accessory drive belt

[95whiteprix]

i was just wonder ing if anyone knew how long of belt i would need if i removed the a/c compressor on my 95 3.4.

Anyone's help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

[RebelGT]

you'd still need a pulley there to keep the belt in contact with the water pump. So depending on what you do to make that happen, that'll determine your belt size. I don't think theres a stock option for deleting the a/c like there is pushrod engines.

[birdman]

yes there is, http://www.1aauto.com/1A/ACBypassPul...PM00004/301517
hope this helps in your project.

[95whiteprix]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH BIRDMAN, THIS HELPS ME GREATLY!!!

[95whiteprix]

One more question Birdman, if you know. How many lines and shit can I remove. It seems like there is a shitload of them under there.

[Mach10]

The AC compressor will have 2 aluminum AC lines running to it, and at least one wiring block.

You can chop out the lines, but be REALLY sure that the system is EMPTY first. Honestly, you should take it to a shop and have them evacuate the system if it's R-12. R134-a isn't quite as nasty on the environment...

Regardless, either escaping gas will seriously f**k you up. Betcha didn't know you can get 3rd-degree burns from a freezing gas, did ya? Nasty business that.

Cut out the lines, remove the condensor, and the evaporator at the front of the car. It's pretty much all aluminum, but with the AC compressor, lines, and fittings removed, you'll probably save 15-20lbs. Since the AC compressor free-wheels anyway when off, you won't free up any power by removing it.

[slick94prix]

I think i remember someone stating that with all the AC components removed, they only saved about 40 lbs. tops. Not a whole lot of what per-say, but a lot of weight on these front heavy vehicles to remove.

[Mach10]

I weighed the bits off my Fiero when I ripped the AC out. It only came to about 20-25lbs, IIRC... Then you pick up a little weight from the delete pulley (5lbs?).

Granted, the Fiero evaporator was a little smaller, but the AC lines were something like 10ft long

[95whiteprix]

Thanks to all, ordered the pulley yesterday so its on the way. I'll get back with all the weight info and what not when I have it all finished.

[95whiteprix]

Got the pulley today, weighs about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds it's very light. I'm gonna try to get it on this weekend. Hardest part will be removing the freon from the system.

[mr_merkur]

I know its not the "right" way but if you really wanna let it out you could just use a valve stem core remover and pull out one of the pressure sides and there you go, but its not right and its hazordous.

[Mach10]

Why? Just disconnect the power line to the compressor, of just don't turn on AC inside the car.

When you aren't actually blowing cold air, the pump doesn't spin internally. There's an electric clutch, and when it's off, the AC is just an idler pulley.

It's really not worth the effort to remove unless you're a stickler for the weight, or you just swapped the motor into a car with no AC like I just did. Even then, I'm only doing it 'cos I got a good deal by buying both the PS pump remove and AC remove together.

[95whiteprix]

Reason for removal is just the fact that all that shit frees up alot of space, and more space means more options. Weight is actually the biggest concern. Not that I absolutely have to lose the weight but the fact that I want to.

Stock weight w/me in car ~3700= 17.6 lbs/horse

Cut about 400 #'s off car ~3300= 15.7 lbs/horse

2 pounds isn't much but when a stock 2005 porsche 911 is 11.9 lbs/horse it makes you wonder???????????

I still think that even more than 400 pounds can be cut off the car, I will see when I have it finished but until then no one really knows.

I may be dumb but I'm not stupid. I'm just looking at simple cheap/free shit to do to get the best out of the car, because at this time I don't have close the money needed or knowledge to put pistons or a turbo or anything of mass proportion on the car.

Not trying to be a dick or anything, that's just where I stand.

[Mach10]

Fair enough.

The problem with comparing a 4-door sedan (or convert 2-door like the Monte Carlo or Z34) with a porsche should be fairly obvious.

Let's face it. GM didn't design these cars to be light. They designed them to be comfortable. And nothing screams comfort like having a huge mass perched on mushy springs.

To get any kind of real weight reduction, you'll need to get rid of a lot of the creature comforts that many people take for granted.

For example, the seats have to go. Get yourself a set of racing seats for the front (and a tube of Prep-H for the fistula you're going to get bouncing around on those.). Rip up the back seats

Rip out all the sound insulation, and all the wiring. Re-wire the car for the EFI, the lights, and the horn. Everything else, yank out.

Cut the dashboard up. Leave the guage cluster. Everything else, gone.

Remove all of the carpetting, coat the bare floor with a bedliner-type substance.

Then pick the car up and start trimming. Grind and round out the edges on all of the cast parts, remove any casting flash.

Cut the bottom of the trunk out and rivet in a sheet of aluminum.

Install a roll cage, weld it into the frame, then start pulling chunks of sheet metal out of the doors, and the frame.

At the end of it, you'll have saved your 400lbs... But the car will look ready for a demolition derby.

I'd say that 99.9% of the population won't go to anywhere near that extreme.

The way I see it, people should enjoy the car they have. You will see a bigger benefit learning how to do most of the "hardcore" work yourself, and apply a few of the "old-school" horse tricks.

Rather than fart around trying to save 30lbs or so (unless the AC is dead already, then it's just dead weight), buy yourself a set of junk heads and an intake, and spend 6 weeks smoothing out the ports.

Then, when you have a weekend free, slap the new heads and intake on. The cost will be two afternoons of work, and what, $100-$150 for the gaskets and machine work?

Give the car a tuneup. It's a lost art since EFI will compensate for a LOT of crap... But change the plugs and wires. Pour carb-cleaner right into each cyl until its coming out the spark plug hole. Let it sit for an hour, then vacuum it out. Pull the intake off and clean it. Properly. Replace all the vacuum lines. If it's up your alley (and not illegal), have one of the dudes here burn you a MEMCAL removing some of the emissions controls and and trimming out the fuel maps.


The problem these days is the attitude towards auto enthusiasts. WAY too much emphasis is placed on very hard-core mods. Theres a huge "bigger than yours" mentality that isn't doing a hell of a lot for the hobby.

If you like the car as it is, but want just a bit more, work with what you have. If you don't know what you're doing, learn. There's plenty of books, and I'm sure if you look around, you'll find plenty of old geezers around who'd be happy to share what they know about the old muscle days. The combustion engine hasn't changed at all since the early 1900s. The only things that have changed is how we get fuel into each cylinder, and our understanding of the processes involved. I've got a Jaguar motor, designed in 1943 for a Lemans race. It makes 220hp with a DOHC head, hemispherical combustion chambers, and a molybdenum alloy crankshaft and rods that are almost invincible. It's got a streeted-down intake, with dual carbs, gets about 20mpg in the city, and I can bolt on a 45mm triple weber intake (Bit pricey for the carbs, tho) to make an instant 300 horse.

[95whiteprix]

Instead fo cutting up the dashboard I would like to get the vibrant performance dash. Yeah its 400 large ones but is worth it. All fiberglass, has all the space needed, and allows you to do whatever the hell you want. Custom guages mainly. I do plan on racing seats no carpet or anything else, good idea on the bedliner shit that would work great. Iplan on stripping the trunk tomorrow and the cruise control b/c it doesn't work at all, and I was thinking of cuttin the spare tire pan out and getting like a piece of sheet metal to weld in there instead of alluminum. Reason being is I would like to put a fuel cell back there and I want it to be pretty strong.

It's still gonna cost almost a grand to do all that, but would cut considerable weight. Also want to put a rear stb in there. I have a shitload of ideas I want to check out but not alot of time to tinker, just gotta do little by little. Also need some manual window cranks.