What do I need to know about refrigerant - Removing A/C compressor condenser

[misfits]

I'm looking at removing at least the condenser from the front of the truck. The condenser is smashed and beat to crap.
I have a bypass pully from another truck to put in place of the compressor if I pull it.
The ac doesn't work and I have no plans to fix it. The truck is not a daily driver.
What to I need to know regarding refrigerant and removing these parts. Can I just pull the stuff and put plugs on the lines?

[mountie]

I removed my condenser. Just undo the lines, and remove the radiator shroud & wiggle the radiator back. The condenser will raise up & out. If you want, just disconnect the A/C lines pull them out. Plug the evaporator inlet.

I fabricated a screen to fit nicely in front of the radiator for bugs & rocks.

I also put in an A/C pulley adapter until I get a new A/C system.

[misfits]

My big concern is the refrigerant. I think ill just take it somewhere to make sure its all drained before I mess with any part of it.
The screen is a good idea since the crappy condenser will be gone.

[mountie]

Originally Posted by misfits

My big concern is the refrigerant. I think ill just take it somewhere to make sure its all drained before I mess with any part of it.
The screen is a good idea since the crappy condenser will be gone.

That's a nice "environmentally cautious" thing to do, but there's 15 billion A/C's in cars & buildings that leak every hour.......

But everybody can try to avoid emission stuff as practical, using common sense...... But 'nature' IS self-cleaning.

The EPA is just a dollar / sucking machine by regulating the money from us, & putting it into their pockets. (The EPA considers cash as a form of cleansing?)

(I would have done the same thing), if it wasn't for my compressor blowing up in the desert, spewing all that Global Warming juice! Maybe I should have paid into Al Gore's carbon credit company? Ha...

Sorry....just a tad off subject......

[misfits]

I more concerned with my own health to be honest. I don't know much about leaking refrigerant or health concerns with it. It may have leaked out already before I got the truck for all I know.

[ChevLoRay]

If you ever tried to run the a/c and it didn't work...it probably is LOW on refrigerant. Sure, there's a way to recover the stuff in a charged system, but I hear over and over about shops venting the stuff to the atmosphere...meaning no recovery was done per EPA guidelines. Will it hurt you personally? Not unless you manage to introduce a flame to the vapors as they are escaping. Then, you will be creating phosgene, a gas that is harmful. So, let it out and keep flames away from it.

[misfits]

So I cracked the lines on the condenser and was slightly paranoid about what to expect to come out and.. nothing. Everything seemed empty from what I can tell no gas no liquid, nothing. So basically paranoid for nothing. Dunno what will happen if it is full and you crack the lines though...

So I pulled the condenser without damaging the radiator and took off the lines on the compressor pulled the compressor. One of the holes on the bypass pulley I yanked from my 90 W/T is a fuzz small so I have to drill it to fit on.
With any luck the belt will fit properly when all is done. I have to swap the power steering pump yet so we will see.

[67c10rustbuket]

An 88 would be R12 like my old 93. I had the old refrigerant dumped at a service shop for $25 so I could convert it to 134A. I work for a large HVAC manufacturer and work with various refrigerants daily, as far as exposure I would just make sure it does not spray you unless you want frost bite. There is a lot of info both ways as far as the EPA, Ozone, and Al Gore but I can tell you I have seen butt loads shoot out of units and the city I work in does not have any significant global warming A good fin comb and topping off your system may be all you need to get your system working properly. Is there other problems that you know of or just that it does not work? You can jump the cycling switch to verify if the compressor works, It will not allow the compressor to run when pressure is too low.

[67c10rustbuket]

Oh i see you were typing the same time as me. Just plug any open lines if you plan to use it in the future!