I am in the process of taking apart my 78 308. Today I disconnected the hoses from the AC compressor in order to get the gas tank out. The belt for the AC has been removed by the previous owner and there doesn't seem to be any freon in the system (nothing came out of hoses when I disconnected them). I am wondering since I live in L.A. it would sure be nice to have AC during summer, is there a way to determine if the compressor works properly even when it is removed from the car? BTW how many of your 308's AC systems work? Thanks, Helmut
Not easy to do much testing out of the car. Could start w/this: Basic turn it over fast by hand & see if it turns freely, sucks in the inlet, blows out the outlet of course. (Make sure it can't suck any debris/dust in the process.) Also could pressurize it w/air & see if it holds pressure overnight(make sure the air supply is dry so you don't introduce any water into the pump). Might try contacting a commercial A/C shop that does rebuilds & see if they have a bench test setup & will test it for you.
Verrell, thanks for responding; I suppose people usually disconnect it to gain HP? or is there another reason? Thanks, Helmut
Usual is to gain HP, improve gas mileage, or the system is out of coolant & the don't want the compressor wearing out. Always lots of reasons, not always rational or obvious.
The coolant in A/C systems also carries the lubricant for the pump. Running the pump without coolant can lead to the pump seizing up and literally stalling the car's engine. The belt may have been removed to avoid running a compressor without coolant/lubricant, it may have been to gain horsepower (although if you're that serious the weight reduction from the physical removal of the A/C components would be a greater performance benefit), the belt may have simply broken and not been replaced. Too many potential reasons to know for sure. Steve
Thanks for the input. I will have it checked out and hopefully put back in place the way it's supposed to be. Thanks, Helmut
