, swapped, or altered. Or possibly the belt routing a has been altered such as routing the belt on the inside of a pulley vs the outside. You go to various websites and will find that they suggest an explorer needs about an 81 inch long belt without AC. That belt is too short for my 1999 4.0 OHV. Most likely parts stores took the length from an earlier model year and applied to a later year assuming it would work. A $25 belt is cheaper than a $52 ac bypass pulley. Hope this helps someone in the future.


Stock Belt w/AC
Belt Width - 20mm or 13/16in
Ribs - 6
Belt Length - 88-3/8in
Masterpro Part #: K060878

Belt Without AC
Belt Width - 20mm or 13/16in
Ribs - 6
Belt Length - 81-1/8in
Masterpro Part #: K060806

1999 Ford 4.0OHV AC Bypass Correct Size
Belt Width - 20mm or 13/16in
Ribs - 6
Belt Length - 82-1/8in
Masterpro Part #: K060815


Masterpro (K060806) 81-1/8 inch belt. Not enough slack.

Masterpro (K060815) 82-1/8in belt fully installed with tension on belt.

My belt routing follows this diagram

 

[K1ng0011]

I am back again and I have finished this project. The AC control panel blend door is controlled electronically and the heater only is mechanically controlled. Changing the whole HVAC case under the dash seems like a lot of work to go from an electronically controlled blend door to a mechanical one. So I got to thinking could I swap the blend door control knob on the HVAC control panel itself? They are not 100% the same but they are very similar. With some simple modifications I was able to make this happen. You need an AC panel and heat only panel and take them both apart to make this happen. Now I have a heat only control panel with a electronically controlled blend door. Also you do not need the whole EVAP case from under the hood just half of the case seen below all of the bolt holes are the same.

AC Evap Case vs Heat Only

Heat Only Controls vs AC Controls

Modifications

top panel AC bottom heat only

Finished Product

 

[WormsExplorer]

Very nice. I am really thinking about doing this with my 97.

 

[97Sandbox]

Great work! It's always satisfying to find the "right" ways to mix/match/mod factory parts.

I'll definitely be keeping this in mind while planning for my eventual engine swap. I'd better snag one of the non-ac Ranger controls next time I see one in the salvage yard!