Removing AC comp. when doing engine out service...

Well another member did show on a 348 how it was possible to remove the motor with the a/c 'hanging' by the a/c lines because of the location of the compressor (passenger side )and the extra length of the lines themselves.
However when I did my engine out last year.....I did a test run and disconnected the a/c compressor however it did not seem possible (355 a/c is on driver side of car and the lines were shorter) to get the motor out with out disconnecting the a/c lines (which is what I eventually did)......so unless someone else has seen this first hand I would suggest you speak with the shop.
(heck it only cost $125.00 to evacuate and recharge the a/c so I don't think its that big of a deal in any case).

 

I don't know how they did it with out 'twisting/stretching' the heck out of the lines.
Putting stress on the a/c lines may cause them to fail later on (and those lines are attatched to delicate alloy tubes at the firewall )and it would make the engine out more difficult than it needs to be.
I can't see why a 'pro' would go to that effort.
Anyways, speak with the shop.......may be they can shed light on how it was done.

 

I havent seen it done first hand, but I dont think it would be THAT hard to swing it out of the way and tie it up.

There probably IS twisting and stretching of a/c hoses, but they wont tell you that.

 

I have done this method my self, also i have seen others including specialist do it to. There are all kinds of tricks and methods that are used by various specialists.
The problem is that no matter what you do, some one comes along crying into there beer about how the factory say it should be done. An example is the age old ancient argument of engine in engine out.
I doubt you will get anyone volunteer how some things can be done on here, i for one will not. To many arguments and band waggons follow.

 

Just get it sucked out before you start the service, then once your done, get it recharged...quite simple. Why run the risk of damaging an expensive component(s) to save a few bucks? Geez some of you guys are over the top cheap...

 

Well, yes. Probably best that the a/c gets a service anyways.

Although some guys say the a/c is NEVER the same again once the factory system has been "opened up".

My Wife hit a roo in her car last year. Front end banged up, no biggy. Got repaired, radiator and a/c condensor replaced. Condensor wasnt leaking, but had been bent in accident. Insurance said to replace it. It had to come out anyways.

Anywho, a/c was ICE cold before the job and cab used to cool rather quickly. Now, a/c gets cold but it takes AGES for it to cool the cab down. Sometimes, it takes minutes before it starts blowing cold air.

The a/c guys that did the job are the best in town and my friend owns that workshop. I havent bothered to take it back to him check it out. I have put gauges on it myself and the pressures are fine. All I can put it down it is a bit of crap/dirt in the system when they repaired it and its floating around the system and perhaps blocking the tx-valve every so often.

It has NEVER been the same since. And that goes for many many customers that have told me their a/c's arent as good as they used to be after a front end crash in their car.

I re-newed my a/c ticket back in November 2007 through work. I took a friends Mum's 1995 Toyota L/C to the course to use as an example for an a/c service that we had to do. Her L/C had factory Toyota a/c that was really really cold. Never had an a/c issue in it.

I recovered the old gas and old oil. The old oil was very dirty. I fitted a new drier, vacced down and re-gassed with new oil. The original factory 12 yr old a/c was cycling at 3c. After my a/c service it was sitting around 6c.

I put in the exact amount of gas listed on the a/c sticker under the bonnet. Had us all ****ed as to why it wouldnt cycle at 3c again. I tried adding a little more gas, I recovered some gas but I still couldnt get it to cycle at 3c again.

Still gets cold, but not as cold as it once used to. You can actually feel a 3c difference in tempreture in car. I told my mate the story and he said not to worry about it. His Mum cant tell the difference, but the thermometer never lies.

 

When I removed my engine in '08 I resigned myself to removing the compressor, so I had a shop remove the freon, and removed the compressor. Later on, I also read that someone managed to remove the subframe without removing the compressor, so I'll try that next major! But not sure how easy it will be.

 

Thanks for making my point for me.
But this discussion NEVER about that at all.
The OP was just wondering how/why it was done this way, and he asked the simple question out of curiosity.
I doubt very much that the 6 cars he saw in his specialist ferrari shop asked for the compressor to be left on to save a buck.

 

Its not a case of that mate, its the case of the stone throwing that stops people posting up.

 

Just to talk about my experience Johan.

From an amateur point of view who wants to do an engine out operation with limited tooling (jacks method, stands, low trolley under the engine, ...) and possibly alone, I do think it is preferable to disconnect the A/C lines, and it turns out to be easier to disconnect at compressor level rather than at firewall level. There are so many things to look at during the engine removal that having to look also at the clearance between the compressor and the header or the head is added complexity and stress.

For a pro, with all the space around the car, a lift, working at human height, probably 2 or 3 people around looking at critical areas, removing the engine without the compressor is probably time efficient if the A/C was working OK before the major.

PS: will test the brackets soon ...

 

Wow! Enjoy, but take the time to bed-in your new brakes properly and ... let me know how you feel with them. I am still very very happy with this mod.

 

I really cant see why one would do it that way. If you go about leaving the AC intact and hanging then it makes it harder to install the belt when back in place because the AC belt is inside the Alt/water pump belt on the main pully. This means that the Alt/wp belt has to be left off when the engine is reinstalled to the car. This also means that you now have to fish the Alt/wp belt up between the firewall and the water pump to install it which means a big twisting of the belt (not good for the belt). The Alternator now has to be put back in place and the belts adjusted. Seems to me like another cheap way for someone to work on these cars at the owners expense.

 

.....well I did my 30k service leaving the compressor in, followed a thread posted here with photo's. Wasn't difficult at all, there is room if you are careful. I will do it the same way next time.....I took off one of the compresssor brackets but it isn't necessary. Does take 2 people though, one to maneuver the compressor as the other operates the lift......I had good a/c before the major service and I still do now.

 

Whatever they believe it is the hard way to do the job. I worked with a number of mechanics over the years that due to lack of knowledge etc would go to any lengths to avoid an A/C system so what you describe is not all that uncommon. Besides by the time the car needs a major it is probably overdue for an A/C service anyway. Just take the A/C compressor out with the motor, it is the way it was intended to be done, is far easier and will result in a better job upon completion.

 

So there's your answer johan6504.
ALL the tecs at the established Ferrari workshop you use, have a lack of knowledge. How about that.

 

Just to be clear, do you mean do not disconnect it, and instead leave it intact?

 

Yep, he means leave the compressor bolted onto the engine. Have the a/c gas recovered first, then remove the a/c hoses.

 

Its the best way to do it. Change out the oil in the compressor, flush out the lines, change the seals, inspect the compessor clutch etc...If you do it right, your A\c should blow as cold if not colder then before.