Air Conditioner System on 1993 Ford Explorer, Push rod, 4WD

[mange1234]

Hello all,

I read that one of our members disconnected the air conditioner system in his 1993 Explorer by putting in a shorter belt around the AC compressor.

My questiion is:

1. Are there any benefits in this.

2. What is the down side of eleminating the AC Compressor.

3. I believe the refrigerant is F-11. Is there a anternate refrigerant which can be used.

4. All recommendations and advise is greatly appreciated.

Mike in Virginia Beach

 

[arco777]

Explorers were available with or without AC. The non-AC belt can be used.

1. Benefits? None from just changing the belt. The AC compressor does not drag at all when the electric pulley clutch is disengaged. There is no horsepower loss unless the air conditioning is switched on and the AC clutch is engaged.

However, removing the AC compressor will remove a large chunk of weight and some of the hoses can be removed as well, while still keeping the heater functional. This also reduces underhood clutter. You can remove the AC condenser from in front of the radiator to improve air flow.

2. Down side? No air.

3. 93 is the changeover year, from stock it may be R-134 or if it was retrofitted it would be. Otherwise it is R-12. You can usually tell by the fittings and labels. Often the compressor will be labeled with the type of refrigerant it is made for. The factory sticker on the heater box will also say what it had when stock.

4. Why are you removing the AC? Does it not work? If it is set up for R-134a refrigerant the repairs are rarely too expensive. If it is R-12, they can get pretty expensive to refit the system for the newer R-134 refrigerant compatibility. R-12 is not supposed to be sold anymore.

 

[Anime]

Going to the shorter belt does reduce friction a bit, and does save a lot of weight if you lose the compressor/hoses/evaporator/condenser, but you lose half of the climate control ability. Not a big deal in cooler climates, but if you travel around the country, sweltering temps can be very uncomfortable and even unhealthy for long periods.

1994's were the only first gens with R134a, so a '93 will still be R-12.

Usually the only thing wrong with a lot of systems is old, leaky o-rings. If you disconnect the fittings, replace the o-rings (replacing the accumulator and orifice tube too), and then recharge with R-12 (It's still sold but is $40-80/lb, yikes) usually the system works perfect again.

Otherwise it can be worth it to switch to R134a, but to do so properly, you need to buy new hoses, use the correct o-rings, and might even need to buy a new compressor. Lots of the first gens used the smaller FX-15 compressor, which isn't so great with the higher pressure of R134a. An FS10 compressor is much better. Some first gens had them, otherwise you can buy them new for $100-300. Flush the evaporator and condenser, assemble the system, and have it charged.

If you feel you don't need A/C, removing the components and selling them off can save you some weight and make you some money. On a trail rig this makes sense, but for a daily driver, the ability to cool the passenger compartment makes a lot of sense, and it's a shame to remove that ability that was designed in.

 

[Maniak]

If this is a wheeling rig and you don't need/want ac you can always put in a piston style ac compressor and make it an air compressor.

That way you will get a high volume air compressor out of it.

If its not a wheeling rig, the only benefit I really see is opening up the front left side of the engine to make things easier to work on.. otherwise, no real benefit other than shaving a few pounds.

Oh yea, you could also remove your ac style heater box and put in a heater only one from a ranger. That will free up room around right rear side of the motor..

~Mark

 

[mange1234]

Explorers were available with or without AC. The non-AC belt can be used.

1. Benefits? None from just changing the belt. The AC compressor does not drag at all when the electric pulley clutch is disengaged. There is no horsepower loss unless the air conditioning is switched on and the AC clutch is engaged.

However, removing the AC compressor will remove a large chunk of weight and some of the hoses can be removed as well, while still keeping the heater functional. This also reduces underhood clutter. You can remove the AC condenser from in front of the radiator to improve air flow.

2. Down side? No air.

3. 93 is the changeover year, from stock it may be R-134 or if it was retrofitted it would be. Otherwise it is R-12. You can usually tell by the fittings and labels. Often the compressor will be labeled with the type of refrigerant it is made for. The factory sticker on the heater box will also say what it had when stock.

4. Why are you removing the AC? Does it not work? If it is set up for R-134a refrigerant the repairs are rarely too expensive. If it is R-12, they can get pretty expensive to refit the system for the newer R-134 refrigerant compatibility. R-12 is not supposed to be sold anymore.

Thanks for the info. I am of the conclusion that there is no benefits for removing the ac.

Oh! By the way, the heater works. I tried it out today since the temp got down to 55 degrees here in Virginia Beach.

Thanks to all for the information. I appreciate all of you taking your time to help me with my mechanical problems. I love this truck, since my Son In Law bought it for me.

Mike in Virginia Beach

 

[huntman58]

I have a 93 also and I know most will not agree with what I am going to say but this is what I did when I changed from R12 to R134 I used a cheap kit and put the R134 fittings on the r 12 ones it came with. I also changed out all the O rings for the green R 134 ones and the orifice tube. That’s it. I then recharged it with R 134 and this was about 8 years ago. I have never had to fool with it again tell I sprung a leak in the evaporator and had to change it and charge the system once more that was about 3 years ago now and it holds and works okay not as well as R 12 mind you but just about as well . I get temps of about 48 degs on a 90 deg or hotter day here with low humidity. I am also running about the same pressures as R 12 both high side and low but only about 85% of the amount of R134 as I would R12. I also changed the accumulator and the oil in the system also so I could run R 134 as the oils do not mix well and will give you trouble so best to use a pag oil as it will work with both and if some R 12 oil is left it will not gum up your system.

I did a bunch of reading not to long ago and they have come to a point now that the need to change hoses and even compressors is not really needed as was first thought. With the hoses they have now found that they tend to seal with the R134 and form a film that stops the leak threw in the molecule level as they thought would and was happening before. This is because the 134 molecule is smaller then the R12 one. with the compressors they found that a R12 one that had run R12 formed a film that liberated and sealed them to were its okay to run R134 in them but if you use a new compressor that had not been run with R12 then you have to run a compressor for R134 of have a R12 one run with R 12 first to build that film up. At the cost of R 12 I just simply will change my compressor if it ever go's south to an R 134 compressor.
any way that is what I did and found it works for me great what you do is up to you but mine was after some research after the fact and when I had some money and was going to redo things as I had believed they should be done but I found out what I have now and had done was okay also.

 

[lil red wagon]

Bringing it back!!

Ok I've come to a time to do the spark plugs. Currently the ac isn't working... The clutch won't/ hasn't engaged. Checked fuses in both panels. Will check relay later. Question is anywhere else that has been common places for a simple fix to get her going.. In its not a quick fix I'll be pulling it out to make plug changes easier... Any advise

 

[lil red wagon]

It's a 93 4x4 5speed 4door!

 

[lil red wagon]

Non California

 

[Anime]

The A/C clutch won't engage if it's low on refrigerant.

Simple fix is have the system evacuated (or check if it has any charge at all), remove the hoses and replace the o-rings, orifice tube, receiver-drier/accumulator, and then re-assemble the system, using the correct refrigerant.


A super cheap way is to just use a cheap "quick charge" kit, but those are all R-134a these days, and if you use them in an R-12 system, you run the risk of destroying the compressor and the entire system when it mixes with whatever else is already in there.

 

[lil red wagon]

Ok so if that's the case I'll be checking fuses agian and the one relay. If she don't blow cold it's all coming out..... Comments?!! I haven't really checked yet but r the back 2 plugs hard to change with the ac box in?

 

[Anime]

If you decide to pull it out, don't just start taking it apart, if there is refrigerant still in the system, it can come out under extreme pressure and do a lot of physical damage to a human body.

At the very least, take a screwdriver to the schrader valve on the passenger side A/C fitting and just depress it for a fraction of a second and see if anything comes out. If not, try it again and depress it longer. Keep doing it longer and longer until you're holding it down with nothing coming out. If that's the case then all of the refrigerant has already leaked out of the system and you should be able to start taking it apart, but still, be careful of refrigerant residue and oil that will be in the hoses and components of the system.

Be sure to buy the shorter belt to use with the compressor out.

 

[lil red wagon]

Yes I would purge it for sure thank u for reminding me tho. what psi is normal opp. Pressure for it? Any advice on the removal/ breakdown of the big box on the pass side

 

[lil red wagon]

Is there any way to bypass the low oil shutoff just for test pourpuse only?