to AC or not to AC

[71royston]

Hello my hilux brothers.
Just bought a 96 hilux surf 2l-te ssr jap import great truck, was wondering whether I could get rid of the AC compressor and fans? The AC has never worked and to be honest in this climate there is no real need for AC. Im not a mechanic but I do like to tinker with my motors namely services general bolt on bolt off types of things. Is this a fairly straight forward job? unbolt the compressor, unbolt the AC belt tensioner unbolt bash plate and remove fans and required piping?
Are the fans above the bash plate AC only or do they serve another purpose? Also are there any lecky ecu problems that mite occur in doing this? Looking at the redundant AC equipment they look fairly heavy im sure this would help my not so great mpg.
Also not to do with AC, the throttle position sensor could someone please run me through the inner workings of this device? Ive searched this site and couldnt find much on how this sensor actually works. Kinda interested on how the ecu knows how much fuel to mix into the intake. On previous cars I owned theyve had O2 sensors map/maf to help the ecu work these out but on me hilux there seems to no sensors that do these? Am i wrong in my musings here? Also if the 2l-te engine does have O2 maf/map could one of you wise men point me to their location?
mmmmm while im at it was wanting to replace my standard rear speakers (chase and status have reduced the basslines to fartslines!!!). Im thinking that they are the standard clippy type things on car door cards? Flat head screw driver gently popps em out?
After the rear speakers the EGR has gotta go, thanks in advance, soz bout the length of rant!!! Love this site Love my truck and my two little boys love daddys big truck!!!

[stevehutch]

AC Removal

Hi, I did just what you are considering. I removed all elements of the AC unit right up to just leaving two pipes sticking out of the firewall. The rad came off underneath and left heaps of room for a poss ATF cooler one day. Frees up lots of space above the alternator as well. We then drove the old girl to Torrevieja in Spain for a month and did not miss the AC one bit. As the missus said if you want cool open the window!!! Good luck and I expect someone with knowledge of the other questions will come along soon.
Cheers
Steve

[puddlesurfer]

Hello welcome

I had no gas in my AC system so I just cut through the rubber pipes going to the fan rad. Then unbolted the compressor and angle grinded the pulley off as it gets in the way when you do the cambelt.

[TonyN]

First up the last 2.4 Surf was 92/93', you're 3 years late!

There is no O2 sensor, Personally I wouldn't try to hard to mess with teh ECU, there're very little gains to be had. Give it a good service, use redex or simular regularly and drive carefully if you want maximise the MPG.

Intercoolers, if you can do it yourself (paying anyone labour will negate any savings in fuel for quite a while), and binning the EGR are really the only things that can give a noticable increase, both are covered well if you do a search on here.

The 2.4 is a slug, but a very capable slug nonetheless, you just have to live with living in the slow lane and dipping into the wallet to feed it.

[NiftyNev]

Yeah, '96 is not right. Post up the Model and Frame numbers and i will let you know date of manufacture.

Nev

[71royston]

Cheers for the replies fellas, LN130-0089462 is the frame number. Managed to take the AC out just left with whats under the dash, will get to that when i upgrade the stereo head unit.
Managed to find technical article on the TPS well interesting reading.
Just need to if this mota has a maf/map on it somewhere!!
Also replacing the rear speakers im hoping the panels just pop off cant find any screw holes anywhere, im loath to do stuff that i havnt read up on!!!
Caught the ###### coolant temperature sensor while i was pulling the big AC pipe out and busted it!!!! Waiting for a replacement from parkers, hope its the right one theyre only charging a tenner for it?? Getting all the service parts for it at the same time.
is there any reason to hold on to the AC system? Gona bin the lot.

[TonyN]

Just need to if this mota has a maf/map on it somewhere!!

Nope.

Also replacing the rear speakers im hoping the panels just pop off cant find any screw holes anywhere, im loath to do stuff that i havnt read up on!!!

They do, but clips break easily, so go easily and pull squarely, YOu need to take the trim above the back window out, and remove a screw, remove the load cover brackets (it you have them), and the carpet trim at back.

[tonupteabag]

The A/C pump, condenser, fans and pipework weigh in at just under four stone, so you have basically lost the weight of a child from the engine bay, (yes i was curious enough to weigh it!!)

[4thsurf]

Add in the weight of the refrigerant and oil and 5 stone..

You need the A/C here and you do have to be careful that the "fridgey" fills the thing with the correct refrigerant as you can end up with to high of a head pressure in the compressor and then completely strangle the engine (which you really don't want with a 2L-TE) not to mention the resultant increase in engine operating temp. The most common leak is from the TX valve under the dash believe it or not

This all said when the system is working properly for those that like their beer cold.. You can chill beer with it

[Surf01]

Cheers for the replies fellas, LN130-0089462 is the frame number. Managed to take the AC out just left with whats under the dash, will get to that when i upgrade the stereo head unit.
Managed to find technical article on the TPS well interesting reading.
Just need to if this mota has a maf/map on it somewhere!!
Also replacing the rear speakers im hoping the panels just pop off cant find any screw holes anywhere, im loath to do stuff that i havnt read up on!!!
Caught the ###### coolant temperature sensor while i was pulling the big AC pipe out and busted it!!!! Waiting for a replacement from parkers, hope its the right one theyre only charging a tenner for it?? Getting all the service parts for it at the same time.
is there any reason to hold on to the AC system? Gona bin the lot.

Definitely not a 1996 model. Hopefully you never bought it as a 1996 and paid over the odds.

[71royston]

paid 800 quid for it so im thinking BARGAIN!!!! any ideas on the year folks? learnt that its had a new engine put in it aswell not too long ago.

[71royston]

cheers for the heads up on the maf/map sensor been looking for ages thats why i aint found one!!!!
thanks aswell for the rear panel removal!!!

[shokenore]

The A/C pump, condenser, fans and pipework weigh in at just under four stone, so you have basically lost the weight of a child from the engine bay, (yes i was curious enough to weigh it!!)

That seems really heavy did that include all the gubbins in the cab aswell?
Never having taking off the condensor (yet) did that weigh as much as the compressor?

I wonder if anyone who has junked their aircon has used the condensor as a atf cooler?

[tonupteabag]

That seems really heavy did that include all the gubbins in the cab aswell?
Never having taking off the condensor (yet) did that weigh as much as the compressor?

I wonder if anyone who has junked their aircon has used the condensor as a atf cooler?

Nothing from under the dash just the pump, rad, pipework and the fans

[TonyN]

The A/C unit joins the blower motor to the heater matrix unit, there isn't really anything you can take out from inside, it's not really worth completely stripping out your dash just to get to the A/C matrix out.