Based on my experience, do not skip removing the expansion valve. It is a pain in the ass but if you can pull off the plastic cover, it will be a little bit easier. I took pictures of the totally blocked expansion valve and those pictures are posted earlier in this thread. I think my compressor ate itself because of the totally blocked expansion valve. Full of brownish gook and totally blocked. Little to nothing even got into the evaporator. I cut open the dryer/filter and the out-put chamber was coated with a very light dusting of rust. Apparently the pag oil picked up the rust powder and carried it through to expansion valve that had been there for at least 12 years and it eventually totally blocked the valve. As I mentioned, I only found one flake of aluminum in the exhaust port of the compressor. The gauges indicated a total blockage in the system and it would not accept even one full can of freon. A/C problems are right up there with the most frustrating problems that you can have with a car. Vudoo kind of stuff.
No my stud is the same I think. Image Unavailable, Please Login I was able to remove the compressor by removing that rear bracket nut ^^^, then completely loosening this bottom long hex bolt vvv (the long bolt doesn't come out completely until the compressor is moved, it hits the frame if you try to pull it out) Image Unavailable, Please Login and then on the pic below, this upper triangle bracket with 3 hex bolts on it. (1 bolt is hidden by the wire loom in the pic) Remove 2 hex bolts completely, and loosen the upper one. Then that tiny triangle bracket pivots out of the way and the compressor pulls out over the stud easy. Image Unavailable, Please Login No need to remove the rear bracket.
How much R134 refrigerant does the 360 system need? Looking at the manual it says 750g 1.653lbs Image Unavailable, Please Login This guy says https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/360-air-conditioning-capacity-question.290298/ 1.86 lbs. I almost put that much in. Glad I checked the manual. I'm assuming hte manual is correct here? I know it's been wrong before.
My 430 had original comp replaced it was rebuilt or changeover rebuilt and failed twice in 10,000km dealer took car of it for free both time which was nice
I did 750. Or as close as I could. I had to use small cans and monitor pressures. But based off the can capacity, I came out in the realm of 750.