Questions concerning AC removal on 72 roadster.

[MartyCee]

We are in the process of trying to install headers on a 72 roadster and realized that we will need to find an adaptor in order to mount the existing AC compressor.

At this time the AC does not work. There are several issues involved with getting the AC working and we have too many other fixes going on at this time to attempt to repair it. Therefore we would like to remove the AC unit temporarily and reinstall it when we are prepared to deal with it. Can we remove and shelve it until we have the time to repair it properly?



Also, just out of curiosity, can anyone shed any light on a couple things that involve the AC wiring? We found two or three loose wires with melted connectors, two that look as if they go into some type of plastic (somewhat melted as well..) sensor. Also there is a sensor/sending unit mounted on the block (right rear) that has two spade terminals but nothing is connected to it. (Possibly a couple of the loose wires we have lying near by?) At this time the AC is not a concern and it would be nice to have the compressor (especially) out of the way so we aren’t too worried about these wires. However when we are ready it would be nice to have some insight as to where these wires connect. Are there any potential problems with disconnecting the compressor and shelving it until we are ready to tackle any necessary repair?

Also how difficult would it be to upgrade the R12 system. And if when we do upgrade, can we replace the long compressor with a shorter one?



Any advice or insights would be appreciated.

Thanks - Marty

 

[68Roadster]

Marty,
Welcome to the forum. I'm sure you'll have several answers before it is all over with. Otherwise you have a great search engine within this forum to research other peoples issues that may help you.
As for running without the A/C, I'm presently doing that until I can find the time to re-do the system.
With regards to the wiring, you may want to update us as to the wire colors. This should help in troubleshooting by other members. There's alot of guys that know the ins and outs of the C3 wiring.
I have heard of several people upgrading to R134 but I'm not quite sure on the compressor change. I think it is possible. Your search of A/C issues should pull up a couple of good websites for A/C repair and upgrades.
Finally, what does the "Cee" in your forum name refer to........I don't run across that often.......

Good luck,
Cee

 

[MartyCee]

Cee, Thanks for the response! I should have noted the wire colors before posting. We've been trying to do a little at a time on this car and not get too far ahead of ourselves. We were cautioned about biting off too much at once. Unfortunately there are times when one thing leads to another and before we know it we're off. I'll verify the wire colors hopefully tonight. There's a few years of grime on some of the wiring and difficult to tell what the color is. Also it appears someone has tinkered with these wires previously. I think the wires are blue (or green) and black. I know there is a brown wire laying there as well. Some wires have been disconnected and abandoned. Most have clearly been hot either because of shorts or allowed to lay against the exaust manifold. It's difficult to tell which. We are trying to trace everything to be sure there are no shorts prior to hooking anything up.
All this started with trying to move the compressor out of the way to install headers. We're off again....!
I could write a page on what removing the old top for installation of a replacement has gotten us into. (We still don't have the new one on but it's getting closer...) The good news is we should have all parts back from being powder coated this week and we can get back to that. Thought we might get the headers on while we're waiting.
By the way, the "Cee" is my last name initial. It seems there are a few "MartyC" 's out there so somehow I ended up with "Cee" Unfortunately I started using that prior to getting the 72 or I would have used "C3"!
Thanks again. This is really a great website for getting help. Hopefully the day will come when we can contribute something to help others as we learn more about this car. Marty

 

[68Roadster]

Marty,
I've attached a few shots of the wiring from a book I have. Hopefully they will help some.
Spend the 25.00 and get the assembly manual for your year. They are invaluable.
Also, what motor is in this car? That may help someone explain the spade connections you were wondering about.
When I get a chance I'll search for the thread on changing over the A/C to 134.

Good luck, keep us apprised of whats happening.

Cee

 

[MartyCee]

Cee,
Can't thank you enough for this information. The wiring diagrams that you have provided will help immensely. We should now be able to determine what we need to know about the loose wires in this area. Thanks again!!
The engine is the stock 350/200hp with an automatic. It runs fairly well in spite of the quirky Quadra jet that we hope to replace soon. We’re trying to keep the upgrades within budget and have had a few surprises along the way that seem to dissolve any extra funds fairly quickly.
By the way, I’ve read several threads concerning converting the AC to R134. It appears that with a little patience and following the proper guidelines that this might be the best way to go. Right now we would like to find a way to remove the compressor just to get it out of the way until we can find the time to focus on resolving it.
At least now we will be able to identify most of the loose wires in this area and be ready for that phase of the project when we can get to it. That’s a huge relief.
We’re determined to clean things up under the hood as we go along and are continually concerned about finding loose wires. We have a few! Resolving wiring issues usually ends up being a huge distraction from whatever we are working on when we find them.
I’ll be sure to let you know how this goes! Thanks again! Marty