What is the wt loss and estimated WHP gains from AC removal?

b1llyw · Post by **b1llyw** » Sun Aug 26, 2007 9:02 am

Curious what folks have found. I'm looking for a car to build for autocross and maybe SCCA down the line. I've found a few SE's that are factory no/AC cars. May as well start there if the gains are worthwhile.

jrumann59 · Post by **jrumann59** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 12:33 am

unless you are running the AC during the events the HP gain would be negligible it just takes away one more pulley in the drive system and some weight reduction.

OB · Post by OB » Tue Aug 28, 2007 1:00 am

Agreed. The weight loss in the front of the car would be great, but only if losing AC is something youre willing to do to make the car more competitive. The rear seats were one thing, but I could never do without the AC here in Sac. Its 100+ for months at a time. IMO, if the car is a daily driver, remove what you can get away with on a daily basis and leave it at that.

yellowpatrol · Post by **yellowpatrol** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 9:41 am

I don't really understand how that works. If the AC is not on, then what is the belt that is going to it doing? Shouldn't removing it free up at least something?

kc2005ptgt · Post by **kc2005ptgt** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 11:16 am

I have talked to several shops about this exact thing and they all say the same thing: HP gains are minimal if at all, mainly because when the AC is off, there is nothing that the AC belt is doing. Most are connected to the power steering as well, so without removing both AC and PS, you wont gain anything except from weight redux.

b1llyw · Post by **b1llyw** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 2:02 pm

So the weight redux is the biggest difference. This would not be a daily driver. SE's without AC seem to be priced $2000 less than a comparable SXT.

yellowpatrol · Post by **yellowpatrol** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 6:06 pm

Avoiding heat stroke is worth it

b1llyw · Post by **b1llyw** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 7:19 pm

I live in New England. It's usually not a problem.

Post by **occasional demons** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 9:39 am

Saving $2000.00 for other mods. - I'm sold on that idea alone. Now if was already on the car, other than a few pounds for the compressor and some lines - not worth the hassle to remove IMHO.
EDIT: now if you were stripping the car for minimum weight then go for it, but just the A/C I can't see it.

OB · Post by OB » Fri Aug 31, 2007 2:17 am

yellowpatrol wrote:I don't really understand how that works. If the AC is not on, then what is the belt that is going to it doing? Shouldn't removing it free up at least something?

When the AC compressor isnt running, the belt is just riding on the AC comp's pulley. It also rides on the PS pump's pulley. Together, the drag from just the pulleys is probably good for less than 1HP/TQ. As long as the bearings in both are good and free of bind, they should freewheel very easily.

Weight savings is key with this, and at 30-40lbs, it would be worth it in a competition car. Especially since it's in the front of the vehicle, AND on the heavier side of the engine bay.

Post by **Diablo0** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 10:46 am

Like Derek has been saying, if you don't have the AC on it won't free up much if anything other than weight savings. The pulley on the AC Compressor when the compressor clutch isn't engauged spins with hardly any resistance. It's when the compressor is turned on it's clutch is activated that it becomes the real power grabber.

yellowpatrol · Post by **yellowpatrol** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:19 am

Gotcha.

kc2005ptgt · Post by **kc2005ptgt** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 1:00 am

OB wrote:Weight savings is key with this, and at 30-40lbs, it would be worth it in a competition car. Especially since it's in the front of the vehicle, AND on the heavier side of the engine bay.

how is that the heavier side? The tranny sits on the other side, and the engine is placed directly in middle, wouldnt that be the lighter side? Also, driver sits on the opposite side

Just curious as to how it would be heavier side

yellowpatrol · Post by **yellowpatrol** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 10:36 am

The engine weighs just a bit more than the tranny- lolz.